Three-Horse Spill Leaves Jockey With Broken Ribs

Jockey Goncalino Almeida will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering four broken ribs on his left side during a three-horse spill in Tuesday’s second race at Santa Anita.

Riding 48-1 shot Siyah Dance, Almeida went down when the 2-year-old Siyah Kalem gelding broke the cannon bone in his left front leg while running second in the six-furlong race. Siyah Dance, making only his second start and first since Sept. 4 at Del Mar, was euthanized. He was trained by Mark Tsagalakis for owner William Oldknow.

Jockeys Octavio Vergara, riding 60-1 shot What A Walk, and Antonio Castanon, on 133-1 outsider Proper’s Peak, were unable to avoid the collision. Vergara and Castanon got up under their own power and had minor bruises.

Almeida, listed in fair condition, remained overnight for observation at Arcadia Methodist Hospital.

Early in 1996 at Santa Anita, Almeida, a native of Brazil, broke both legs in a spill on the hillside turf course and was sidelined almost six months. Later that year, he fractured a collarbone in a spill at Hollywood Park.

More relaxed than she had been in most of her four other races in the United States, Ecoute, the 19-10 favorite, led all the way and won the $76,075 Reloy Handicap.

Trained by Richard Mandella for the Wertheimer Farms and ridden by Gary Stevens, the 4-year-old Manila filly held off 3-1 third choice Angel Face by a half-length in 2:01 for the 1 1/4 miles on turf.

It was the second victory in America for Ecoute, who mistakenly had been listed as a scratch from the Reloy in some places, but ended a three-race losing streak. She had been beaten as the odds-on choice in two of her last three.

“Gary’s told me she’s very steady in her running,� said Mandella, who also saddled fourth-place finisher Chile Chatte. “He thought it might be worthwhile to try a longer distance with her.

“Obviously, he was right. She’s been a long project to settle down and contain her enthusiasm. It looks like our patience is paying off.�

Stevens thought the extra distance was beneficial for Ecoute, who has four wins in 15 starts.

“She settled pretty well today,� he said. “She’s a filly with a big, long stride and doesn’t quicken at all. That’s the problem. Going shorter distances, by the time I get her to relax, here comes the cavalry charge and she doesn’t go with them.

“Today seemed the right distance for her. She acts like she might even go on a little [farther] because she is so one-paced. She’s solid around there, which is why you didn’t see any horses able to catch her in the final eighth of a mile. [Mandella] thought I was crazy for wanting to run her longer.�

Angel Face, who had beaten $62,500 claimers in her last race at Hollywood Park, finished six lengths ahead of the field.

Victorian Style was third, then came Chile Chatte, Lady Ling, Mignon and Honeymoon Mint. Idealistic Cause was scratched, apparently because of a mishap in her stall at trainer Henry Moreno’s barn.

Cherry Moon, an impressive maiden winner in her last start Nov. 22 at Hollywood Park, is the 3-1 morning line choice in the $150,000 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes, the final local stakes race of 1997, today at Santa Anita.

Owned by Halo Farms and trained by Cliff Sise, the Quiet American filly was beaten in her first three starts, but put everything together last time and won by 4 1/2 lengths.

She again will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux and should like the Breeders’ Champion distance of seven furlongs.

The only 2-year-old filly in the race with more than two wins is Lazy Slusan, who arrives with three consecutive victories from Northern California.

A daughter of Slewvescent, she broke her maiden against $20,000 claimers and was claimed that day by trainer Greg Gilchrist for Blue Moon Racing.

In two starts for her new connections, she won an allowance sprint, then stretched out and won the Raise Your Skirt Stakes at Golden Gate Fields. Eddie Delahoussaye will ride.

Rounding out the field, from the inside out, are Pert Laura, Gourmet Girl, A Merry Deed, Glens Falls, Nijinsky’s Passion, Loveontheroad, Miss Allie Gator, Sassy and Continental Lea. Pert Laura and Glens Falls will race coupled as the Mel Stute trained entry.

Horse Racing Notes

Dreamer, who finished third in Tuesday’s first race, was claimed out of the race for a Santa Anita record $125,000 by trainer Matt Chew. The previous record claim was $110,000 for Honor Medal on April 11, 1986. Another Verse, an also-ran longshot in the first race whose only win came against $32,000 maidens, was also claimed for $100,000 by trainer John Scanlan. . . . Jockey Kent Desormeaux won three consecutive races, winning the fourth with Adoracion at 6-1, the fifth with heavily favored Tibado and the sixth with Gone Hollywood at 3-1.