A banner season at Santa Anita

Ralph Siraco

Tuesday, April 20, 1999 | 10:59 a.m.

The curtain came down on a successful Santa Anita racing season Monday with several records falling to new highs. Sharing in the banner meeting were title holders Bob Baffert and David Flores. On the equine side, Free House, General Challenge and Excellent Meeting came away with meeting honors but, the real windfall came in the numbers.

For the third consecutive year, Santa Anita Park increased on-track attendance over the previous season. Santa Anita's average daily total handle from all sources -- that include the simulcasting monies from Nevada race books -- reached another record at $11,830,250. Total handle (monies wagered) for the 84-day meet was less than $7 million short of a billion dollars at $993,740,990. The successful meeting produced two $24 million-plus handle days. Santa Anita Derby day hit a handle of $24,654,193 only to be surpassed by the record handle registered on Santa Anita Handicap day (March 6) that set an all-time California total handle mark for a non-Breeders' Cup day event of $24,749,107.

Trainer Bob Baffert was voted Trainer of the Meeting for the third consecutive year. The 46-year-old Nogales, Ariz., native won 42 of 172 starts on the meet for 24.4 percent mark while taking his fourth Santa Anita training title and the third in a row. His margin of victory -- 42 to 19 for runner-up Ron McAnally -- was the largest span in Santa Anita history and follows on the heels of tying the all-time meet totals record of 47 last year.

Baffert also set a record for stakes wins with 16 victories to eclipse the old record of 14 stakes wins set by Charlie Whittingham in 1970-71 and later tied by Neil Drysdale in 1997-98. Eleven of his stakes scores were in graded events that prompted the Achievment of the Meeting award for the remarkable feat.

While Baffert had a record meet, the high percentage trainer was John Shirreffs who had 10 wins from 21 starts for a win percentile of 47.62 and an in-the-money percent of 76.19. By comparison, Baffert had 24.42 and 57.56 percentages respectively.

David Flores was voted Jockey of the Meet as a result of winning the riding title at the Arcadia stand with 75 victories. The 31-year-old native of Tijuana, Mexico, took the measure of two-time Santa Anita title holder Alex Solis by 10 wins. It was the first major Southern California riding title for Flores who has won numorous Fairplex Park riding championships at the Los Angeles County Fair race meets.

Previous record holders Laffit Pincay, Jr. and Chris McCarron fared well this season. Pincay, who is closing in on the all-time winningest record held by Bill Shoemaker, finished 3rd in the standings with 58 victories (just 6 more victories than his age) while McCarron check in 4th with 54 wins and a high win percentage of 20.38.

Popular California-bred Free House earned Horse of the Meet honors off a pair of stellar victories on the season. After beating 1998 Santa Anita Handicap winner Malek in the February 7 San Antonio Handicap, he returned to beat that one, Event of the Year and Silver Charm to capture this year's $1 million Grade I Big 'Cap.

Golden Eagle Farm's swept the sophomore honors with General Challenge and Excellent Meeting. Each one garnered wins in divisional titles as General Challenge won the Santa Anita Derby on the way to Three-Year-Old of the meet while stablemate Excellent Meeting captured the female counterpart in taking the Santa Anita Oaks on the way to her Three-Year-Old Filly of the Meet trophy.

Race of the Meet went to the Palos Verdes Handicap which featured a thrilling finish between the winner Big Jag and Kona Gold. Big Jag added the San Carlos and Potero Grande Handicaps to earn the Sprinter of the Meet honors.

Shimmering, who won three consecutive races and finished in-the-money five times, was voted Claimer of the Meet while Randy Valdez, with 24 victories, took the Apprentice riding title at the stand.

Southern California racing takes a break until Friday when Hollywood Park will open its spring/summer session with a 7 p.m. first post time for the curtain raiser.