San Fernando Stakes

Tiznow, the high weight and probable favorite for Saturday's $1-million Santa Anita Handicap, has become questionable for the race because of a series of foot problems. "It's better than even money that he'll be able to run," trainer Jay Robbins said Monday night. "A lot will depend on how he comes out of a gallop [today]." Tiznow, who was voted horse of the year for 2000, late last week bled slightly from behind an acrylic patch that had protected a quarter crack in his right front hoof.

Three promising 3-year-olds will get together for the first time in Friday's third race, a $46,000 allowance at one mile. Alyrob, Prince Of Thieves and Smithfield top a field of 13 who were entered Wednesday morning. Of the three, only Prince Of Thieves is proven at a mile, breaking his maiden by nearly seven lengths Nov. 11 at Aqueduct. Trained by Wayne Lukas, Prince Of Thieves will be ridden by Gary Stevens.

Best Pal, the Santa Anita Handicap winner and current leader in the American Championship Racing Series point standings, might be finished racing for the year because of a popped splint bone in his right front leg. Trainer Gary Jones said Tuesday that it could be anywhere from six weeks to 2 1/2 months before the 4-year-old gelding could resume training. "It depends on him and how the (treatment) goes," Jones said. "Splints are a funny deal.

Bertrando, the nine-length winner of the San Fernando Stakes in his first start of the year, is the 4-5 morning-line favorite for the $500,000 Charles H. Strub Stakes today. The odds on the 4-year-old Skywalker colt probably will be even shorter against seven rivals, four of whom he easily defeated over a sloppy track in the San Fernando. Chris McCarron again will ride Bertrando, who will carry 122 pounds, two more than he carried on Jan. 16.

The conditions are not favorable for Proud Truth, the winner of last November's $3-million Breeders' Cup Classic, who will make his debut as a 4-year-old Sunday in the $150,000 San Fernando Stakes at Santa Anita. These are the obstacles for Proud Truth as he tries to become the 13th horse to exceed $2 million in earnings: --He drew the outside post position in a field of 10 on a track that has been notorious for favoring inside horses.

On The Line won his first stakes race since last winter Saturday when he raced to a 5 1/2-length victory in the $81,400 Hollywood Express at Hollywood Park. Held in third place by jockey Gary Stevens, On The Line turned on his speed in the stretch to dominate the field of 6 in the 6-furlong race that was moved from the turf course to the main track by earlier rains. He was timed in 1:09 1/5. The win was his second since returning from a 10-month layoff. Little Red Cloud, ridden by Aaron Gryder, came from far off the pace to finish second.

Go And Go, winner of the 1990 Belmont Stakes, will miss four to five months of training following the discovery of a leg fracture after a routine gallop Tuesday morning at Santa Anita. "It is nothing that will threaten his career," said trainer Wayne Lukas shortly after receiving the X-rays, "but there is a small crack in the fight front cannon bone. They will put a pin in it (this) morning." Go And Go, third in his last start in the San Fernando Stakes on Jan.

Pleasant Tap, winner of the Malibu Stakes on the opening day of the meeting, goes after the second charm on Santa Anita's Strub Series chain, the $200,000-added San Fernando Stakes, on Saturday. The added distance, 1 1/8 miles in the San Fernando compared to seven furlongs in the Malibu, should benefit Pleasant Tap, but the competition in the field of nine 4-year-olds will be considerably tougher.

Making his first start since winning the Lanes End Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 4, Eurosilver did what he was supposed to do Wednesday at Gulfstream Park in Florida. One of three 3-year-olds in trainer Nick Zito's barn with Triple Crown aspirations, the Unbridled's Song colt beat his four overmatched rivals by five lengths as the 1-5 favorite.

Southland-based In Excess, ridden by Pat Valenzuela, scored a 2 1/4-length victory Monday in the $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park. Heavily favored Housebuster finished eighth. Rubiano, ridden by Jerry Bailey, was second in the 14-horse field, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Gervazy. Housebuster led into the stretch but tired badly. He carried 124 pounds, seven more than the winner. In Excess, a 4-year-old son of Siberian Express, won for the second time in four starts this year.