DEL MAR : Concern Gets Chance Today at Better Start

DEL MAR —  Twenty-five races. Races in Maryland, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Canada, Louisiana, Kentucky and California. From sprint races up to races at a mile and a quarter. Twenty-five races, and Concern hadn’t had one bad start. Not in the $3-million Breeders’ Cup Classic, which he won, or in much cheaper races in Maryland, where he launched his career.

Then the 4-year-old colt ran in the $1-million Hollywood Gold Cup last month. Concern was the second choice to Cigar, who doesn’t lose to anyone, but this race was over for trainer Dick Small’s horse as soon as it started. Concern smashed his head against the gate, lost a couple of teeth and was last, more than 12 lengths behind, after a half-mile.

The late-running Concern has been far back before. He was 12 lengths behind, and last in a 14-horse field, in November’s Breeders’ Cup Classic before he won by a neck at Churchill Downs. At Hollywood Park in July, however, he was probably dazed and distracted by his bloody mouth and made no run. He finished sixth, 10 1/2 lengths behind Cigar.

In 25 previous starts, Concern had six firsts, seven seconds and 10 thirds, and earnings of $2.9 million.

“That was the only bad race of his life,” Small said. “I don’t like to make excuses, but I had one that day.”

Small has seen tapes of the Gold Cup.

“He threw his head in the gate,” the trainer said. “Then he smashed it against the door. I don’t know what caused it, but the [assistant] starter was almost on the ground.”

Concern returned to Maryland after the Hollywood Park disaster, another tooth growing in to replace one of the two that he lost. Now he has crossed the country again, arriving at Del Mar a few days ago to run in today’s $1-million Pacific Classic. Cigar is at Saratoga, being prepared for his fall run at the horse-of-the-year title, and this year any race without him is less than definitive. This leaves Soul Of The Matter, whose problems have been tender feet, not teeth, as the 2-1 morning-line favorite today, with Concern the 5-2 second choice in the six-horse field.

Soul Of The Matter returned in July from an eight-month layoff to win the Bel Air Handicap at Hollywood Park by one length over Cleante, who’s 8-1, the longest price, in the Pacific Classic. Cleante’s owner, Jan Whitham, is paying a $30,000 supplementary fee, plus $15,000 in entering and starting fees, to give her 6-year-old Argentine-bred a chance at $550,000 winner’s share of the purse.

“I don’t know about the bettors [making him the favorite], but he’s our favorite,” said Richard Mandella, who trains Soul Of The Matter for Burt Bacharach. Soul Of The Matter has made the most of his 11 starts, winning six and earning $930,368. The colt was fourth, beaten by 3 1/4 lengths, the day that Concern won the Breeders’ Cup, but Mandella was playing catch-up getting the horse ready. Soul Of The Matter beat Concern by a neck in last year’s Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

Concern is seldom favored in his races. He was 7-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and has been favored in only two of his last 10 starts.

With Mike Smith busy at Saratoga, Concern will be ridden by Gary Stevens for the first time.

“Soul Of The Matter is another one of those horses that never seems to run a poor race,” Small said. “That was a strong race he ran last time.”

Slew Of Damascus, despite going winless for more than a year, is the only established speed in the Pacific Classic.

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Petionville, winner of the Louisiana Derby and the Ohio Derby on dirt, made his grass debut Saturday and won the $134,840 La Jolla Handicap.

Petionville, who outfinished Private Interview to win by one length, gave Corey Nakatani his fourth winner of the day. Nakatani was riding trainer Randy Bradshaw’s colt for the first time.

Before the La Jolla, Petionville had won five of eight starts on dirt.

“We worked him on the grass the other day and he seemed to do all right,” Bradshaw said, “but you never know until they run in the race whether they’re capable of making the switch.”

Private Interview held on for second, a nose in front of Beau Temps, who was one length better than Longliner in the seven-horse field.

Petionville paid $4.20 as the favorite, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 1/5.

Nakatani found room on the turn for home, coming out from the rail to take aim at Private Interview. “It got a little tight,” Nakatani said. “But we got lucky and a spot opened up for us. I had plenty of horse and he went right on through.”

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Horse Racing Notes

Lakeway, who won four major races last year before being sidelined with a lung infection, makes her comeback today at 7-5 in the Rancho Bernardo Breeders’ Cup Handicap. Lakeway hasn’t run since finishing second to Heavenly Prize in the Alabama at Saratoga last August. . . . The Alabama, run on a sloppy track Saturday, was won by Pretty Discreet, a 42-1 shot who had never finished better than third in a stake. Pretty Discreet, ridden by Mike Smith, the rider of the Alabama winner for the third consecutive year, won by eight lengths over Friendly Beauty, with favored Golden Bri finishing sixth. . . . Hennessy, winner of the Hollywood Juvenile and a 9 1/2-length winner of Saturday’s Sapling at Monmouth Park, is headed back to California for the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 13. . . . Collecta, one of the probable starters in the Del Mar Oaks a week from today, will arrive a couple of days before the race and be saddled for the first time by Ron McAnally. Collecta has won two of 10 starts in France.