Frankel’s Focus Is Nationwide

An astonishing 0 for 36 with Breeders’ Cup starters, Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel is treating this weekend as a miniature Breeders’ Cup.

“I might enjoy these races a lot more than a Breeders’ Cup,” said Frankel, who’s running horses from coast to coast in five races worth $3.75 million. “I’m very live in all of them.”

Two of Frankel’s hopefuls are running in $1-million stakes, Senure today in the Arlington Million in suburban Chicago and favored Skimming on Sunday in Del Mar’s Pacific Classic, which Frankel has won five times. With Skimming at Del Mar and Chester House at Arlington, Frankel won both races last year. The victories helped him win the Eclipse Award for training at season’s end.

While Frankel’s top assistant, Humberto Ascanio, saddles Senure in the Million and The Seven Seas in the $700,000 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington today, the boss will be at Saratoga, where Flute, the Kentucky Oaks winner, is favored in the $750,000 Alabama.

When Skimming runs Sunday at Del Mar, Frankel will also be represented by Aptitude, the winner via disqualification of the Hollywood Gold Cup, in the $300,000 Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Frankel won his first Eclipse Award for training in 1993, two years before his Hall of Fame election, and in any other year his performance in 2001 might have him at the forefront again.

His horses have earned $6.7 million, which ranks second nationally, and, with divisions in New York and California, he’s racking up frequent victories at Saratoga and Del Mar, arguably two of the country’s toughest meets. At Del Mar, he’s second in the standings. At Saratoga, he has been winning with half of his starters.

But Bob Baffert, who has won three Eclipses, is headed for a fourth with a year that has brought $12.6 million in purses. Baffert, who’ll try to beat Skimming with Captain Steve in the Pacific Classic, also is well ahead of Frankel in the Del Mar standings and is headed for his fifth consecutive meet title here.

In the Breeders’ Cup, Frankel’s horses--without winning--have earned $3.4 million with high finishes, which places him 11th on the money list. Several trainers below him have won as many as two Breeders’ Cup races, but overall they have lower purse totals. Frankel has had five second-place Breeders’ Cup finishes, most recently with the filly Honest Lady against Kona Gold in last year’s Sprint at Churchill Downs.

“She came within a long neck, so what are you going to do?” Frankel said. “I was hoping that the questions about the Breeders’ Cup thing wouldn’t come until October. It’s just been circumstances. It’s just one thing I haven’t achieved. It’s one of those things I just have to keep trying for.”

Frankel had run 12 horses--all but one finishing off the board--in the Arlington Million before Chester House’s win last year. He goes into today’s race with a 6-1 shot on the morning line, Senure having finished second twice and fourth once in his three other Grade I starts in the United States. The 5-year-old son of Nureyev was moved to first in his last race, after the Monmouth Park stewards disqualified With Anticipation in the United Nations Handicap.

“This is a tougher field than what Chester House had to beat,” Frankel said.

Last year, for the only time, Arlington Park hiked the purse of its premier race to $2 million, yet only seven horses started. In a 12-horse field today, the morning-line favorite is Hap, a 5-year-old son of Theatrical bred by the late Allen Paulson who runs for the Paulson Living Trust.

Jerry Bailey, winner of the Million with Chester House, is riding Hap, undefeated in three starts while traveling to Pimlico, Rockingham Park and Saratoga this year.

At 7-2 on the morning line is Bienamado, the California-based 5-year-old who’s ranked as the top male horse in the country by the Daily Racing Form. Favored in last year’s Million, he had a rough start, injured his back and finished fourth. Trainer Paco Gonzalez brought him back in December, and since then he’s undefeated in four starts on grass.

Chris McCarron, who has won the last six times he has ridden Bienamado, will be aboard again today. McCarron won the fourth running of the Million with John Henry in 1984.

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The Frankel Five

Trainer Bobby Frankel has horses entered in five races each worth $300,000 or more this weekend:

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Horse Race Purse Track When Flute Alabama $750,000 Saratoga Today The Seven Seas Beverly D $700,000 Arlington Today Senure Arlington Million $1,000,000 Arlington Today Aptitude Saratoga Breeders’ Cup $300,000 Saratoga Sunday Skimming Pacific Classic $1,000,000 Del Mar Sunday

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