Horse Racing : SANTA ANITA : Square Cut Wrestles the Bear, Then Wins in San Luis Obispo

A couple of weeks ago, trainer Joe Devereux had a $60,000 allowance race picked out for Square Cut, his 6-year-old gelding.

“Then I took a look at this stake and it didn’t look like it was coming up too strong,” Devereux said. “There was one ‘bear’ in there (Silver Wizard), and all the rest of them were pretty much equal.”

The race was Monday’s $223,200 San Luis Obispo Handicap, and the bear wouldn’t relax early for jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, cutting out killer fractions of 45 2/5 seconds, 1:09 1/5 and 1:34 4/5. So Square Cut, who had been expected to set the pace, tracked Silver Wizard for the first mile, then left him behind on the far turn and cruised to a 1 3/4-length victory under Chris Antley.

Ianomami, ridden by Corey Nakatani, finished second, beating River Rhythm by a length. Silver Wizard, who had two victories and a second, in the San Marcos Handicap, in his last three starts, finished sixth in the 10-horse field.

“I told Chris before the race that he didn’t have have to be in front,” said Devereux, a 42-year-old Maryland trainer.

Owned by Edwin Wachtel, whose company makes men’s outerwear, Square Cut ran 1 1/2 miles in 2:26, carrying 114 pounds compared to Silver Wizard’s and Lijoun’s 118. Square Cut paid $19, winning his ninth race in 38 starts and ending an eight-race losing streak that stretched back to April, when he won the San Jacinto Handicap at Santa Anita.

“The horse runs hard all the time,” Devereux said. “He always gives 100%.”

Diamondsareagirls, Square Cut’s dam, was raced by Devereux, and Square Cut became her first foal after she was bred to Assert. Square Cut’s next start is expected to be the $250,000 San Luis Rey Stakes, also at 1 1/2 miles, on March 26.

Explaining Silver Wizard’s fast early fractions, Delahoussaye said, “This horse just can’t go that far. The public said I went too fast. But the course is tighter now. The fact is, this horse can’t go a mile and half, and you can’t rate him. The only time you can rate him is if he breaks bad and rates himself. But he’s only done that twice (in eight starts) since he’s been in this country.”

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Horse Racing Notes

Hollywood Wildcat, who was expected to battle Paseana in next Sunday’s $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap, will not run because of a swelling in her left foreleg, trainer Neil Drysdale said. The condition was discovered Monday morning at Hollywood Park. “We’re not sure how serious the injury is,” Drysdale said. “We’ll have the soft tissue scanned (today) to determine what we have. She’s not ‘off’ in the leg, she’s walking all right. But with a filly of this caliber, you have to be very careful.” . . . At 123 pounds apiece, Hollywood Wildcat and Paseana were the high weights for the Santa Margarita, which Paseana has won two of the last three years.

Chris Antley won three races besides the San Luis Obispo. . . . Corey Nakatani, who was blanked for the first time in eight racing days, was suspended for five days, starting Friday. Nakatani, Santa Anita’s leading jockey, was penalized for the incident that resulted in his mount, Lit De Justice, being disqualified and penalized from second to sixth in Saturday’s El Conejo Handicap. Nakatani is not expected to appeal. . . . Trainer Bobby Frankel had won with five consecutive starters before his Zouc Machine finished eighth in the San Luis Obispo.

A one-mile allowance race Thursday features French Deputy and Sierra Diablo, highly regarded 3-year-olds. French Deputy, trained by Drysdale, is undefeated in two tries but will be running around two turns for the first time. Sierra Diablo, making his debut as a 3-year-old for trainer Mark Hennig, ran six times last year, finishing second, half a length behind Timber Country, in the Champagne at Belmont Park and then running 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs a month later.

In a race simulcast at Santa Anita Monday, Powis Castle ran third while Who Wouldn’t ($10.60) nosed out Storm Tower in winning the $200,000 General George Handicap at Laurel, Md. Powis Castle, beaten by 2 1/2 lengths, had a rough trip and was crowded to the inside by Forest Wildcat, a 66-1 shot who finished last. “(Forest Wildcat) nailed us and kept us from winning,” said Rodney Rash, who trains Powis Castle. “You come all this way (from California) and get beat by a 60-1 shot and you can’t claim (foul) against him. I guess that’s another way to lose a race.”

Instead of leaving Monday for Florida and a $200,000 race at Gulfstream Park, Exchange will remain at Santa Anita to run in the $100,000 Buena Vista Handicap on Saturday. Trainer Bill Spawr said the horse developed a body rash, prompting the switch. Exchange will be starting high weight in the Buena Vista with 122 pounds. . . . The Wicked North leaves Wednesday for Fallbrook Farm near Versailles, Ky., where his stud fee will be $7,500 for each live foal.