This Nearly Was the Key Victory for 3-Year-Old

Thisnearlywasmine did what he was supposed to in the $104,350 San Miguel Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita, but the task figures to be considerably more challenging when he returns in the San Vicente on Feb. 8.

Among those who could be in the starting gate for the seven-furlong San Vicente are Silver Charm, who won the Del Mar Futurity last September, and Boston Harbor, the 2-year-old champion who wrapped up 1996 with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Still, in beating Smokin Mel and four others Saturday, Thisnearlywasmine, the 4-5 favorite, showed a new dimension.

On the lead throughout in his previous two victories, the 3-year-old son of Capote was outrun for the early lead, but Chris McCarron simply bided his time behind Smokin Mel and 9-5 second choice Red, angled Thisnearlywasmine to the outside entering the stretch, then they kicked away to win by three lengths in a rapid 1:08 2/5 for the six furlongs.

Making his first start since finishing second to In Excessive Bull in the Hollywood Prevue a little over two months earlier, Thisnearlywasmine earned $64,350 for owners Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel with his third victory in eight starts.

“In his last few races, he had been a little strong and wanted to go to the lead,” trainer Randy Bradshaw said. “He broke a little bit slow and he relaxed behind them. I was tickled with his effort.

“We thought he’d be two [lengths] in front, but that’s how things work out. This will obviously help the colt a lot mentally. He knows now he can relax off horses and still finish at the end.”

Although he ran a mile at Arlington Park, Thisnearlywasmine has never raced around two turns and that is the question that remains about him. His dam, Stormy But Valid, was strictly a sprinter.

“We just don’t know how far he can go,” Bradshaw said. “We just hope we can stretch him out and harness that speed a little bit where we can stretch it out. I don’t think he’s a mile-and-a-quarter horse, but who knows?”

Smokin Mel, the 8-1 third choice who had won for $50,000 in his previous start, finished 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Renteria, then came Red, Magnificent Marks and Milliondollardana.

Idle since Oct. 14, Red broke on top, but got run into the ground by Smokin Mel through a 44 flat half-mile. He still hasn’t beaten a field that wasn’t restricted to California-breds.

“He got a little tired, but rightfully so,” jockey Corey Nakatani said. “He hadn’t run in a while. I just wish I could have gotten a breather somewhere along the backside. I’m sure he just needed the race.”

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Taking advantage of a fast early pace, Pacificbounty, an 11-1 shot rallied to beat 155-1 outsider Dancer’s Kolo by 1 1/2 lengths to win the $200,000 Golden Gate Derby at Golden Gate Fields.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux for trainer Walter Greenman, the 3-year-old Pirate’s Bounty colt came widest of all in the stretch after trailing for the first half-mile and won going away. The time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.

Winless in his first three starts, Pacificbounty was treated with Lasix before his last start--Dec. 12 at Hollywood Park--and responded with a four-length victory in the mud.

Dancer’s Kolo, a Canadian-bred who was a distant third in an allowance race in his prior outing, finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of 22-1 shot Esteemed Friend.

The other shippers from Southern California didn’t fare well. Photarc, who just missed upsetting stablemate In Excessive Bull in the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes on Dec. 28, finished in ninth at 3-1 under Russell Baze. Oakhurst and Laffit Pincay were eighth and Free House, the 2-1 favorite under Alex Solis, was seventh.

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Arthur L. made it three consecutive victories, holding off Acceptable to win the $100,000 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park.

A son of Ocala Slew owned by Cobble View Stable and trained by Luis Olivares, the 7-2 shot led throughout in beating Acceptable, who was making his first start since finishing second to Boston Harbor in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, by three-quarters of a length. He completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 4/5 and paid $9.60.

Captain Bodgit was third. Nowhere to be found was Prairie Junction, the favorite who was ridden by Pat Day for trainer Wayne Lukas.

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Looking for her first victory since the 1995 Yellow Ribbon, Alpride is the 5-2 favorite against nine opponents in the $125,000 San Gorgonio Handicap today at Santa Anita.

Winless in seven starts last year, the 6-year-old Alzao mare hasn’t raced since finishing fifth in the Matriarch on Dec. 1 at Hollywood Park. Owned by Jenny Craig and trained by Ron McAnally, Alpride has worked well in recent weeks and she has shown the ability to run well fresh. McCarron will ride.

Radu Cool, who defeated Alpride in an allowance race last summer at Hollywood Park, is the 7-2 second choice. Her return has been stymied by bad weather, but her drills have been sharp. She went six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 on Jan. 12 for trainer John Shirreffs. Gary Stevens takes over for Rene Douglas, and he has ridden her to three of her five victories.

Completing the field for the 1 1/8-mile turf race, from the rail out, are Logia, Special Eyes, who is also entered in Monday’s El Encino, Real Connection, Sixieme Sens, Zoonaqua, Grafin, Wheatly Special and Fanjica.

Horse Racing Notes

Chris McCarron won three times Saturday. Besides Thisnearlywasmine, he scored with Fleet Cherokee and the promising 3-year-old Mud Route. The prohibitive favorite, the Strawberry Road colt stretched out for the first time and won by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:35 for the mile. He is owned by Janis Whitham and trained by Ron McAnally. . . . Corey Nakatani and Nathan Chaves won twice Saturday.