SANTA ANITA : Kotashaan Is 6-5 Turf Favorite

The first important victory Kent Desormeaux had after he came to California was with Delegant in the 1990 San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap.

Facing six rivals, including Hawkster, Delegant scored the biggest upset in the Capistrano history, paying $37.20.

Trying for his second victory in the longest race of the meeting on the final day of Santa Anita’s 56th winter-spring season, Desormeaux will be a much shorter price today than he was three years ago.

Kotashaan is the 6-5 morning-line favorite for the $400,000 San Juan Capistrano, which is run at about 1 3/4 miles on the turf. If the 5-year-old son of Darshaan wins, he will become the first horse in 19 years to win the meeting’s three longest stakes--the San Luis Obispo, San Luis Rey and Capistrano. Astray accomplished the feat in 1974.

Injured while running fourth in the closing-day San Jacinto Handicap last year, Kotashaan didn’t show much in his first two races after coming back for trainer Richard Mandella. Then, he finished second to Star Of Cozzene in the San Marcos Handicap before his consecutive victories.

Fraise is the 123-pound highweight, but the 9-5 second choice, and will race coupled with the mare Campagnarde.

Successful in his first start of the year in the Pan American Handicap at Gulfstream Park on March 27, the 5-year-old Strawberry Road horse won five of 10 starts last year, including the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Pat Valenzuela will ride and he will be seeking his fourth victory in the Capistrano and second in a row. He led all the way with Fly Till Dawn last year.

Campagnarde is Charlie Whittingham’s only hope for his 15th victory in the race. The 6-year-old Oak Dancer mare won for the first time in about 20 months in a restricted stakes on March 31. Julio Garcia will ride for Whittingham, whose other hope for the Capistrano, Qathif, died Thursday. Should Campagnarde win the race, she would become the third female to do so. The other two were Miss Grillo in 1949 and La Zanzara, who was trained by Whittingham, in 1975.

To facilitate simulcasting to other locations, the Capistrano will be run as the fourth race on the card. The other entrants are Jahafil, who will race with Lasix for the first time after finishing last in the San Luis Rey; Bien Bien, second to Kotashaan in the San Luis Rey; and Carnival Baby, who will be the longest shot in the field.

Exemplary Leader, a 14-1 shot, rallied from last to win the $109,300 San Simeon Handicap at Santa Anita.

A 7-year-old son of Vigors ridden by Martin Pedroza, Exemplary Leader outfinished 4-1 shot Prince Ferdinand by a neck to win in 1:13 4/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs on turf.

This was the third consecutive victory for owner Jan, Mace and Samantha Siegel’s Kentucky-bred and saved the day for trainer Brian Mayberry. His other entrant, Wild Harmony, finished third, beaten by three-quarters of a length at 5-2.

Ridden by Pat Valenzuela, Prince Ferdinand, trapped behind horses, came out at the top of the stretch and bumped hard with Spendaccione and also seemingly interfered with favored Heart Of Joy.

This brought the ire of Spendaccione’s trainer, Bobby Frankel. “When is somebody going to write something about those people?” he said. “These stewards are incompetent. . . . Those people didn’t see it. But they took Val Des Bois down.”

Also trained by Frankel, Val Des Bois was disqualified from first and placed third in a race on March 17 after crossing the wire 3 1/2 lengths in front.

Horse Racing Notes

Best Pal, who finished third in the Oaklawn Handicap eight days ago, might run in the $400,000 Californian on Saturday at Hollywood Park. . . . Never Black, who ended a long losing streak with three consecutive victories at Santa Anita, won the $100,000 All-American Handicap at Golden Gate Fields. . . . Santa Anita will offer betting on the Lexington Stakes from Keeneland between the first and second races today. It will be the only trifecta race.