Record-setting meet at Santa Anita

Ralph Siroco

Tuesday, April 21, 1998 | 12:41 p.m.

Santa Anita completed its winter/spring thoroughbred racing meet Monday with a record for average daily total handle that was prompted by the return of simulcasting and commingled pari-mutuel wagering from the Silver State. The overall handle on the 86-day session was $1.5 million over the $1 billion mark for a daily average of $11,646,060. William C. Baker, president and chief executive officer of the Santa Anita Companies Inc., said that, in addition to a stronger national economy and an attractive stakes schedule, "The increase in total handle can be attributed to the return of Las Vegas race book wagering."

Although El Nino played havoc with many race days' track conditions, there were 235 choices who won of the 736 races for a percentage of winning favorites just under the 32 percent mark. One of those favorites garnered the Horse-of-the-Meet honors with a decisive victory in the April 4 Santa Anita Derby and a ticket to the big Derby in Louisville on the first Saturday in May. Indian Charlie capped off a perfect three-for-three Santa Anita campaign in the Derby and now heads to Kentucky as one of two undefeated horses with four-for-four records (the other, Event Of The Year) and one of the Derby favorites.

His trainer Bob Baffert took down his third Santa Anita title and was voted Trainer of the Meet. The 45-year-old native of Nogales, Ariz., won with 47 of 174 starters on the meet for 27 percent winners and tied trainer Gary Jones' all-time single-season mark set in 1975-76. Baffert went into closing day Monday with 46 wins, and it took his last starter Busy Little Beaver in the next-to-last race of the meet to win the ninth race for No. 47.

While Baffert had 19 more victories than second-place finisher Neil Drysdale for his second consecutive title, Drysdale captured the most stakes races at the stand with 14 added-money scores, which was twice as many as second-placed Ron McAnally in the category.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux didn't have to share top honors with anyone. The 28-year-old native of Maurice, La., not only captured his third career Santa Anita riding title with 89 wins -- 18 more than second-placed Gary Stevens -- but was also the leader in stakes victories with 14 on the meet. Voted top jockey of the meet, Desormeaux has now won the last two major Southern California jockey titles, with the 1997 Hollywood Park fall meet.

Other top honors on the media poll for the meet: Achievement -- Drysdale's stakes wins; Development -- Indian Charlie; Race -- Santa Anita Derby; and Claimer -- Budroyale. Additional highlights of the meet: Feb. 7 -- Silver Charm wins the Strub Stakes and Gentlemen takes the San Antonio Handicap to set up a Big 'Cap showdown. March 7 -- Silver Charm scratched from the Big 'Cap and Gentlemen finished last, but trainer Richard Mandella kept his streak of winning $1 million Southern California races as Maleck scores, stretching Mandella's string to six in a row. March 22 -- Team USA came from behind to defeat Team Europe in the inaugural Santa Anita International Jockey Challenge. April 11 -- Laffit Pincay Jr. records his 8,600th career winner on Closed Escrow.