Monday, March 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
THERE WAS a women's movement in horse racing Sunday that would surely have put a smile on Gloria Steinem's face, and don't be surprised if Helen Gurley Brown is requesting a picture of Jewel Princess for the next Cosmo cover.
The stronger sex in the equine world, over the weekend, was certainly that of the dam, and the muscular feminists were anything but damsels in distress.
In a week that started out with news that the great Cigar, racing's symbol of virility, has turned into a nonproductive stallion, a trio of gals turned into productive terrors on the track.
Jewel Princess kept on target for the Breeders' Cup at year's end. It is now not certain if she'll repeat in the event's Distaff or take on the opposite sex in the Classic.
Performances by two other sophomore fillies may have earned them a shot at roses on May 3 rather than Feb. 14, as Glitter Woman and Sharp Cat secured positions for at least Derby "talk" after their Sabbath victories.
Sunday's Grade I Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap was the crowning event for older fillies and mares at the Santa Anita meeting. The 60th running of the Arcadia title-decider brought together five challengers for division leader Jewel Princess. After capping off a victory in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff at Woodbine in October for win No. 5 on the year, the 5-year-old mare began this season with a score in the Feb. 16 Grade I Santa Maria. That five-length romp set her up perfectly for Sunday's 1 1/8-mile tour, but it wasn't easy.
Going for a hat-trick win, Jewel Princess tracked between foes early in the race while Logia, a winner of her last outing, set a modest pace. Top Rung, who was the last to conquer the Princess at Oak Tree last year, wrested the lead away from Logia at the top of the home stretch, with Hidden Lake right alongside. Jewel Princess joined the pair midway down the straight, and a three-mare battle ensued to the finish, with Corey Nakatani guiding the Princess to a hard-fought win. The Jewel returned a zircon $2.80 to win.
As the usual Kentucky Derby attrition takes its toll at this time each year and with the list now claiming Breeders' Cup Juvenile victor and Eclipse Award winner Boston Harbor and leading West Coast hope Mud Route, the favorite Pulpit may find most of the contention coming from the female class of '94.
With coast-to-coast valedictorian performances by Sharp Cat and Glitter Woman on Sunday, Pulpit best be ready to practice what his backers are preaching.
Sharp Cat sharp
At Santa Anita, about a half-hour before the Jewel Princess win, her owners were standing in the winners' circle following the Santa Anita Oaks with Sharp Cat, as trainer D. Wayne Lukas refused to commit but definitely kept open the possibility of a Derby appearance in Arcadia as her next start.
The sophomore daughter of Storm Cat won the 1-1/16-mile Grade I premiere 3-year-old filly race with such ease that a start against the best boys seems to be the only real challenge left. It is also no secret that majority owner Ahmed Salmen wants his Cat to storm in the Derby at Louisville, and Lukas is no stranger to entering the "weaker" sex in Churchill Down's feature race on the first Saturday in May.
Sharp Cat, with Corey Nakatani aboard for a double-feature score, made short work of the field for the 58th Oaks as she quickly turned it into another personal exhibition, an exercise she has duplicated three consecutive previous times. Sharp Cat returned a shorter-than Jewel's $2.40 for the win.
Glitter Woman shines
Earlier in the day at Gulfstream Park, Fla., the Bonnie Miss for 3-year-old fillies was contested at 1-1/16 miles. The Grade II event featured the appropriately named Glitter Woman. She had destroyed competition in both '97 starts by more than a combined 18 lengths and held four victims hostage, including Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Storm Song and the previously undefeated Dixie Flag.
Restrained early, jockey Mike Smith did no more than turn her loose, as she rolled to a scant 7 1/2-length victory to keep perfect a three-for-three record on the year. The Shug McGaughey-trained filly has impressed so much this season at the South Florida track that it prompted one racing authority to claim she's the best sophomore on the grounds. This, remember, is where Pulpit resides for the winter.
It was certainly ladies' day Sunday, but it may be the year of the lady in America's premiere races -- you've come a long way, baby!
* Free contest Wednesday: The Gold Coast race book will once again hold another of its popular free handicapping contests Wednesday with a top prize of $1,000. The midweek challenge will test the handicapping skills at New York's Aqueduct race track. The final five races will be used for the free run at a dime. Each entrant will select a pick in each of the last five races, with a mythical $2 win bet. The combination of wins and total mutuel payoffs will determine the winner or winners. The last Gold Coast contest saw one winner take down the entire prize. The free entry blanks must be turned in before the fifth race on the card with Aqueduct's first post time at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Don't miss out at your shot at $1,000.
* What's in a name? One wonders what the owners of some horses were thinking when they submitted the names of a few weekend winners. At the fairgrounds, the feature New Orleans Handicap was won by Isitingood, while a later supporting feature was taken by Dickey Rickey. Aqueduct's Next Move Stakes was won by Full And Fancy, and the first lady to finish in Sunday's fifth race at Santa Anita was Hillary.
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