SANTA ANITA : Wedding Bouquet Surprises at 19-1

Kent Desormeaux hopes the plans for Wedding Bouquet will be changed after Wednesday’s $85,625 Monrovia Handicap.

The about 6 1/2-furlong sprint down Santa Anita’s hillside course was to be the last race for the 4-year-old Kings Lake filly, but the way she came flying in the final furlong, her connections may want to keep her around awhile longer.

A 19-1 shot, Wedding Bouquet found racing room while rallying into the stretch, then angled outside Linda Card and Flower Girl to win by a length in 1:13 4/5.

Impressive in her U.S. debut last Aug. 22 at Del Mar, the Irish-bred daughter of Kings Lake had disappointed in her next three starts. Most recently, she finished fifth as the 2-1 favorite in Hollywood Park’s Miesque on Dec. 19.

“She’s had all kinds of problems,” trainer Gary Jones said. “She was bleeding and she had an abscess in the front of her right hind leg that we didn’t know was there.

“Plus, we’d probably been running her too far. The abscess exploded in the last race. I think it had a lot to do with her bleeding, too. We tried all kinds of things when she wasn’t running well. (Wednesday) we went back to plan one--grab hold of her and make one late run.”

Desormeaux, who has had trouble getting started at Santa Anita, may also have the key to Wedding Bouquet’s success. He’s perfect in two tries with the filly, who is scheduled to be sent to Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky.

“Finally, I find a winner and they’re taking her away,” Desormeaux said. “The race set up well for her. I knew there was speed in the race to run with Linda Card. I had a little trouble getting her off the fence, but when I asked her, she really responded. Gary had her right.”

Linda Card, the 17-10 favorite, was second, a neck in front of Flower Girl, who took the lead briefly in the stretch. Paper Princess was fourth; then came Oeilladine, Lyphard’s Melody, Collective Joy, Hasty Pasty, Mystical Lass, She’s a V.P. and Girl of France.

He was the nation’s top money-winning jockey. He won his first Breeders’ Cup race with In the Wings, his first Arlington Million on Golden Pheasant and his first Santa Anita Handicap aboard Ruhlmann. He also rode the horse of the year, Criminal Type, to one of his victories, in Saratoga’s Whitney Handicap.

All of these accomplishments weren’t enough to earn Gary Stevens his first Eclipse Award. In a vote that was surprisingly lopsided, the honor went to Craig Perret.

“It was completely expected,” Stevens said. “To me, it was cut-and-dried in November. From the clippings and everything I read, it was apparent (Perret) was going to win.

“I want to congratulate Craig. He had a terrific year. I really don’t even care. I’m unhappy but not surprised. There’s nothing more I can do. I feel satisfied with the year I had.

“My agent (Ray Kravagna) wanted to win the money title, and we accomplished that. If we’d won the Eclipse, that just would have been gravy. The Eclipse isn’t even a goal on my agenda.

“I’m only going to ride three more years, and that’s it. If (an Eclipse) doesn’t come, it doesn’t come. I’m not going to sulk about it.”

Easily the most anticipated race on today’s card is the seventh. The $32,000 allowance, at 6 1/2 furlongs, marks the 3-year-old debut of Excavate.

A 3-year-old son of Mr. Prospector and a half-brother to Desert Wine, Excavate is one of the future book favorites for the Kentucky Derby, even though he has only run once. The Charlie Whittingham-trained colt, who was a $1.1-million yearling, broke his maiden by five lengths on Nov. 24 at Hollywood Park, then went to the sidelines with a bruised foot.

Owned by Whittingham, Arthur Hancock and Dick Duchossois, Excavate has a series of solid works for his comeback. Chris McCarron will again be the rider.

Avenue of Flags is also in the field of six. A Seattle Slew colt owned by John Mabee and trained by Richard Mandella, Avenue of Flags won his debut by 4 1/2 lengths last May 26 at Hollywood Park, then was second, beaten by a length, by Deposit Ticket in the Hollywood Juvenile. He drew the rail today, and Kent Desormeaux has the mount.

Horse Racing Notes

On a mandatory payout day in the Pick Nine, there were three tickets with seven winners worth $227,908 each. One of the tickets was bought at Santa Anita, the others in Las Vegas. Since no one selected all nine winners, $250,000 will remain in the pool to start another carryover today. . . . Bayakoa worked six furlongs in 1:11 1/5 Monday preparing for Saturday’s $300,000 Santa Margarita, a race she has won the last two years. The 7-year-old mare, who finished last as the 128-pound highweight and prohibitive favorite in the Santa Maria, will carry 126 pounds in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita. . . . Flying Continental worked five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 Wednesday and will run in Sunday’s $300,000 San Antonio Handicap.