The Thoroughbred Daily News is delivered to your home or business by fax each morning by 5a.m. For subSCription information, please call 908-747-8060. T~~I~~UN~~~RE DM F RID A Y, MAR C H 2 9, 1 996 W·E·E·K·E·N·D PREVIEW CIGAR RESTING ON HIS LAURELS It was a Saturday, Turfway Park: justifiably tired Cigar that greeted Bill Mott yesterday JIM BEAM S.-GII, $600,000, 3yo, 1 118m morning when the trainer arrived at the quarantine The field of 10, in post position order, is as follows: barn at Nad AI Sheba racetrack in Dubai. Mott will Ensign Ray (Blue Ensign)' Martinez; Best Secret (Fiery give his superstar a few more days to relax before he Best)' Sellers; Influence Peddler (Marfa), Klinger; Blush­ begins the 6,500-mile journey back to Belmont Park ing Jim (Blushing John), Davis; Victory Speech {Deputy Sunday. "He's tired," said Mott. "I suppose every­ Minister!, Stevens; Roar (Forty Niner), Smith; Dr. Caton thing was compounded by the trip, the race and all (Seattle Slew)' Bailey; Apak (Opening Verse), Bartram; the activities. He's certainly not jumping around this Heza Gone West (Gone West), Day; Connecting Terms morning." Cigar picked up his 14th straight with a (Private Terms), Perret. Roar will be looking for his third straight win in the hard-fought half-length victory over Soul of the Mat­ Jim Beam after taking a Gulfstream allowance by 8112 ter (Private Terms) in Wednesday's $4 million Dubai lengths and then winning the Gill Swale S. Mar. 16 in World Cup before an estimated crowd of 15,000. his last start. Because he was unsure of what quarantine arrange­ ments must be made once he returns to the U.S., Saturday, Aqueduct: Mott did not know exactly when Cigar would arrive at GOTHAM S.-GII, $200,000, 3yo, 1m Belmont Park. Before mapping out an exact schedule, The field of 11, in post position order, is as follows: Mott wants to see how Cigar recovers from the ardu­ Romano Gucci (Aaron's Concorde), 119 pounds; ous journey back and forth to the Middle East and Feather Box (Cherokee Colony)' 112; Gentle Inspiration what was a difficult race. But as long as Cigar (Inspired Prospect), 114; Gold Fever (Forty Niner), 114; bounces back within a reasonable period of time, it Meadowtime (Meadowlake), 114; Tiger Talk (Phone appears that the globe-trotting horse will race next in Trick)' 117; Snow Tower (Irish Tower), 112; Instant the June 30 Hollywood Gold Cup. "If everything Friendship (Cormorant), 114; Appealing Skier (8aldski), works out well, we all know that Hollywood is an 119; Firey Jennifer (Tilt Up), 114; Viv (Houston), 117. important race and there's also Belmont in the fall," Appealing Skier, who defeated GI Florida Derby Mott said. Cigar could conceivably finish out the year winner Unbridled's Song by a half-length in the seven looking to become the first horse to take a second furlong Hutcheson S. at Gulfstream Feb. 4, will at­ Breeders' Cup Classic. If so, he would end his career tempt the extra furlong of the Gotham S. Saturday. at Woodbine, 23 years after Secretariat bowed out "We've been thinking about the Gotham for a while," with a victory at the same racetrack in the Canadian said trainer Ben Perkins Thursday. "He didn't run his InternationaI. race (when sixth) in the Florida Derby. But the way he breezed yesterday--the clockers had him in :48 but he Krone to California, News Continued, p. 2. went better than that-owe decided to put up the $1,000 (supplementary fee), come up and see how things look. If there's good weather, we plan to run. If it does rain STAKES CLOSINGS and the track is sloppy-fast, we might still run." TOMORROW, SA TURDA Y, MARCH 30: VISA TRIPLE CROWN CHALLENGE ($6,000) Saturday, Santa Anita: 4-7 $ 150,000a Miss America H., GG, SAN BERNARDINO H.-Gil, $150,000a, 4yo/up, 1 118m 3yolup, flm, 8fT ($ 150} The field of six, from the rail out, is as follows: Col­ 4-13 $500,000 Wood Memorial-Gil, Aqu, 3yo, 9f ($500) lege Town (Snow Chief)' 113 pounds; Lykatill Hil (Pil­ 5-4 $1,000,OOOg Kentucky Derby-GI, CD, 3yo, 10f grim), 116; Nancys French Fry (French Legionaire), ($6000s) 5-11 $600,000g Pimlico Special-GI, Pim, 4yolup, 9.5f 113; Del Mar Dennis (Dixieland Band), 118; Just Java ($600) (Java Gold), 114; Regal Rowdy (Cozzene), 115. 5-18 $500,000a Preakness S.-GI, Pim, 3yo, 9.5f French import Just Java was making only his second ($6000s) start since returning to the U.S. last fall when he rallied 6-8 $500,000a Belmont S.-GI, Bel, 3yo, 12f ($6000s) for third at 14-1 odds in the March 2 Santa Anita H. PAGE 2. THOROUGHBRED DAILY NEWS. 3-29-96 News Continued. ODYLE TO SKIP SANTA ANITA DERBY There KRONE TO CALIFORNIA Julie Krone, the was good news and bad news for Gil San Felipe S. winningest female jockey in history, plans to begin winner Odyle (Alleged) yesterday. The good news was riding in Southern California on a permanent basis this that the X-rays on the three-year-old colt's left front fall t according to agent Vince DeGregory. DeGregory ankle were negative, and trainer Paco Gonzalez said the said Krone, 32, would begin riding in California the entire leg was cool and apparently sound. In fact, Odyle week after the Oct. 26 Breeders' Cup at Woodbine. galloped fluidly without medication Thursday morning. That would allow her to ride the final week of the Oak The bad news is that he will likely remain in the barn for Tree meeting and then ride the entire Hollywood Park the $1 million Santa Anita Derby April 6. The ankle had Autumn meeting. "Ws a situation I never expected but some heat earlier in the week and Gonzalez said it it just happened," said DeGregory, who said he would would make no sense to run such a promising horse also continue to book mounts for Goncalino Almeida. under the circumstances. "The leg is clean, but I don't "She said she's getting antsy to ride out here. 1I want to push him," said Gonzalez. "He's too nice a DeGregory said he met Krone and her husband, Mat­ horse. It's too bad this happened, especially before such thew Muzikar, when the jockey was at Santa Anita a big race. But it's the right thing to do. There will be last weekend to compete against Gary Stevens in The plenty of races for him." Gonzalez planned to call co­ Great Match Race. "She had an absolute blast, and I owner John Toffan in Vancouver yesterday afternoon think she was taken by the weather, the fans, the and recommend the horse be turned out for 60 to 90 purses and just about everything else," DeGregory days. said, adding that he hadn't met Krone and Muzikar prior to their visit last weekend. Muzikar, it turns out, TEJANO RUN PROBABLE FOR OAKLAWN won the "Vince DeGregory Award" for basketball HANDICAP Tejano Run (Tejano) is being pointed to excellence in 1989 at Saratoga Springs High School. the GI $750,000 Oaklawn H., to be run Saturday, April DeGregory is also a graduate of the upstate New York 6. Trainer Ken McPeek said, "The Oaklawn Handicap is high school. definitely in our plans, but I won't confirm it officially until I see the weights. Right now he is as good as he ARKANSAS HBPA AND OAKLAWN PARK has ever been. I am amazed at how well he has come REACH AGREEMENT The Oaklawn Jockey Club back from all of his problems." Tejano Run, winner of the Gil Breeders' Futurity and Gill Kentucky Cup Juve­ and the Arkansas Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective nile at two, came back as a three-year-old to finish Association have entered into a long-term contract second in last year's Kentucky Derby and Jim Beam S. intended to preserve and enhance live racing at Oaklawn and third in the Gil Blue Grass S. The chestnut returned Park. The term of the agreement is 1 0 years with an to his winning ways in his last start, taking the March option to renew the same for an additional five-year 23 Pioneer S. at Turfway Park by two lengths. Others term. The intent of the parties is that other forms of expected for the Oaklawn H. include GI Gulfstream Park wagering that Oaklawn might be permitted to offer will H. winner Wekiva Springs (Runaway Groom) and Santa not negatively impact purse levels at the track. Oaklawn Anita H. runner-up Luthier Fever (Mt. Livermore). has agreed to provide purse guarantees and guarantees in the number of days of live racing at the track. In addition, Oaklawn agreed that a portion of the revenues MARIA'S MON ON COMEBACK TRAIL Last from other such forms of wagering will be used to sup­ year's Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Maria's Mon plement purses. The Arkansas HBPA, in turn, agreed to (Wavering Monarch) is scheduled to arrive at Belmont support the proposed amendment which would permit Park within the next 10 to 14 days and is being read­ other forms of wagering at Oaklawn. It is believed this is ied for a 'return to the races in May, trainer Rick the first time horsemen and the track ownership have Schosberg said Thursday. "1 saw him a week ago and entered into an agreement concerning the interaction he looks fantastic," said Schosberg of the MGI winner, between Thoroughbred racing and casino gambling.