Pain, puzzlement swirl around Santa Anita amid horse deaths

The continued carnage at Santa Anita Park this week reminded me of that quote (I hope someone with a better memory than mine knows who actually uttered it), which refers to the dichotomy inherent in the sport I love above all others.

Horse racing can provide moments of awe and rapture, but it also serves up tragedy that’s hard to take. And lately, the latter has had its thumb on the scale.

Twenty-one horses have died since Dec. 26 while racing or training at the Great Race Place.

It has been an agonizing time for fans, trainers and owners. Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally was the latest to lose a horse when the 4-year-old filly Lets Light the Way was euthanized after shattering a sesamoid bone in her leg during a timed workout on Tuesday.

“I loved that filly,” the 86-year-old conditioner told the BloodHorse. “… I wanted to cry when we had to put her down.”

Track management called in the cavalry this week — in the person of longtime track superintendent Dennis Moore — in an effort to find an answer. In addition to conducting more extensive testing of the racing surface, track management says it “is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of all existing safety measures and current protocols.”

Management also canceled one of the track’s most important weekends of racing, which was to have featured four graded stakes on Saturday, including the San Felipe Stakes, a key prep for the Santa Anita Derby, and the historic Santa Anita Handicap, and one on Sunday.

The cancellation of the San Felipe had California-based trainers with Kentucky Derby aspirations scrambling. Santa Anita has not yet said whether it will reschedule the race and, if so, when.

Trainer Richard Mandella, who had planned to enter recent maiden winner Omaha Beach in the San Felipe, told the Daily Racing Form this week he wasn’t yet sure where he’d end up running his charge.

“I’m as confused as the little boy who lost his bubble gum in the chicken coop,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine this in my wildest dreams.”

One possibility is that numerous horses that had been aimed for the San Felipe will ship to Oaklawn Park for next weekend’s Rebel Stakes. Track officials reportedly are considering running two divisions of that race if there is sufficient interest.

#RJhorseracing featured races

The #RJhorseracing handicappers remained focused on the 3-year-old division via Saturday’s $300,000 Gotham Stakes, a Grade 3 race at Aqueduct run at a mile, and the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby, a Grade 2 in Florida run at 1 1/16th mile.

In the former, the crew is backing even-money morning line favorite Instagrand in his first race as a 3-year-old over fellow California shipper Much Better (10-1) and Haikal (6-1).

Instagrand looks like the one to beat, but as I was reminded last weekend when I backed Hidden Scroll, it’s not a good idea to accept short odds on a horse who is trying something for the first time — in this case running farther than 6 furlongs. I’ll take a shot instead with Not That Brady (5-1), who lost ground on the first turn in his last start, the Withers Stakes, but battled gamely in the stretch. I’ve got Instagrand second and Haikal third.

The handicappers see a more open event in the Tampa Bay Derby, but they’re again backing the 5-2 favorite, Win Win Win, to do just that. They have 7-2 second-favorite Well Defined to place and Outshine (8-1) to show.

“Could be a ‘super horse’ and has the right running style for the Derby,” crowd ’capper Mark “the Godfather” Wayman wrote of the group’s pick.

Freshly burned or not, I was too impressed by Win Win Win’s last race, when he set a track and stakes record in the 7-furlong Pasco Stakes. to pick against him. I’ve got The Right Path (15-1) in second and Well Defined to show.

Mike Brunker’s horse racing column appears Friday. He can be reached at mbrunker@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker on Twitter.