Monday, March 3, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED to a horse called Gentlemen on the way to becoming Cigar in Sunday's Grade I Santa Anita Handicap and while the backers who made him the favorite for the 1 1/4-mile classic may have been upset, his gentleman trainer Richard Mandella was still all smiles in the winners circle.
Mandella accomplished a training first in the 60-year history of the most famous handicap race in America when he swept the first three places of the $1 million event as his Sandpit finished second while stablemate Siphon rolled to a gate-to-wire Big Cap surprise.
Since Cigar retired as the sport's superstar at the end of last year, racing has been looking for an equine heavyweight to take his place. A 5-year-old Argentine named Gentlemen was sitting on the threshold of the Cigar altar and the Santa Anita Handicap was supposed to be his coronation.
The coronation quickly deteriorated into an abomination as Gentlemen, who was buried down on the inside, did not respond at crunch time and gave way to the tough front-running Siphon and had to settle for a tired third as Sandpit rallied from off the pace for runner-up.
Five-race streak
Gentlemen was sitting on a five-race win streak that included consecutive victories in the Bay Meadows, Citation, Native Diver and most recently San Antonio handicaps. Many started to think Gentlemen may run a Cigar-like win streak through this racing year and become the sport's new superstar.
But fate and talented competition would stop such Cigar talk on Sunday. Fate dealt its card at Friday's draw for the race when Gentlemen drew the rail post. In the previous 59 runnings only one horse managed a Big Cap victory from the rail.
The talented competition filled out the bill when 10 others entered for the first leg in the MGM Grand Classic Crown. The $4.8 million series, sponsored by this town's largest hotel-casino, links the Santa Anita Handicap to the Hollywood Gold Cup at its namesake track and the Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
In order to qualify for the MGM bonus, horses must start in all three events. Thus, a full and competitive field for round one. In addition, Gentlemen appeared bothered loading into the starting gate and seemed to have failed to "change leads" during the final run to the wire. Rider Gary Stevens was noticeably puzzled and upset with his partner's performance in a post-race television interview.
Strong field
Eastern invader Formal Gold was on hand to test the best in the West fresh off a victory over Eastern kingpin Skip Away. Belmont Stakes and Super Derby winner Editor's Note was also in the lineup while other graded stakes winners Chequer and Hollywood Derby winner Marlin filled the starting gate.
Mandella's trio, however, had the best credentials for this Big Cap.
In addition to top dog Gentlemen, the 47-year-old conditioner had two proven Graded winners in Sandpit and Siphon.
Sandpit, with the most earnings in the field at more than $2.7 million, is a multiple-graded stakes winner on turf and was making his first dirt track start in the Big Cap.
Siphon, on the other hand, won the middle jewel of the MGM Grand Classic Crown with a victory at the distance in last year's Hollywood Gold Cup.
This Big Cap insured a lively tempo with several on-the-pace types that would even the playing field for the closers. But, when the starter dispatched the runners, it was Siphon, as expected from his outside post, who took the lead and set the pace. Siphon was allowed to set realistic fractions of 23:13, 46:47, and led the battle through 3/4s in 1:10:09.
No speed duel
The expected meltdown from a speed duel that never materialized had Siphon passing the mile marker in 1:34:58 with Gentlemen looming his only danger as they straightened away in the home stretch. Siphon kept rolling as Gentlemen came up unexplainably empty and Sandpit rallied outside of the others who posed no threat to the outcome of the Mandella trifecta.
Siphon completed the American classic distance in 2:00:23. The Brazilian-bred chalked up the sixth victory of his last seven starts and a second consecutive million-dollar win under rider David Flores.
The great Charlie Whittingham, who holds the Big Cap training record with nine trophies has stared three runners on eight different occasions and managed the first two spots in 1973 with winner Cougar II and runner-up Kennedy Road and in 1985 with Lord At War and Greinton, respectively.
Confident trainer
Mandella was extremely confident assessing his chances on the record sweep before the race when he declared all three of his entrants were ready to go. With Sandpit never racing on dirt before, Siphon expected to get heavy pace pressure and the aforementioned deadly rail post for stable star Gentlemen, even the most optimistic of experts could not concede the scenario.
But, then again, it was Mandella who upset Cigar in the Pacific Classic last year with Dare And Go to snap that superstar's 16-race win streak.
Although Gentlemen's Cigar throne went down in ashes, the Mandella trio of handicap stars may collectively match Cigar's celebrity of the sport.
It is certain that Richard Mandella, a son of a blacksmith, has etched a place in racing history right alongside the greats of racing.
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