HOLLYWOOD PARK : Skimble Closes Career and Meet With Victory

Skimble, a 5-year-old mare running her last race, won the $111,000 Dahlia Handicap on closing day at Hollywood Park Saturday after Bill Spawr, the trainer of morning-line favorite Exchange, scratched his horse because jockey Laffit Pincay told him the grass course was not safe.

“Getting Exchange out of there made a difference to everybody,� said winning jockey Eddie Delahoussaye. “But it made a big difference with my mare, because Exchange would have shown some speed, so without her my horse was able to get out to an easy lead. She relaxes well when she’s allowed to do that.�

Skimble’s victory capped another three-victory day for Delahoussaye, his fourth in the last week.

“It’s a good way to end the year,� Delahoussaye said. “I was sick a lot at the beginning of the year, and it was very frustrating. It wasn’t fun to be riding.�

Midway through Sunday’s card, Spawr scratched Exchange, the 6-year-old mare who had won the Matriarch on Nov. 27 to go over the $1-million mark in earnings.

“Laffit rode a horse Friday night and said the grass course was dangerous,� Spawr said. “He said horses were slipping on the backside, so I didn’t want to take the chance. It rained here a few days ago, and they continued using the course even though it was wet.�

Spawr also scratched Desert Orchid, who he said would have run only if the race had been taken off the grass.

Spawr, among many horsemen who are unhappy with the condition of the Santa Anita turf course, said that he will consult with Exchange’s owners, Sidney and Jenny Craig, about sending the horse to Florida.

“As for the grass course at Santa Anita, forget about it,� Spawr said. The Santa Anita season opens Monday.

Tom Ward, one of the three Hollywood Park stewards, said that Spawr might have had a problem running Exchange for another reason.

“We didn’t get a Lasix slip from the vet,� Ward said. “Without it, the horse wouldn’t have been allowed to run with the medication.�

Exchange is a bleeder who usually runs with Lasix.

The turf course was listed as firm and Skimble finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 1/5, beating Queens Court Queen by two lengths and paying $7.20. Trainer Bobby Frankel’s horse was favored over Queens Court Queen by $307 in the win pool. Shir Dar, also trained by Frankel, finished third, a neck behind Queens Court Queen.

Owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Skimble won for the ninth time in 25 races and the $66,000 winner’s share boosted her earnings to $777,678. Humberto Ascania, Frankel’s top assistant, said that Skimble will be bred next year.

“She was a nice mare,� Ascania said. “Maybe not a top mare, but she was always right there. We scratched her from the Matriarch because the turf was soft that day.�

Horse Racing Notes

Gary Stevens’ 36th victory, which clinched the riding title for the Hollywood meet, came aboard It’s Settled in the fifth race, after Alex Solis, the gelding’s scheduled jockey, suffered a badly bruised toe in a gate accident. It was the same toe that Solis broke in an accident at home earlier this year. Solis returned to ride Shir Dar for her third-place finish in the Dahlia Handicap . . . Stevens overtook Kent Desormeaux on the final day after Desormeaux received a five-day suspension. The two riders were tied at 35 wins before Saturday . . . Ron McAnally won the trainers’ title with 13 victories . . . Martin Pedroza, who rode Say Ow to a second-place finish behind It’s Settled, donated his day’s earnings to the Make A Wish Foundation for terminally ill children.

Corey Nakatani, who underwent minor surgery last week, didn’t ride Saturday, missing his third consecutive day. Nakatani, whose mounts have earned more than $9.5 million this year, ranking him seventh nationally, is listed to ride six horses on opening day Monday at Santa Anita, including I’ma Game Master in the $100,000 Malibu Stakes . . . Cool Air, winning for the first time since July, notched her 13th victory in 29 starts as the 1-2 favorite in the Safely Kept Handicap. Carrying 124 pounds, the 4-year-old filly went over the $500,000 mark in earnings . . . Chris Antley, who rode Cool Air, has the assignment on Ferrara, the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Malibu.

Chris McCarron said the executive committee of the Jockeys’ Guild will meet via a conference call Monday night to discuss what happens next in the stalled negotiations with the Thoroughbred Racing Assns. tracks over health and accident insurance for the riders. The current contract expires next Sunday, with many jockeys not expected to ride without a contract on Jan. 1. . . . With $1.2 million being bet daily on races from Bay Meadows, Hollywood Park set a betting record for the fall meeting, with the overall handle hitting $8.3 million. On-track business was up 7.4% to $2.1 million daily, and the $8.3 million was a 17.5% increase. Attendance at the track, averaging 9,575 for the 34-day meet, was up just over 1%, while off-track attendance dropped almost 5%.