Columnist Ralph Siraco: Southern California’s racing circuit to take holiday hiatus

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Dec. 17, 2001 | 10:28 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 2275 Corporate Circle Drive, Suite 300, Henderson, NV 89074.

The horseplayer holiday shopping season officially starts today, soon after they post the "Official" sign on the tote board following the final race at Hollywood Park, marking the end of the fall meeting at the Inglewood, Calif., oval.

For the first time in a long time, there will be a holiday hiatus between the close of the Hollywood Park meet and the start of Santa Anita's famous winter-spring season, which opens the day after Christmas.

And while followers of the sport tune up for a little holiday cheer and last-minute gift buying -- the extent of which will be determined by whether one cashes a ticket in the late double -- final lobbying for the Eclipse Awards kicks into high gear.

When a category is tight, sometimes it takes a last-race outing after day to persuade Eclipse voters. Consider the juvenile division before the weekend's Grade I features at Hollywood Park.

Saturday, the 21st running of the $200,000 Hollywood Futurity was held, with at least two juveniles making final bids for votes.

Officer was getting his last chance at redemption following a pair of career-tarnishing efforts in the Breeders' Cup and California Cup. The Futurity was the final test to determine Officer's questionable distance limitations.

Siphonic, on the other hand, so impressed jockey Jerry Bailey in his Breeders' Cup Juvenile outing that the rider flew cross-country to ride him again Saturday. And Siphonic did not disappoint, stamping himself a solid early Kentucky Derby contender as he cruised to a daylight victory.

Boasting a record of three victories in four lifetime starts, the David Hofmans trainee added his first Grade I tally to a debut maiden win and the Grade II Lane's End Futurity at Keeneland this fall.

Kentucky Derby future book tickets on Officer, however, will be as welcome a stocking stuffer as a bag of coal. Flopping again as the favorite, the son of Bertrando has a chance to show up at Churchill Downs the Saturday before the Derby in the one-turn, one-mile Derby Trial. Trainer Bob Baffert said Officer's attempts at achieving the classic distance of the Derby (1 1/4 miles) are over.

"Just too far. I won't do that again," Baffert said of Officer's distance limitations. "He should have gone by that other horse (Fonz's). ... Still, he's a fast horse and we're gonna have fun with him."

Baffert had little time to dwell on the Officer bust. On Sunday, he accompanied Officer's ownership connections to Hollywood Park again. The Hollywood Starlet on Sunday marked the distaff version of the Saturday feature. Run at the same distance, the Grade I event offered the same $200,000 purse. And again, two horses in the race were returning for one last run at the trophy.

This time, the beaten Breeders' Cup favorite belonged to trainer Bobby Frankel. You, who finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, was on the redemption trail, while Baffert was out to prove his Del Mar Debutante winner Habibti just had a bad day while finishing seventh in the Juvenile Fillies.

You was a worthy nemesis, but at the end of the Starlet it was Habibti who prevailed by a slim margin. Habibti reached the front with a sixteenth of a mile remaining, only to see Bailey and You rally again, cutting the margin to inches at the finish. Rider Victor Espinoza, on the Thoroughbred Corporation's freshman filly, later said his partner was getting tired in the final stages.

The Starlet should solidify Tempera's Eclipse Award chances for the division, as she beat both You and Habibti while winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Nevertheless, the Hollywood Park juvenile races this weekend gave fans a preview of next year's promising crop of sophomores. Until then, it's time to do that last-minute holiday shopping.