SANTA ANITA : Cracked Hoof Won’t Keep Best Pal From Joining Six Rivals in Big ‘Cap

When entries are taken this morning, seven horses will probably be signed to race in Saturday’s $1-million Santa Anita Handicap, the second leg of the American Championship Racing Series.

Best Pal will join Twilight Agenda, In Excess, Ibero, Defensive Play, Fanatic Boy and Algenib, despite a quarter crack he suffered while working six furlongs Sunday.

A patch was applied Monday to the 4-year-old gelding’s left hind foot and unless the injury becomes sore or infected, Best Pal will seek his third stakes win of the meeting. Earlier, he won the San Fernando and Charles H. Strub Stakes.

“I have a suspicion now that this might have begun before his latest work, but it just didn’t become apparent until Sunday,” trainer Gary Jones said. “The patch may have eased the pain a bit because (when he galloped) this morning he just seemed to be enjoying himself.

“But I don’t think that we are totally out of the woods yet. We have to guard against infection and you never know just how much trouble it might give him in the race. If he runs bad, (the quarter crack) is the only reason because he’s perfect right now.”

Kent Desormeaux, who has ridden Best Pal in his last three starts, was given a five-day suspension, beginning Saturday, by the Santa Anita stewards for an incident in Sunday’s ninth race. However, he will be able to ride in the Santa Anita Handicap because it is a designated race.

Ibero, originally scheduled to participate in the 1 1/4-mile Big ‘Cap only if the track came up wet, will start regardless of the track condition. The 5-year-old Argentine-bred upset In Excess in the San Antonio.

Defensive Play will go only if the track is fast, according to trainer Bobby Frankel, and the 1991 Strub Stakes winner figures to be the longest shot in the field.

Algenib, who was fourth behind Twilight Agenda in the San Pasqual Handicap, was the only Big ‘Cap starter to work Wednesday. He went five furlongs in 59 3/5. “Laffit Pincay worked him and he was very pleased,” trainer Wally Dollase said. “I told him to go easy and he did it easy. He really wanted to run. This horse is good right now.”

Provins, a 17-1 shot, provided Sandy Hawley with his first stakes victory at Santa Anita in more than three years with a come-from-behind victory in the $82,125 San Marino Handicap on Wednesday.

Making his first start on dirt, the 4-year-old Chief’s Crown colt rallied on the outside into the stretch, collared pacesetter Lord Charmer in the final sixteenth and drew away to win by 2 1/2 lengths. He covered the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01 1/5.

Victorious in three of six starts in France, Provins hadn’t been close in either of his two American races, but, maybe, he has found a home on the main track.

It was a welcome victory for Hawley, who has ridden a steady procession of longshots during his winter stay in California. Hawley will undergo arthroscopic surgery Friday on his right shoulder and is expected to be sidelined for two weeks.

“Dr. (Dan) Capen is going to take out some calcium that’s built up in my shoulder,” Hawley said. “This horse had been working well. I was halfway confident, but the competition was tough. He was (having problems because of) that dirt hitting him in the face. When we got to the backstretch, I was able to ease outside and he leveled nicely.

“I could have moved up to the leaders anytime I wanted. He was very strong all the way. I started asking him to pick it up on the turn and he did it very easily.”

Lord Charmer finished second by a neck, with Reign Road, the 17-10 favorite, third. Then came Secret Witness, Lovely One, Novelty and King Raj.

Barrymore, El Zorzal, Irish Empire, River Traffic, Rushing Raj, Seti I, Seven Rivers and Theatre Critic were all scratched from the San Marino, which was originally scheduled to be run on the turf.

Idle since suffering his first defeat in the NYRA Mile at Aqueduct last Oct. 26, Mr. Integrity returns in today’s $60,000 Ack Ack Handicap at one mile.

Bothered by quarter cracks, Mr. Integrity has had three excellent works for trainer Bob Hess in recent weeks, including a 1:11 3/5 six furlongs last Saturday. Gary Stevens will ride the 5-year-old Mr. Prospector horse, who had four consecutive victories before finishing eighth in New York.

Also coming back in the Ack Ack is Silver Ending, who fell on hard times last year after winning more than $730,000 as a 3-year-old. The Arkansas Derby winner won only once in eight starts in 1991 and hasn’t run since finishing sixth of seven in the Gun Bow at Arlington Park last August. Chris McCarron will be aboard for trainer Ron McAnally.

Rounding out the field are Another Review, who was fifth in the Charles H. Strub Stakes while racing wide throughout; Lou Rowan; Lazy Boy; Trebizond and Perfectly Proud.

Horse Racing Notes

Sandy Hawley’s last stakes victory at Santa Anita came aboard Carita Tostada in the B. Thoughtful Stakes on Feb. 5, 1989. Provins also provided trainer Walter Greenman with his first Santa Anita stakes success. . . . There are three other stakes races on Saturday’s card: the Zooron Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf, the Arcadia Handicap at a mile on the turf and the Las Flores Breeders’ Cup Handicap at six furlongs. . . . Kent Desormeaux didn’t ride Wednesday and is also expected to take off his mounts today. He reportedly is suffering from a case of food poisoning.