Collect Call Helps Paasch End Drought

What trainer Chris Paasch called the worst slump of his 22-year career ended in a big way Saturday at Santa Anita.

Snapping the trainer’s 0-for-55 dry spell in Southern California, 7-1 shot Collect Call gave Paasch and owner Rod Rodriguez, a newcomer to the business, their first local graded stakes win with a 1 1/4-length victory over Irguns Angel, another 7-1 outsider, in the $109,300 Santa Ysabel Stakes.

Purchased for $250,000 out of a dispersal sale after she had started twice in Canada and Washington, the 3-year-old Meadowlake filly tracked the pace set by Eminent in the Grade III race, dropped back a bit, then ran past Irguns Angel late to win in 1:44 3/5 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Ridden by Alex Solis, Collect Call, who had never run past seven furlongs before Saturday and who was making her first start in a graded race, won for the second time in five starts. She returned $17.80 to her supporters and earned $65,580 for Rodriguez.

“This was a wonderful win,” said Paasch, who for good measure also won a race at Golden Gate Fields with claimer Gracious Prize on Saturday. “Rod, Bill Gray, who works with him, myself and my wife, Bonnie, all had looked at this filly separately before we bought her.

“We all compared notes and we were impressed how bravely she had broken her maiden in her first start. She was in between horses going into the far turn and was really squeezed pretty hard but stuck her neck up in there and just went through.

“We stepped up her training a bit in the last few weeks with the intention of stretching her out. Alex gave her a tremendous ride. We’ll sit down over the next couple of weeks and try and find a spring schedule for her because I do think she will improve with distance.”

Solis, who has ridden Collect Call in all three of her races in California, thought she would improve with more yardage.

“I said when she went long she was going to be a better filly and she proved it today,” he said. “She ran like I was hoping.”

A recent private purchase by owners Ron and Susie Anson, Irguns Angel, who had broken her maiden by eight lengths at Golden Gate Fields three weeks earlier, finished two lengths in front of Eminent, then came 19-10 favorite Tricky Elaine, Pet Sounds, Next Level, Sheza Niner and Skywriting.

Tricky Elaine, a daughter of 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone and a half-sister to Favorite Trick, wound up nearly five lengths behind the winner in her first two-turn race.

“I thought she was a little flat,” said trainer Wayne Lukas. “We thought wheeling her back in eight days was a little bit of a gamble, and it turned out to maybe jump up and bite us.”

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Freedom Crest, who was claimed out of a $32,000 maiden race on June 10, 1999, by trainer Richard Baltas for owners Barbara Choi and Calvin Nguyen, is the lukewarm 7-2 favorite in his graded stakes debut in today’ $200,000 San Pasqual Handicap.

The first step on the road to the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap in March, the Grade II San Pasqual attracted seven other entrants.

A 5-year-old gelding, Freedom Crest has won five of 14 since being claimed and enters having won two in a row, and both victories were accomplished with something in reserve.

Although those wins came at Hollywood Park, the son of To Freedom has been 1-2 in six of seven at Santa Anita. Gary Stevens, who took off his final three mounts Saturday because he was feeling ill, will ride for the first time.

Bosque Redondo, who finished behind Freedom Crest on Dec. 13 but defeated him Nov. 5 at Santa Anita, is the 4-1 second choice. Owned by Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan and trained by Paco Gonzalez, the 4-year-old Mane Minister colt also will be making his stakes debut and has won three of five.

Rounding out the field, from the inside out, are Purely Cozzene, who will be trying the main track for the first time since he finished next to last in the Baldwin Stakes on Feb. 27, Sultry Substitute, Estio, El Gran Papa, who will be making his first start on the dirt, Casey Griffin and Deploy Venture.

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Tiznow, the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and the favorite to be named horse of the year, worked seven furlongs in 1:26 3/5 Saturday morning at Santa Anita.

The 4-year-old son of Cee’s Tizzy is expected to make his first start of 2001 in next Saturday’s $250,000 San Fernando Breeders’ Cup Stakes, which is a prep for next month’s Strub Stakes.

“Everything looks good,” said trainer Jay Robbins. “[Jockey] Chris [McCarron] was very pleased with the work. He did it real easy and galloped out strong, like he wanted to keep running. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

Idle since his game win over Giant’s Causeway in the Classic more than two months ago, Tiznow has been bothered by some foot problems and there had been some concern that he would not run in the San Fernando.

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Jamaican Rum, a 9-1 shot, rallied along the rail to upset favored Startac and win the $89,475 Hill Rise Handicap at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye for Southern Nevada Racing Stables and trainer Jim Cassidy, the 3-year-old son of Exemplary Leader won for the second time in five starts. Making his turf debut, he completed the mile in 1:35 2/5 in winning by a neck.

“Eddie said he’s a different horse on the grass,” Cassidy said. “He just gets a hold of the grass so much better. It’s too early to know where he’ll run next. Our plan was to see how he handled the turf. This was a pretty tough field and he handled it pretty well.”

Startac, who had won the Generous Stakes at Hollywood Park in his previous start, finished three-quarters of a length in front of Dim Sums, the 2-1 second choice, then came Kris’s Vista, Times Square and Rusty Spur.

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Associate, a 36-1 shot, collared 3-1 favorite Band Is Passing in the final yards to win the $150,000 Appleton Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

Notes

There is a Pick Six carryover for today of $164,512. . . . Sky Jack, who ended 2000 with easy victories in the California Cup Classic and Native Diver Handicap, will be out of action for several months because of a bone chip in his right front knee. “Hopefully, he’ll be back by the end of the summer,” trainer Doug O’Neill told the Daily Racing Form.