Horse Racing

It has been a strange Santa Anita meet so far, almost as strange as Shaquille O'Neal winning a horse race as a jockey, as he did in a Super Bowl commercial. Another racing day was lost Sunday when a heavier-than-expected overnight rain resulted in the day's nine-race card being canceled. The count is now eight racing days lost since the meet opened Dec. 26. "What else can go wrong?" Santa Anita President Ron Charles said.

For the moment, the Great Race Place isn't great. Santa Anita is having the winter of its discontent. Traditionally, the thoroughbred horse race meeting that begins the day after Christmas, at the track at the foot of the scenic snow-topped San Gabriel Mountains, has the most expensive horses in the country and the best jockeys to ride them in an annual showcase for the sport. A sport, it must be pointed out, that badly needs one. This year, tradition has taken a back seat to chaos.

It was a good day at the track for a lot of people -- and a few horses -- on a beautiful Sunday at Santa Anita. Georgie Boy, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, provided 67-year-old trainer Kathy Walsh and 75-year-old owner and breeder George Schwary with a Grade II stakes victory in the $150,000 San Vicente.

Who says horse racing doesn't appeal to people of all ages? The first race at Santa Anita on Sunday was named after Bella Szabo, who was there celebrating her fourth birthday. The seventh race was named in honor of veteran sports broadcaster Gil Stratton, 85. Bella, the granddaughter of Arcadia horseman Gary Dimkich, was serenaded by track bugler Jay Cohen, who played the theme from "Star Wars" and "Happy Birthday."

The Daytona 500 had a surprise winner in Ryan Newman, and closer to home the Daytona Handicap at Santa Anita on Sunday also produced an upset. Cheroot, a 28-1 longshot, prevailed in a blanket finish, triggering a three-day pick six carry-over of $1,269,223 for today's holiday racing program. The total Presidents Day pool could approach record numbers for the 10-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. The Santa Anita record pool for a three-day carry-over is $1,413,136, set March 2, 2004.

A cool and wet wintry Saturday at Santa Anita belonged to Spring House, winner of the Grade II, $150,000 San Luis Obispo Handicap. Spring House, owned by R.D. Hubbard and trained by Julio Canani, went off as the 8-5 favorite in the 1 1/2 -mile turf race for 4-year-olds and up. The 6-year-old kicked clear after urging by jockey Garrett Gomez to beat Church Service by 2 1/4 lengths. Finishing third was On the Acorn. Spring House paid $5.40, $3.60 and $2.

A successful return to the races for War Pass, the champion 2-year-old of 2007, was not the only highlight Sunday in Florida for owner Robert LaPenta and trainer Nick Zito. About 30 minutes before War Pass, the 1-20 favorite, did the expected and toyed with four outclassed rivals in a $60,000 allowance, Cool Coal Man, his stablemate, became a graded stakes winner with a 7-1 upset in the $350,000 Fountain Of Youth at Gulfstream Park.

Immediately after Awesome Gem drew post position No. 5 and was installed as a tepid 4-1 favorite in Saturday's Santa Anita Handicap, Monterey Jazz was assigned post position No. 6 and made the second choice at 5-1. After the 14-horse field was completed Wednesday at Santa Anita, Craig Dollase, who trains both of those horses, said, "I'm not much of a poker player, but I have a good hand here." He'll need it.

One of only two jockeys in the world with more than 10,000 victories is coming to town hoping to produce some sweet music aboard Monterey Jazz in Saturday's 71st Santa Anita Handicap. But no one is striking up the band. No festival is planned. It's not as if it's David Beckham. Russell Baze will fly down from the Bay Area tonight, try to guide the 5-1 shot to victory in the $1-million race the next day, and then quietly return home.

Arthur Hancock, a fourth-generation thoroughbred breeder, pointed out his office window on a recent morning to illustrate a fundamental difference between horse racing and casino gambling. A shimmering copper sun was rising over his 1,800-acre bluegrass farm. A clutch of lithe prize ponies grazed under a gunmetal sky. "Look out there," said Hancock, 64. "This is a whole different world." Las Vegas it was not. But Vegas-style gambling is threatening to intrude on Kentucky's genteel horse culture.