"Amanda Behe has a special relationship with the racing board's staff," said Russell Iungerich, who represents Stein. "It is not part of her normal rotation that she be given this case again. We have asked her to remove herself from the case."
Although only six horses are expected to run Sunday in the $300,000 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita, the 1 1/2-mile grass race is not an easy one to handicap. Included in the field will be Prized, who won the Arcadia Handicap in his last start; Hawkster, who set a world record for the San Luis Rey distance when he won the Oak Tree Invitational last fall, and Frankly Perfect, winner of the San Luis Obispo Handicap this season.
El Senor, who hasn't run since finishing seventh in last November's Breeders' Cup Turf won by Prized, has shipped in from Gulfstream Park and is expected to stay for the San Juan Capistrano Handicap on April 22. Delegant and Just as Lucky are also expected to run Sunday.
Present Value will try to become the fourth California invader to win the Gulfstream Park Handicap when the $300,000 stake is run at 1 1/4 miles Saturday. Other California horses who won the race were Round Table in 1958, Pretense in 1967 and Snow Sporting in 1970.
Horse Racing Notes
Jockey Kent Desormeaux won one and lost one this week. On Wednesday, the Maryland Racing Commission overruled its stewards and gave Desormeaux a victory that had been taken away via a disqualification in a small stake at Laurel last November. On Thursday, the stewards at Santa Anita handed Desormeaux a five-day suspension, which starts Sunday, for the interference ruling that disqualified Delight's Tribute after she finished first last Sunday. The Maryland ruling means Desormeaux's record for wins in one year is increased to 598.
Alex Solis, who has never finished higher than 16th in the national money standings, ranks fourth with purses of $1.7 million. Three other California riders--Gary Stevens, Chris McCarron and Eddie Delahoussaye--are ahead of Solis. . . . Pat Day got the mount on Florida Derby winner Unbridled after Roger Velez suffered multiple pelvic injuries in a spill at Calder.
