Frankel’s Move a Heavy Blow for Santa Anita Handicap

Saturday’s Santa Anita Handicap, a race that was already thin on star power, lost its possible favorite, Medaglia d’Oro, on Tuesday when trainer Bobby Frankel said that the colt wouldn’t run because of the 124-pound weight assignment.

The defection of Medaglia d’Oro leaves the favorite’s role for Congaree, who was also given an impost of 124 pounds for the $1-million race. Jerry Bailey, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey for the last three years, moves onto Congaree after he had earlier settled on Medaglia d’Oro.

Frankel said that he would point Medaglia d’Oro to the $6-million Dubai World Cup on March 29.

“But if there’s a war, we won’t run there, either,” Frankel said. “My life’s not worth $6 million. Neither is the horse’s.”

In a field that may total only six horses, Frankel still has a chance to win the Big ‘Cap for the second consecutive year with Milwaukee Brew, who could become the first horse to actually win the race twice. John Henry was first to the wire in 1981 and then got the victory on a disqualification the next year after he was fouled by Perrault in the stretch. Milwaukee Brew, with only one victory since last year’s Big ‘Cap, is trying to end a five-race losing streak.

Had Frankel weighted the Big ‘Cap, he said, would have given Medaglia d’Oro and Congaree 122 pounds apiece.

“This is only March 1,” Frankel said. “If Medaglia d’Oro would have run with 124 and won by two lengths, then they would have moved him up to 126 next time. At that rate, what would he be carrying by the end of the year?”

Medaglia d’Oro and Congaree both carried 123 pounds in their last races, Frankel’s horse winning the Strub and Congaree the San Antonio Handicap the next day.

“Where does it say that you have to gain weight?” Frankel said. “Those were Grade II races. This is a Grade I.”

Frankel pointed out that Medaglia d’Oro had carried 121 pounds while finishing second to Volponi in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. As an older horse, Milwaukee Brew ran with 126 pounds in the Classic, which was run under weight-for-age conditions.

“So now Milwaukee Brew is running with seven less pounds [119] and Medaglia d’Oro would have run with three more pounds. That would have been a shift of 10 pounds, and there’s something wrong with that.”

Congaree will be the highest top weight for the race since Silver Charm ran third under 124 pounds in 1999.

“Silver Charm was the 3-year-old champion [in 1997],” Frankel said. “Medaglia d’Oro wasn’t even [last year’s 3-year-old] champion. When Tiznow won the Santa Anita Handicap [in 2001], they only gave him 122 pounds, and he had won the Breeders’ Cup the year before.”

The loss of Medaglia d’Oro is another instance of Santa Anita’s ongoing difficulties in putting together its richest race. Competition from the much richer Dubai race, injuries and dissatisfaction with weights have all been factors. Major horses lost over the years have included Cigar, Skip Away and Silver Charm. Last year, Frankel had to withdraw Mizzen Mast, who would have been the favorite, because of a hoof crack.

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Skywalker, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita in 1986, suffered a heart attack Tuesday and died at Stone Farm near Paris, Ky. Trained by Michael Whittingham and ridden by Laffit Pincay, Skywalker outran Turkoman and Precisionist, who had horse-of-the-year aspirations. Instead, the title went to the filly Lady’s Secret. Skywalker was 21.

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Toccet, whose four stakes victories last year included the Hollywood Futurity, has a bruised right front foot and probably has run out of time to get ready for the Kentucky Derby on May 3.

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Ramon Sanchez, the leading quarter horse jockey at Los Alamitos, American Quarter Horse Racing Assn.’s champion jockey of 2002 and No. 1 in the standings this year, is in stable but serious condition at Long Beach Memorial Hospital as he recovers from head injuries suffered in a spill at the Orange County track last Sunday. Sanchez, 26, was thrown when his mount, Leave A Legacy, stumbled near the finish of an 870-yard race.

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The Race

What: Santa Anita Handicap.

When: Saturday, post time to be determined. First race of card is at noon.

TV: KDOC (Channel 56).

Probables (with jockeys, weight assignments): Congaree (Jerry Bailey, 124 pounds), Kudos (Julie Krone, 117), Milwaukee Brew (Edgar Prado, 119), Pleasantly Perfect (Alex Solis, 116), Piensa Sonando (Gary Stevens, 115), Sligo Bay (Laffit Pincay, 116).

Last year’s winner: Milwaukee Brew.