Racing at Santa Anita : Move From Turf to Dirt Track Doesn’t Faze Simply Majestic

The last time John Parisella trained regularly in California was in 1974, when he got a lot of autographs but didn’t win many races.

His clients included Jack Klugman, Don Rickles, Don Adams and James Caan.

“I did a lousy job,� Parisella said. “And that’s because I was hanging out with those guys. I lived with Jimmy Caan.�

Don Rickles--the horse--was a stakes winner, but otherwise, to hear the 45-year-old Parisella talk, the winner’s circle was only the promised land.

Now, Parisella is back in California, at Santa Anita, and dedication seems to be more of an operative word. “This time,� he says, “I’m here to work.�

Parisella has at least 2 horses that would inspire a trainer. Chapel of Dreams was not a factor in either the Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita or the Matriarch at Hollywood Park this fall, but she is a major stakes winner. Also in Parisella’s care is Simply Majestic, a speedy, well-traveled son of Majestic Light who is being pointed toward the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap on March 5.

Lately, Simply Majestic has been running on grass, but on Saturday, after Santa Anita’s turf course was declared too soggy, he returned to dirt for the $111,100 San Gabriel Handicap.

This was advantageous for Parisella’s colt all the way around, and after galloping to a big early lead, he held on to win by what was really only a half a nose over Payant, who trailed by 10 lengths after a half mile of the 1 1/8-mile race. The finish was so close that 21,472 fans weren’t sure and Parisella and his jockey, Jerry Bailey, both thought they had lost.

When the race was switched from grass to dirt, Simply Majestic wound up on an equally comfortable surface. Mohamed Abdu, 5 for 6 on the grass at Santa Anita and the 5-2 morning-line favorite, was scratched, having never run on dirt, and 5 of the 8 remaining starters had run in a total of just 2 dirt races in their careers.

So Simply Majestic ended his 4-year-old career a winner, earning $66,100 for his owner, Ted Sabarese, who paid $575,000 for him as a yearling. It was Simply Majestic’s 10th win in 30 starts and his first victory in a stake at Santa Anita. He now has career earnings of more than $900,000.

Payant, ridden by Bill Shoemaker, finished 10 lengths ahead of Dr. Death. Favored Simply Majestic was timed in 1:47 2/5 on a fast track and paid $4.20, $2.80 and $2.60. Payant paid $3.20 and $2.80, and Dr. Death paid $4.60.

Already, Parisella is fantasizing about the Santa Anita Handicap. “If we run against Cutlass Reality (the early Big ‘Cap favorite), he might not catch us,� Parisella said. “If we’re the lone speed in a race like that, we’ll be dangerous.�

Parisella said that if the San Gabriel had stayed on the grass, he would have told Bailey to take Simply Majestic back and let Mohamed Abdu make the lead. As it was, there was no one to bother Simply Majestic on the lead and he got away with a dilly-dallying half-mile of :46 2/5.

Charlie Whittingham, who trains Payant, would have preferred that the Argentine-bred 4-year-old run on grass. “It would have been real soft for him and he would have been double tough,� Whittingham said.

Shoemaker thought he and Payant had hit the wire in time, anyway. “I thought I got up.� I saved ground all the way, but that other horse got that easy lead. My horse just kept running from the half-mile pole and didn’t want to pull up afterward.�

Simply Majestic had won 2 straight stakes before he ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and was fifth in the Bay Meadows Handicap, both grass races.

“The race at Bay Meadows didn’t do him any good,� Parisella said. “And I’ve had trouble training him at Hollywood Park because of all the rain. So he got a little tired today. This wasn’t Simply Majestic at his best.�

Bailey commended Simply Majestic for his courage. “My horse is a fighter,� the jockey said. “It’s hard to hold a horse off (Payant) coming that quick. But I’ll take it. With the race off the turf, the scratches and no legitimate speed, I tried to get the lead and conserve his speed.�

Bailey, who usually rides in New York and Florida, arrived at Santa Anita just about an hour before the San Gabriel, fresh from a vacation in the Cayman Islands. He will be riding at Calder in Miami today.

Horse Racing Notes

Unofficially, Jose Santos won the national money title for the third straight year. The New York jockey finished with $14.8 million in purses, about $150,000 more than Chris McCarron. . . . Simply Majestic has been trained by both Wayne Lukas and Bobby Frankel in California while John Parisella tended to his home base in New York. . . . Simply Majestic had won one race at Santa Anita before, but had finished far back in 3 stakes tries. . . . Scratched besides Mohamed Abdu were His Highness, Havildar and Roberto’s Dancer.

Although Very Subtle hasn’t run in a year, she drew only 3 challengers--Comical Cat, Sadie B. Fast and Serve n’ Volley--in Monday’s $75,000 Las Flores Handicap. . . . Cliff Goodrich, who has been vice president and general manager at Santa Anita, has been named executive vice president, replacing the retiring Ray Rogers. With Santa Anita for 33 years, Rogers will continue as general manager for the Oak Tree meeting at the track.