Columnist Ralph Siraco: Thanksgiving holiday brought racing fans much to feast upon

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Nov. 30, 1998 | 10:19 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday on the scoreboard page. Write to him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

The four-day holiday weekend brought more than expanding waistlines and droves of people to Las Vegas. The just concluded holiday stretch brought a feast aplenty to area horse race fans with an array of stakes races running a gambit of variety to stuff the heartiest of race-going appetites.

A soggy Turf Festival at Hollywood Park that proved a pot of gold in the golden state for eastern invaders, a growing legend at America's most legendary race track with a look to the spring at Churchill Downs, a living legend that keeps marching timelessly into racing history and a thanksgiving riding victory for a miraculous recovery highlighted the holiday racing cheer.

Appropriately the weekend memories started at Churchill Downs. America's most famous racing emporium closed it's most successful fall racing season on the same high note that the Breeders' Cup produced at the begining of the meet.

And, several Breeders' Cup runners came back to participate in the closing weekend of stakes.

On Friday, the $400,000 Clark Handicap provided a rematch of Breeders' Cup Classic runner up Silver Charm and Breeders' Cup Sprint last-place finisher Wild Rush. These two met just before Breeders' Cup competition in the Kentucky Cup Classic at Turfway Park late September and staged one of the best stretch duels in recent memory. They went stride-for-stride to the finish and were unseparable as they hit the wire in a deadheat for the win.

The Clark would provide another thrilling stretch duel. But, not with Silver Charm and Wild Rush. Although Wild Rush had flanked Silver Charm from the outset of the 1 1/8th miles Grade II affair, and prompted his arch rival through most of the journey, it would be Silver Charm fighting off another challenger to get the victory. In what has become a patented style for Silver Charm, the popular Baffert trainee had given up the lead in mid-stretch to a 37-to-1 outsider named Littlebitlively. But, the courageous gray fought back and stuck his nose out in the nic of time again and gain the victory to an approving roar of the admiring crowd.

Even his regular partner Gary Stevens thought they were losers. "He's something," said the rider. "I thought we were beat, but, then he kicked in another gear."

In capturing the 124th running of the Clark, Silver Charm has now banked over $6.5 million, and his connections have already mapped out a 1999 campaign for the "people's horse". On the schedule is a Dubai World Cup defense in March and another run at the Breeders' Cup Classic in early November. Each race carries a $4 million purse of which the winner takes down 60 percent. If the Charm can win both races, then he will accomplish what Horse of the Year candidate Skip Away failed to do this year -- break Cigar's all-time American earnings mark. Charm has amassed 11 victories from 19 lifetime starts and has finished worst than second only once in his career.

Trainer Bob Baffert, who has won the Kentucky Derby the last two years, capped off the Churchill season by garnering the final pair of stakes offerings on Saturday's closing day card.

And he may have previewed his best chance at Derby number three in the Kentucky Jockey Club. The 1 1/16th miles event showcased promising 2-year-olds who hope to return beneath the famed twin spiries the first Saturday in May. The Baffert-trained Exploit prevailed with a workman-like victory that prompted future book players to scramble for the best odds on next year's Kentucky Derby.

Earlier on the card, the gray mopped conditioner unleashed Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies victress Silverbulletday who demolished her competition to score in the Golden Rod Stakes at the same route of the Kentucky Jockey Club with a better clocking than the boys. She is on schedule for the Kentucky Oaks (the Derby counterpart for fillies) on the first Friday in May.

Hollywood Park's $2.15 million Turf Festival was conducted over yeilding turf conditions from unseasonable rains in Southern California much to the liking of the eastern invaders.

Friday's Turf Express was won by east coast-based Soldier Field who sprinted to the 5 1/2 furlong victory under jockey Rick Wilson.

Saturday's Generous Stakes at a mile for 2-year-olds saw Incurable Optimist distroy his competition under eastern-based rider John Velasquez. His trainer, David Donk, has indicated his horse will stay on the grass and forsake any Derby fever for his soon-to-be 3-year-old and has long range plans for the grass loving runner.

On Sunday, the Festival centerpiece events -- the $700,000 Matriarch and the $500,000 Hollywood Derby -- would produce upset winners.

The Matriarch, for older fillies and mares, saw Squeak run the rail under Alex Solis to post a daylight victory. Auntie Mame, who was trying for Fiji's Eclipse trophy, failed to keep the east coast dominance going and finished off the board as the favorite in the 1 1/4 miles Grade I event.

The 58th running of the Hollywood Derby produced another unlikely victor in Vergennes. The Oak Tree Derby rematch of Ladies Din and European Dr. Fong never materialized as both failed to hit the board. Ridden by John Velasquez, the Derby winner chalked up another score for the eastern contigent and returned $37.60 for the win.

Saturday's Cigar Mile at Aqueduct was anything but a going away party for Coronado's Quest. Making his final start before entering a new career at stud, the well regarded under-achiever failed as the favorite while Sir Bear with Jerry Bailey aboard charged from off the pace to beat Affirmed Success in the shadow of the finish line.

At Golden Gate, Pacificbounty won the Forty-Niner Handicap under a classic ride by Laffit Pincay, Jr. Coming from last place they circled the field to post a victory as the sport's living legend chalks up another victory in pursuit of the all-time record currently held by Bill Shoemaker.

Finally, at the Fairgrounds in New Orleans on Sunday, jockey Eddie Martin, Jr. guided Arrested Dreams to win the featured Pontalba Stakes. The victory was what thanksgiving is really all about.

Earlier this year, on May 31, Martin was involved in a hair-raising spill at Lone Star Park, Texas, that not only threatened his career, but his life. Unconscious from the accident and disoriented and delerious, the rider began to come around 16 days following the fall. After a month in the hospital and three months of rehabilitation, the rider amazed his doctors by returning to the saddle on September 25th at Louisiana Downs. Facing the prognostications of never riding again let alone being able to even feed himself, Martin rode back into the winners circle this weekend.

Truly a Thanksgiving to remember.