Marathoners Meet in Burke

Only one horse has been a two-time winner of the $100,000 Carleton F. Burke Handicap, which will be run for the 38th time today at Santa Anita.

Fiddle Isle, trained by the late Charlie Whittingham for owner Howard B. Keck, won the first two runnings of the Burke in 1969 and 1970.

Runaway Dancer will try for his second Burke victory when he takes on six other marathon specialists in the Grade III at 1 1/2 miles.

Owned by RL Stables and trained by Dan Hendricks, Runaway Dancer, a 7-year-old Runaway Groom gelding, won as a 38-1 shot in 2003. The victory remains his only one in eight starts on the Santa Anita turf course.

A winner of seven of 32, Runaway Dancer will be nowhere near that price today. He was a troubled seventh in the Del Mar Handicap in his last outing Aug. 27 but will be reunited with jockey Alex Solis, who was aboard for Runaway Dancer’s last victory, in the Escondido on Aug. 2 at Del Mar.

Artiste Royal is the top weight at 118 pounds and the one to beat. The 5-year-old Danehill horse is dropping in class after finishing a close third, behind The Tin Man and T.H. Approval, in the Clement L. Hirsch on Sept. 30. Artiste Royal won four of 10 in Europe but is winless in six starts in the U.S. Jockey Patrick Valenzuela will be aboard.

The field also includes Labirinto, second to Runaway Dancer in the 2003 Burke; Sarafan, who has won more than $2.6 million; probable pacesetter Symphony Sid; and longshots Mighty Mysterious, Conall Cearnach and Don Incauto.

*

The other stakes at Santa Anita is the $65,000 Anoakia for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

The probable favorite is Sego Lily, a daughter of Northern Devil who beat maidens impressively in her debut at Bay Meadows on Sept. 9. Victor Espinoza will ride Sego Lily for owner-breeder Perry Bruno and trainer Keith Bennett.

*

Jockey Richard Migliore, a fixture in New York for more than 25 years and winner of more than 4,000 races, will begin riding in California next month. Migliore, 42, will join the local colony at Hollywood Park after the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 4.

*

Russell Baze is closing in on Laffit Pincay’s record of 9,532 wins. Before Friday night’s card at Bay Meadows, Baze was 45 victories away.

*

Windy, a 3-year-old California-bred daughter of Wild Rush, will make her first appearance in a graded stakes in the $300,000 Raven Run today at Keeneland.

Rafael Bejarano will ride Windy for trainer Bobby Frankel in the Grade II at seven furlongs. She has won three of six, including an easy romp as the 6-5 favorite in her last start Sept. 3 at Del Mar.

*

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com