Columnist Ralph Siraco: Nebraska handicapper wins national tourney

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Jan. 10, 2000 | 9:55 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections appear Tuesday through Friday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

The competition in the world of horse racing broke fast into the millennium as the first major handicapping tournament, leadership in the handicap division and the early race to be the Kentucky Derby front-runner were all settled before the dust on the Y2K bust.

While the sport of kings waits to crown its final champion of the century at the annual Eclipse Awards one week from today at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., those halls may still be buzzing over the notable performances by man and beast on the first days of the year.

If you think all the gambling "sharpies" reside in Las Vegas, think again.

The first National Handicapping Championship successfully concluded on Saturday at the MGM Grand hotel-casino with the TVG racing network, the Race Day Las Vegas radio show and a multitude of turf writers looking on as 160 finalists from more than 45,000 contestants vied for $200,000 in prizes.

Shortly after 6 p.m., following the last event race from Sam Houston Park in Texas, a 44-year-old player from Nebraska was declared the winner of the inaugural championship, sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the Daily Racing Form.

Steven Walker, who qualified as a finalist with a victory in the Horseman's Park (formerly Ark-Sar-Ben racetrack) contest in his home state, won the first prize of $100,000. The supervisor for the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality captured the event with a bankroll of $305.40 that was based on mythical $2 win-place wagers on 40 races over the two-day competition.

Walker had to hold off a "Snapper Garrison" finish by Alexandria, Va., resident Maury Wolf, who rallied from 144th place with a first-day bankroll of $25 to runner-up with $285.20 on Saturday.

The team winners hailed from Turf Paradise in Phoenix, and beat out the Del Mar, Calif., tandem and the third-placed foursome from River Downs in Cincinnati.

Of the Las Vegas residents competing, Frank Lafemina, who qualified through The Orleans contest, finished the highest, checking in at 33rd. He was followed by Norma Carroll (The Orleans) at 62nd and Ed Bash, who qualified at the host site tournament, in 100th place. Mike Markham, who had to venture to Fairplex Park in Southern California to qualify, finished 116th. The Orleans sports book supervisor cashed for $1,000 by winning the daily match-race competition on Saturday. Other locals included Pedro Mazza at 119th place and Raymond Tannahill at 142nd.

* DERBY TRAIL: The first stakes race exclusively for 3-year-olds came on Jan. 2, with the Tropical Park Derby on the closing-day card at Calder Race Course in Florida. Go Lib Go won from off the pace to capture the first Derby of the year held at 1 1/8 miles on turf. No word yet if he aspires to the Derby conducted under the famed twin spires in May.

Wednesday's Spectacular Bid Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Florida, saw favorite BL's Appeal win the 6-furlong feature. Although the winner was impressive, he is considered a sprinter at heart and unless his connections get Derby fever, don't expect to see him compete past the sprint distance.

On Saturday a pair of sophomore events may or may not produce any Derby candidates. At Aqueduct, New York, the Count Fleet Stakes was won by Country Only, who jumped up to stakes competition fresh off his maiden-breaker to snap runner-up Ben The Man's two-race win streak.

At Santa Anita, Swept Overboard won a spirited duel with race favorite Forest Camp to prevail by a nose in the 6-furlong San Miguel Stakes. Trainer John Sherriffs said that his winner is strictly a sprinter, but the Bob Baffert-trained runner-up may still have Derby aspirations, although it seems the Del Mar Futurity winner may be suited to shorter distances.

The most serious early Derby contender may be a filly, if the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Surfside continues her dominance over the gals. On Sunday at Santa Anita, the daughter of 1994 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Flanders turned the 1 1/16-mile Santa Ysabel Stakes into a runaway exhibition. Surfside cruised to the score on the heels of another daylight victory in the Grade I Hollywood Starlet in December. Lukas is no stranger at running fillies against the boys in the Derby, having won his first Kentucky Derby with the filly Winning Colors in 1988.

* SUICIDE MISSION: 1998 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Buck's Boy was supposed to make short work of the Mac Darmida Handicap at short odds on Sunday. But, the prohibitive 1-5 favorite was caught up in a speed duel over the 1 3/8-mile Gulfstream Park turf marathon that saw Special Coach push Buck's Boy through fractions of 45:4 for the half and 1:10-flat for 6 furlong before the pair suffered the expected meltdown and hit a brick wall on the far turn.

Both faded badly at the finish, sending a big show pool on Buck's Boy into huge show prices on the first three finishers. As a result of the bridge-jumpers' plunge, winner Unite's Big Red paid $25.20 to win while returning $55.20 to show. Runner-up Thesaurus paid $17 for the place while the show price was $54.40. Carpenter's Halo paid $48.80 to show.

* SOUTH AFRICAN SUPER HORSE: The much-anticipated U.S.-debut of South African champion Horse Chestnut came in Saturday's Broward Handicap at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old homebred was sitting on an eight-race win streak, including his country's triple crown, and had been training brilliantly for his first race over dirt. The son of Fort Wood did not disappoint as he polished off his competition with authority under jockey Mike Smith. He is expected to return in the February 6 Donn Handicap to kick off the second year of the "Champions on Fox" series.

* DATES TO REMEMBER: Wednesday at the Barbary Coast race book a free $1,000 handicapping contest on the last five races at Santa Anita will be offered. ... Friday there is a $1,110 carryover in the bonus show pool at the Sunset Station race contest based on the card at Santa Anita.... The World's Richest Handicapping Tournament at the Orleans hotel will be contested on March 9-12. The $500 buy-in gives players a chance at almost a half-million dollars in total tournament cash prizes over the three-day competition ... The world's winningest jockey will be honored at a charity dinner in The Orleans Mardi Gras Ballroom on Monday, March 13. Ticket prices for the benefit event to celebrate jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. will be $60 and can be purchased at The Orleans hotel-casino box office. Limited seating still available.