Frankel is on a record pace

The record for stakes victories by a trainer at a Santa Anita winter-spring meet is 16, established by Bob Baffert in 1998-99.

The way Bobby Frankel has begun the current season, the record is in serious jeopardy and could be broken long before Santa Anita wraps up April 22.

With more than 75% of the meet remaining, Frankel already has five stakes wins and has a chance to add to his total this weekend.

Frankel will send out longshot To Sender in the $150,000 Palos Verdes Handicap today, then will have three representatives -- Hello Sunday, Notable Guest and Heroi Do Bafra -- in the $150,000 San Marcos Stakes on Sunday.

The Palos Verdes, a Grade II at six furlongs, drew only four runners. Friendly Island is the favorite.

A 6-year-old New York-bred son of Crafty Friend, Friendly Island will be making his Santa Anita debut and first start since finishing second at 58-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Anstu Stables and trained by Michael McCarthy, Friendly Island has won seven of 17 and should be tracking probable pacesetter Limited Creole. Harvard Avenue, who has won two in a row for owner-breeder Ron Crockett and trainer Doug O’Neill, completes the field.

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Wave Carver, who won seven of nine races in 2006, including the Champion of Champions and Los Alamitos Super Derby, was the big winner when the American Quarter Horse Assn. announced its champions earlier this week in Oklahoma City.

Owned by a partnership that includes breeder Dan Lucas, Frank Vessels, Vaughn Cook and Gary Muller and trained by Paul Jones, Wave Carver was named world champion as well as champion 3-year-old and 3-year-old colt.

Blues Girl Too, who won the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity last month, was chosen champion 2-year-old and 2-year-old filly.

Other champions were: Apollitical Time (aged mare and aged horse), Ima Ramblin Girl (3-year-old filly), Strawkins (3-year-old gelding), Fdd Dynasty (2-year-old colt), Jess You And I (2-year-old gelding), Country Chick Man (aged stallion), Gotta Get (aged gelding), Snowbound Superstar (distance horse), Jones (trainer) and G.R. Carter (jockey). This was the fifth year in a row Jones has been named champion trainer.

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The ongoing saga of Barbaro’s recovery from a devastating leg injury at the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., was voted the National Thoroughbred Racing Assn.’s “Moment of the Year” in balloting done via the NTRA’s website.

Barbaro’s win in the Kentucky Derby finished second and his injury in the Preakness and subsequent victory by Bernardini was third.

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Among the horses pre-entered for the Sunshine Millions, which will be held a week from today at both Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, were Lava Man, Bordonaro, Proud Tower Too, Take D’Tour and Sweetnorthernsaint.

Lava Man, who has been away since finishing far back in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November, is scheduled to return to the grass in the $500,000 Turf. Bordonaro, the defending champion, and Proud Tower Too will meet in the $300,000 Sprint, Take D’Tour tops the possible participants in the $500,000 Distaff and Sweetnorthernsaint heads the field in the $1-million Classic. The Turf and the Sprint are two of the four races that will be run locally -- along with the $250,000 Oaks and Distaff, and the Classic, $500,000 Filly and Mare Turf, $300,000 Filly and Mare Sprint and $250,000 Dash will be at Gulfstream.

Post positions for the eight Sunshine Millions races will be drawn Sunday.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com