Two Turns Might Prove Too Many : Breeders’ Cup: Pleasant Tap’s impressive record at Belmont Park might be deceiving to handicappers of today’s Classic.

HALLANDALE, Fla. — The 12 horses entered in today’s $3-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park must navigate two turns, which is one reason rival horsemen figure they can beat favored Pleasant Tap.

The horse with the best chance is A.P. Indy, the Belmont Stakes winner and a 3-year-old trying to beat older horses during a year when no 3-year-old has stepped out of his division and won a major race.

In eight years, three 3-year-olds have won the Classic--Proud Truth in 1985, Sunday Silence in 1989 and Unbridled in 1990. But 1992 has been a harsh year for the Triple Crown class. Lil E. Tee, winner of the Kentucky Derby, was sidelined in mid-season, and Pine Bluff, the Preakness winner, has been retired.

Of the 18 horses who ran in the Derby, only three--Technology and the foreign horses, Arazi and Dr Devious--made it to the Breeders’ Cup. Technology is entered in the Classic, Arazi in the Mile and Dr Devious in the Turf.

With no dominant horses this year, the horse-of-the-year title can be won by the winner of the Classic, as happened last year when Black Tie Affair won. A Classic victory would mean the title for A.P. Indy, Pleasant Tap or Sultry Song, and perhaps even Strike The Gold. If none of them wins, the title might go to Sky Classic if he wins the $2-million Turf.

Pleasant Tap is a deserving 3-1 favorite, having defeated Strike The Gold, A.P. Indy and Sultry Song in the Jockey Club Gold Cup while running 1 1/4 miles--today’s distance--in a fast 1:58 4/5. Most of Pleasant Tap’s success this year, however, has been at Belmont Park, the only 1 1/2-mile track in the United States and a layout that makes most races, including the Gold Cup, one-turn tests.

This is how Pleasant Tap’s dirt races break down:

Races 1 2 3 One turn 16 8 5 1 Two turns 12 1 2 4

*

Pleasant Tap’s only victory around two turns was in a mile race against allowance company at Santa Anita in February of 1990.

Eddie Delahoussaye, who has won three Breeders’ Cup races and the Belmont with A.P. Indy, got off of Pleasant Tap for the Gold Cup, partly because it was a one-turn race. Delahoussaye still says he has made the best long-term decision.

“I know A.P. Indy can go turns, and there’s some question about Pleasant Tap,” Delahoussaye said.

In Delahoussaye’s place, Gary Stevens rode Pleasant Tap for the first time and will be aboard again today.

“I think that stuff about two turns is hogwash,” Stevens said. “People say he moves up on the track at Belmont, but he’s run well everywhere. He’s won races at Churchill Downs, a totally different surface than Santa Anita or Belmont. If he runs back to his race at Belmont, I love his chances.”

Scratched from the Kentucky Derby because of a cracked hoof, A.P. Indy won the Belmont while wearing a fiberglass patch, then was given all summer for the hoof to grow out. Neil Drysdale, trainer of the $2.9-million Seattle Slew yearling, says that the hoof is 100% healed.

A.P. Indy was fifth in his first race back, the Molson Million at Woodbine near Toronto on Sept. 13. When Drysdale met Delahoussaye in the paddock before that race, the trainer said: “I don’t think the track is very good.”

Elaborating on that comment the other day here, Drysdale said: “The track got deep and loose and it was cuppy by race time. That works against a long-striding horse like mine. Early in the day, the track was all right, but it was windy and that caused the surface to deteriorate by race time.”

In the Gold Cup, the ground broke out from under A.P. Indy leaving the gate, he lost his right-front shoe, was squeezed by horses and Delahoussaye said they were lucky to remain upright. Fifteen lengths behind, A.P. Indy wound up third, beaten by 6 3/4 lengths.

“He clipped heels of another horse and damaged the inside wall of his right foot,” Drysdale said. “We’ve put a patch on it to rebuild the wall. Eddie didn’t push the horse when it became obvious that he couldn’t handle the surface at Woodbine, so he didn’t get much out of the Molson. He benefited a lot from the race at Belmont. I’m very comfortable with where we’re at going into this race.”

Drysdale, usually reluctant to discuss rival horses, declined to comment about Pleasant Tap’s record around two turns, saying: “My horse won’t necessarily (improve) around two turns, but it might hurt some of the others.”

Chris Speckert, who trains Pleasant Tap, insisted two turns won’t hurt his horse.

“The turns have nothing to do with it,” Speckert said. “It’s the playing around early that’s hurt him in some races, and I don’t think Gary will let him do that.”

As for A.P. Indy, Speckert said: “How many excuses does he get?”

Horse Racing Notes

Ever since Light Of Morn raced down on the rail while finishing third at Santa Anita on Oct. 12, trainer Rodney Rash has said that the 6-year-old would redeem himself in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Trouble was, the field for the Sprint was oversubscribed and Light Of Morn didn’t get in. So Rash ran him in Friday’s $100,000 Dancing Spree Handicap at Gulfstream and he beat another Southland horse, Slerp, by a head. Light Of Morn, ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, paid $4.40 and ran seven furlongs in 1:20 3/5, breaking the Gulfstream record. Bob Hibbert bred and races Light of Morn.

Another horse from California, Incessant, broke the Gulfstream record for 1 3/8 miles Friday, winning the $250,000 Prized Handicap by a length in 2:14 4/5. Incessant, third in the Russell Handicap at Santa Anita on Oct. 14, paid $8.60. It was the first stakes victory in the United States for the Irish-bred. Owned by Ralph Witt and trained by Bobby Frankel, Incessant was ridden by Frank Alvarado. Plate Dancer finished second, with Wolf, the 8-5 favorite, finishing third.

In Friday’s third stake, another Irish-bred, Julie La Rousse, won the $250,000 Bayakoa Handicap, beating favored Lady Shirl by 1 3/4 lengths. The Bill Shoemaker-trained Alcando ran eighth. . . . Akiko, who kept Arazi company on the trip from France when the Kentucky Derby favorite ran eighth, won an allowance Friday in his first race on dirt. . . . Gulfstream’s speed-favoring reputation wasn’t present. The track was playing fairly, with come-from-behind horses winning several races.

Friday’s attendance was 18,932. . . . Today’s races, which will are expected to be run in 85-degree heat, might draw 45,000. Among Breeders’ Cup tracks, Gulfstream is the smallest. The crowd on Breeders’ Cup Day in 1989 was 51,342, but that was before off-track betting was approved in Florida. Twenty-one state-wide outlets will take betting today. . . . Tactical Advantage, who was 10-1 in the Juvenile, has been scratched after suffering a chipped ankle during a workout.

Past Winners

SPRINT 1984 Eillo

1985 Precisionist

1986 Smile

1987 Sacahuista

1988 Gulch

1989 Dancing Spree

1990 Safely Kept

1991 Sheikh Albadou

JUVENILE FILLIES1984 Outstandingly

1985 Twilight Ridge

1986 Brave Raj

1987 Epitome

1988 Open Mind

1989 Go For Wand

1990 Meadow Star

1991 Pleasant Stage

DISTAFF 1984 Princess Rooney

1985 Life’s Magic

1986 Lady’s Secret

1987 Very Subtle

1988 Personal Ensign

1989 Bayakoa

1990 Bayakoa

1991 Dance Smartly

MILE 1984 Royal Heroine

1985 Cozzene

1986 Last Tycoon

1987 Miesque

1988 Miesque

1989 Steinlen

1990 Royal Academy

1991 Opening Verse

JUVENILE 1984 Chief’s Crown

1985 Tasso

1986 Capote

1987 Success Express

1988 Is It True

1989 Rhythm

1990 Fly So Free

1991 Arazi

TURF 1984 Lashkari

1985 Pebbles

1986 Manila

1987 Theatrical

1988 Great Communicator

1989 Prized

1990 In the Wings

1991 Miss Alleged

CLASSIC 1984 Wild Again

1985 Proud Truth

1986 Skywalker

1987 Ferdinand

1988 Alysheba

1989 Sunday Silence

1990 Unbridled

1991 Black Tie Affair

By the Numbers

* 0--dead heats.

* 1--to 5, shortest odds for a winner (Meadow Star, 1990 Juvenile Fillies).

* 2--Cups run at Gulfstream.

* 3--deceased Cup winners (Eillo, Go For Wand, Great Communicator).

* 4--Sheikhs who have owned Cup starters.

* 5--finishing position of Strike The Gold in 1991 Classic.

* 6--Cup victories each for jockeys Pat Day and Laffit Pincay.

* 7--lengths, largest winning margin (Princess Rooney, 1984 Distaff).

* 8--races won in nine starts this year by Rubiano.

* 9--Classic champions (after today).

* 10--Cup races won by Wayne Lukas-trained horses.

* 15--Cup starters for owner Allen Paulson (before today.)

* 21--European horses entered.

* 22--age of youngest winning jockey (Walter Guerra--Outstandingly, 1987).

* 28--age of youngest winning trainer (P. Hauswald--Epitome, 1987).

* 29--winning tickets in 1991 Cup Pick-7 wagering.

* 30--geldings who competed in first eight Cups.

* 32--states participating in 1992 national Pick-7.

* 40--countries receiving NBC’s Cup telecast.

* 53--to 1, longest shot to win a Cup race (Lashkari, 1984 Turf).

* 56--age of oldest winning jockey (Bill Shoemaker--Ferdinand, 1986).

* 73--Cup starters for Lukas (before today).

* 76--age of oldest winning trainer (Charlie Whittingham--Sunday Silence, 1989).

* 79--degrees at warmest Cup (Gulfstream, 1989).

* 92--horses entered for 1992 Cup.

* 2,000--dollars, lowest lifetime earnings of a Cup entry (Hot Date, 1990).

* 40,994--seating capacity at Gulfstream.

* 1,560,000--dollars to the winner of the Classic.

* 2,133,000--dollars, most money won in Cup races (Alysheba, 3 races).

* 3,000,000--dollars, total purse for the Classic.

* 5,329,242--dollars, highest lifetime earnings of an entry (Alysheba, 1988).

* 10,000,000--dollars in total purse money.

* 20,000,000--estimated TV audience.

The Breeders’ Cup

The $10-million card, the richest in thoroughbred racing, returns today to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., site of the 1989 event. Horse of the year honors again could be decided in the Classic, a $3-million race won by last year’s champion male horse, Black Tie Affair. A.P. Indy, winner of the Belmont who has raced little because of injuries, favorite Pleasant Tap, Strike The Gold and Europe’s Rodrigo De Triano head the 12-horse field.

THE RACES

EVENT PURSE POST Sprint $1 million 10:50 a.m. Juvenile fillies $1 million 11:25 a.m. Distaff $1 million 12:00 p.m. Mile (Turf) $1 million 12:35 p.m. Juvenile $1 million 1:10 p.m. Turf $2 million 1:45 p.m. Classic $3 million 2:25 p.m.

All times PST

* TELEVISION: Channel 4, 10:30 a.m.

ADDITIONAL COVERAGE * The Card

A look at each of the seven races. C13.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Bob Mieszerski’s handicap, the consensus and other race information. C13.