SANTA ANITA : He’s a Winner, but Not a Top Gun

None of the first 10 winners of the Bolsa Chica Stakes went on to success in the Santa Anita Derby.

Don’t look for that to change this year.

Broadway’s Top Gun, the 6-5 favorite, made it four victories in five starts Wednesday, while making his first appearance since last July, defeating Silent Prince by 1 1/2 lengths in the Santa Anita slop.

Even though jockey Corey Nakatani thinks the Full Pocket colt will run on, nobody envisions Broadway’s Top Gun as a Derby prospect.

Trainer Bob Baffert plans to keep him sprinting after his 1:10 2/5 performance and doesn’t even rate him as his best 3-year-old. That honor goes to Letthebighossroll, a son of Flying Paster who romped past maidens in his debut last Saturday.

Outrun early, Broadway’s Top Gun swung wide into the stretch, took charge with less than a furlong to go and drew clear in the final yards. Iron Pleasure was third, two lengths behind Shining Prince.

“He fractured a shin and we had to put a screw in it,� said Baffert, explaining Broadway’s Top Gun’s absence since he finished fifth in the Hollywood Juvenile. “I brought him up to this race easily.

“I didn’t really crank him up. He’s such a game horse, I knew I could depend on his class. When they come back, you’ve got to go easy on them and let them get their confidence back. He’s a tough horse. He was running on guts at the end. He was tired. He’s just trying to make the trainer look good.

“I worked him in the slop last year and he worked well in it, so I wasn’t worried about that. He’s run on every kind of track and run well.�

Nakatani, who has ridden the colt in all five of his starts, believes he belongs near the top of his class.

“I think he’s one of the better 3-year-olds around,� the jockey said. “We thought that he’d need the race, but he ran well. This race should set him up for whatever race he runs next.

“I think he can get 1 1/4 miles because he’s so kind--you can rate him.�

Shining Prince, a terror in Oregon where he had won four of five starts after breaking his maiden at Ferndale, moved up along the inside to take the lead near the quarter pole but couldn’t keep pace with the winner.

“I moved too early with him,� jockey Gary Stevens said. “The hole was there, and if I waited, I was afraid I wouldn’t get through. It was a sixteenth of a mile premature. He ran very nice.�

Caliche’s Secret was fourth; then came Gold Crest Express and Bering Gifts. Weyse Kite was scratched.

Best Pal, California’s top 2-year-old in 1990, will make his 3-year-old debut in Sunday’s $150,000 San Rafael Stakes at one mile.

Victorious in six of eight starts last year, the Ian Jory-trained gelding won the Del Mar Futurity and Norfolk Stakes, then capped his season by beating entrymate General Meeting in the $1-million Hollywood Futurity.

Stevens will ride the California-bred horse for the first time. Jose Santos rode him in the Hollywood Futurity, replacing the suspended Patrick Valenzuela.

Other probables for the San Rafael, one of two major preps for the Santa Anita Derby--along with the San Felipe--are Dinard, El Camino Real Derby winner Sea Cadet, Apollo and Mane Minister. Perfect in four sprint tries, Apollo will be making his initial try around two turns.

There are three possibilities from Charlie Whittingham’s barn, including the highly publicized Excavate, who could run instead in an allowance race Saturday. The others are Compelling Sound, who was impressive while winning his first race, and recent winner River Traffic, who would be making his first start on the dirt.

Astrometric Star’s 10-length victory in Wednesday’s fourth race ended a long Santa Anita dry spell for jockey Larry Gilligan.

The victory was the first at Arcadia for Gilligan, 53, since High Counsel won for trainer Charlie Whittingham during the 1982 Oak Tree meeting.

A veteran of three Kentucky Derbies, Gilligan has ridden sporadically in recent years. The last time he rode on a regular basis anywhere, he said, was at Monmouth Park in 1978-79.

Gilligan, who won a race last year at Bay Meadows for trainer Matt Chew, has had five mounts at Santa Anita, and there’s nothing wrong with his in-the-money percentage. He has a first, a second and a third.

“A lot of trainers think because you’re old, you’re through,� the bearded Gilligan said after riding Astrometric Star, a 3-year-old Failiraki filly, wire to wire. “I want to ride until I’m 55.

“I’m fit. I may be 53, but I have a young body and an old face. I wasn’t gasping for air or anything after the race.�

Gilligan, who doesn’t have an agent, plans to become more active. “I’d like to ride five or six horses a day,� he said. “I think I could do justice to five or six.�

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Kent Desormeaux turned 21 Wednesday. . . . Martin Pedroza, banged up in a spill Saturday, will return to action today. . . . With Gary Stevens committed to ride Farma Way, Jose Santos has picked up the mount on In Excess for the $1-million Santa Anita Handicap March 9.

Best Pal and Dinard both worked a half-mile Wednesday, the former in 47 3/5 and the latter in 48 2/5. . . . Olympic Prospect, Navajo Storm and Black Jack Road are expected to head the field in Saturday’s $100,000 El Conejo Handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Waterscape beat Doyouseewhatisee by a head to win the $51,950 Reb’s Policy Wednesday. This was the second straight victory for the 2-1 second choice, who covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15 1/5 over the sloppy track. Dansil, Raj Waki and Shirkee were scratched.