Gentlemen Isn’t Really, but He Is Really a Winner

The only horse making headlines so far this year is Magic Girl, who threw Martina Hingis in Australia a couple of weeks ago. That should change Sunday, when Gentlemen opens a 1997 campaign that could end with his selection as horse of the year.

I’m not the only one who believes this. So does his trainer, Richard Mandella.

“If he keeps going like he’s going, it’s pretty reasonable to think he could win it,” Mandella says. “It’s scares me to say that. I’m a little superstitious.”

Gentlemen won’t have a chance to beat recently retired Cigar, but the 5-year-old chestnut probably will be favored Sunday in Santa Anita’s San Antonio Handicap over the last horse who did beat Cigar, Alphabet Soup.

Mandella says Gentlemen is “touching on great.”

The word jockey Gary Stevens used was “unbelievable” after he rode Gentlemen to a nine-length victory over Dramatic Gold last December in the Native Diver at Hollywood Park.

We hadn’t heard much about this horse because he was bred in Argentina, where he won four of six races as a 3-year-old. After his owners brought him to Mandella last year, Gentlemen finished last in his U.S. debut in June at Hollywood Park.

Mandella switched him to grass, where he won three consecutive races, then back to dirt for the Native Diver. Gentlemen covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:45 1/5, 1 2/5 seconds faster than the track record.

Asked about Gentlemen’s personality, Mandella describes him much like another famous Argentine, Diego Maradona.

“I won’t say he’s nice,” Mandella says. “We have to train him twice a day. That’s the only thing that keeps him manageable.”

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Another horse that figures to be prominent this year is Breeder’s Cup Juvenile champion Boston Harbor, the early Kentucky Derby favorite. He was expected to campaign in Florida, but trainer Wayne Lukas decided the colt was running too well at Santa Anita to change scenery. Boston Harbor probably will open his season in the San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 8. . . .

The first LPGA player to commit to the Los Angeles Women’s Championship at Glendale’s Oakmont Country Club on Feb. 14-16 was Emilee Klein, who won two tournaments as a rookie last year, including the British Women’s Open. She virtually grew up at Oakmont, where her father is a member. . . .

Also playing at Oakmont will be two-time U.S. Open champion Annika Sorenstam. . . .

Just received my latest copy of Azerbaijan International. Featured in a two-page article is figure skater Misel Kuan, known in her hometown of Torrance as Michelle Kwan, who skates her long program this season to music composed by Azerbaijani Fikret Amirov. . . .

What do Norwegians think about the suggestion that Tonya Harding might skate under their flag in next winter’s Olympics? “I don’t think Norway is desperate enough to recruit a convicted criminal from the U.S.,” says Helge Ogrim of the Norwegian News Agency. . . .

Harding’s agent, David Hans Schmidt, also mentioned that Harding might skate for Bolivia. But Tonya has the worst luck. Bolivia isn’t a member of the International Skating Union.

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At a news conference last week featuring new Angel players, there were so many that even a team official became confused in trying to identify them. Almost a third of the Angels’ anticipated 25-man roster played elsewhere last season.

One who needed no introduction was catcher Jim Leyritz. He hit the three-run homer in Game 4 of the World Series that swung momentum from Atlanta to New York, but Yankee Manager Joe Torre says Leyritz was even more valuable in their championship season because of his work with pitcher Andy Pettite.

The Angels hope he has similar success with their pitchers, particularly Jim Abbott. Leyritz, who caught Abbott when both were Yankees, said he thinks he knows the source of the left-hander’s problems.

“I’ve always felt he overworked himself,” Leyritz said. “On his off days, he’d throw a whole batting practice. I told him it would catch up to him, and maybe that’s what happened. When he was with the Yankees, he was throwing in the 86-91 [mph] range. Last season, we had him at 81 to 85.”

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While seeking advice on tax shelters from Steffi Graf, I was thinking: NBA Western Conference coaches were exactly right on their All-Star reserves, but Anthony Mason should be playing for the East, Dennis Rodman isn’t worthy of wearing Chucks, Guy Hebert has been as valuable to the Ducks as Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.