Columnist Ralph Siraco: Choctaw Nation, Azeri do their trainers proud

Ralph Siraco

Monday, Aug. 2, 2004 | 9:33 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

This is a tale of two trainers, one a Hall of Famer in the twilight of an amazing career, and another in the sunrise of what is certain to be a Hall of Fame career.

Each showed the racing world again Sunday why they are where they are.

Three-time Eclipse Award winner D. Wayne Lukas entered 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri in the $250,000 Go For Wand at Saratoga with a lot to lose and a reputation at stake.

Trainer Jeff Mullins, who has won both the Santa Anita and Hollywood Park titles and is the hottest conditioner on the Southern California circuit, sent a $40,000 maiden named Choctaw Nation that he claimed to face Breeders' Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup winner Pleasantly Perfect in the $250,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar.

Both were victorious.

Lukas was sent Azeri after a brief retirement of the horse. Her previous trainer, Laura De Seroux, had publicly and vocally lambasted Azeri's owner, Michael Paulson, and Lukas, for returning the champion mare to the races. It seems while preparing for a defense of her 2002 Breeders' Cup Distaff victory, Azeri was injured while finishing third in the Lady's Secret Handicap last Sept. 28. De Seroux, after conferring with Paulson, suggested retirement for Azeri. Shortly thereafter, however, Paulson reconsidered. In stepped Lukas.

In April, Azeri returned to racing at Oaklawn Park. She would step onto the track of one of her greatest triumphs, a stirring victory over Take Charge Lady in the 2003 Apple Blossom Stakes. Again, in one of her most spectacular performances, she rolled gate-to-wire and returned to the winner's circle in Arkansas.

Azeri suffered a defeat -- by a head -- as the odds-on favorite at Churchill Downs in the Humana Distaff on Derby Day. She was beaten up by the boys in the Met Mile on Memorial Day at Belmont Park with the worst finish of her career, finishing eighth. Lukas and Paulson thought they would polish the tarnish, facing three foes in the Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park in mid-June. But after setting an uncontested pace, Azeri faded to fourth and last. Azeri was now perceived as damaged goods.

Until Sunday at Saratoga.

Azeri, under a patient but confident ride by Pat Day, took the lead in the 1 1/8-mile Grade I Go For Wand and never looked back.

At Del Mar, Mullins was taking on a champ. Pleasantly Perfect was odds-on to win his comeback race in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park on Oct. 30. Mullins, in the meantime, was sending a horse he had claimed from a maiden race in late February. Choctaw Nation won that debut race for trainer Bruce Headley at Santa Anita, coming from 14 lengths last to win. Headley got the win and the $40,000 claimed price and Mullins got what could be a budding champion.

Knowing he had just grabbed something special, Mullins quickly put Choctaw Nation into a claim-proof race. He returned to win an allowance race, coming from 10 lengths back to win the 1 1/16-mile outing. Choctaw Nation repeated that performance with another last-to-first victory at Hollywood Park on April 18, then won again on May 28.

But could he repeat that devastating kick against the best in the country? That was answered resolutely in the San Diego Handicap on Sunday.

Now 5-for-5 and with a Grade II victory, Mullins will deal with the prospects of going to the Breeders' Cup to face Pleasantly Perfect along with the world's best handicap stars.