Stable Notes Del Mar, California Saturday, September 6, 1997 (Day 40)

LISTENING LEADS FIELD OF SIX IN DEL MAR'S PALOMAR HANDICAP TODAY

A field of six older fillies and mares, headed by Grade I winner Listening, owned by Janis Whitham and trained by Ron McAnally, are expected to go postward today for the 44th running of the Grade III Palomar Handicap on Del Mar's Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

If all six start, the gross purse will be $126,950, with the winner's share being $76,950. For any scratch, subtract $750 from each amount.

Ready to tackle Listening at 1 1/16 miles on the turf are Blushing Heiress, trained by Dan Hendricks; Staffin, trained by Darrell Vienna; Taxable Deduction, under the training of John Sadler; Traces of Gold, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer; and Wheatly Special, trained by Jack Van Berg.

SOLIS WINS TWO FRIDAY, RECAPTURES LEAD IN TRACK'S JOCKEY RACE

After being bumped out of first place Thursday, jockey Alex Solis bounced back to ride two winners Friday to recapture the lead in Del Mar's race for the season's riding title from Kent Desormeaux, who went winless on the day. The two wins gave Solis 36 for the meet so far, giving him a one-win edge over Desormeaux's 35.

Keeping the race a three-man affair, Eddie Delahoussaye won once for 34.

Solis is seeking his second straight Del Mar riding title and his seventh straight at Southern California's three major Thoroughbred racetracks. The battle for the title is reminiscent of the one two years ago when Chris McCarron won his fifth seaside title in the last race on the last day from Corey Nakatani.

Here's who the three leaders will ride today, with morning-line odds:

Alex Solis (6 mounts) -- First race: Untold Gold, 9-5; Second: Bare Assessment, 8-1; Fifth: Lady Integrity, 5-2; Sixth: Scepter'd Isle, 15-1; Seventh: Sovereign's Crown, 8-1; Eighth: Listening, 9-5.

Kent Desormeaux (6 mounts) -- Second race: Lyrical Dance, 7-2; Third: Snowy's Mark, 4-1; Fourth: Skysrai, 6-1; Fifth: Bountiful Dreamer, 7-2; Sixth: Crestview, 7-2; Seventh: Cantbetouched, 9-2.

Eddie Delahoussaye (4 mounts) -- Fourth race: Lucky Goldigger, 8-1; Fifth: Letthemoondancerap, 3-1; Sixth: Double Aught Seven, 6-1; Eighth: Taxable Deduction, 6-1.

EDDIE DELAHOUSSAYE GRATEFUL FOR GOOD HEALTH AND GOOD HORSES

Hall of Fame rider Eddie Delahoussaye acknowledges that he is having a very good meeting this season at Del Mar, and he gives much of the credit for his 34 victories and third place in the jockey standings to good health and good horses.

"It's been a good meet," Delahoussaye said this morning. "Being healthy has been a big part of it for me doing well. On top of that, Bill [agent Bill Barisoff] has been doing well for me, and that has helped tremendously.

"You gotta have the horses. You know, you have all the top riders around on this circuit, and if you don't have the horses, you're not going to win races. I don't care how good a rider I am, if I don't have the horses, I'm not going to win the races. Things have been going along well. We've been getting on some nice stock and it's been paying off."

Delahoussaye harkened back to a few years ago when he seemed to be plagued by ill health and it drained him of energy and enthusiasm. He recalled he had surgery on his sinuses to correct an upper respiratory problem that had built into a major health problem. Three years ago, he said, a horse went over the inside rail with him and caused him some abdominal problems that persisted, also. But now, he said, all of those things seem to be under control, allowing him to ride at his best again.

By being only two winners behind jockey leader Alex Solis, Delahoussaye seems to be sitting in a good spot for making a big run over the final four days of the meet for his second riding title at the seashore course. His previous Del Mar riding honors came in 1989 when he won 44 races.

TRAINER THREEWITT ENCOURAGED BY SHARP WORK OF OLD TOPPER

As much as he was concerned about the poor training efforts of Old Topper prior to the colt's victory in Del Mar's Grade III Best Pal Stakes, trainer Noble Threewitt is that encouraged by the son of Gilded Time's sharp workout on Thursday in preparation for running in Wednesday's Grade II, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity.

"It looks to me as if everything is in his favor, now," the ever-youthful 86- year-old Threewitt said this morning at his barn, adding that the track that morning might have had something to do with the quality of the work. "The track was a little different that day," he said. "It was a little tighter. I counted nine horses that worked in :59 1/5 or :59 2/5.

"It wasn't how fast he worked, it was how easy he did it. He came back good. I asked Solis [regular rider Alex Solis] how he was and he told me he [Old Topper] was twice as good as the last time he had worked."

Threewitt, who has had a training license since 1931, said of Old Topper, owned by Barbara Hunter of Lexington, KY: "I think he's as good a 2-year- old as I've ever had."

The expected field for the Futurity has grown to eight with the addition of Heinz Steinmann's Tryumphant, who finished seventh in the Best Pal. He'll be ridden by Corey Black.

Half of the expected eight-horse field will be made up of the D. Wayne Lukas trainees Double Honor and Yarrow Brae, ridden Gary Stevens and Pat Day, respectively, and the Bob Baffert duo of Commitisize and Souvenir Copy, ridden by Kent Desormeaux and Chris McCarron, respectively. The other two starters are expected to be King of the Wild, trained by Steven Young, and the Winged Express, trained by Craig Lewis.

Gary Biszantz's Cobra Farm has been very quiet for most of Del Mar's meeting so far, but on Friday, Biszantz and two of his trainers struck quickly for two sharp wins. That gave Cobra Farm three victories in two days.

Said Biszantz this morning: "I was really excited about both races yesterday. Savinio, of course, is a champion old horse. What a game effort on his part. But the real excitement for me was Old Trieste, the 2-year-old. We always thought he was a good horse. Yesterday's race was pretty impressive to me."

Longtime Biszantz trainer Walter Greenman saddled Savinio for the win in the third race, and young Mike Puype, who's been training three years now for Biszantz, tightened the girth on Old Trieste for the victory in the sixth heat.

The owner said he was looking at the Grade II Norfolk Stakes October 19 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting. "Depending on how he does in the Norfolk," Biszantz said, "we might go to the Breeders' Cup. I like the way he ran yesterday. He ran fast enough early to stop, and when they came to him, he took off again."

And Biszantz doesn't think his horses are finished yet. "We've got some nice horses running today and tomorrow. And the barn's going good now."

LAFFIT PINCAY, JR. WATCH -- In his quest to surpass Bill Shoemaker's record of 889 career victories at Del Mar, Laffit Pincay, Jr., who failed to ride a winner in two tries Friday, starts today's races with 886 victories. Pincay's six mounts today, with morning-line odds: First race: Starduster, 2-1; Second: Illumination, 15-1; Third: Nicoletta, 2-1; Fifth: Serena's Ruhl, 12-1; Sixth: King Caspian, 6-1; Seventh: King of Swing, 7-2.

TODAY'S SIMULCAST STAKES -- Calder Race Course: Susan's Girl Florida Stallion Series, Affirmed Florida Stallion Series; Belmont Park: Belmont Breeders' Cup Handicap (III).