OAK TREE : Santa Anita Pulls Out of ’93 ACRS

The schedule for the 1993 American Championship Racing Series doesn’t include the Santa Anita Handicap.

Santa Anita had been part of the first two series, but it had long been rumored that the track would drop out. Cliff Goodrich, the president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Turf Cup, was in transit from Florida and couldn’t be reached for comment.

“That was a business decision on their part that I can respect,� said ACRS chairman David Vance. “Santa Anita could return to the ACRS in the future, but they felt like it was not in their best interest this year.�

The Oaklawn Handicap also won’t be an ACRS race next year and three tracks--Hollywood Park, Belmont Park and Gulfstream Park--will have two apiece.

Besides the Hollywood Gold Cup, the Californian also will be an ACRS race. The Gulfstream and Donn handicaps will be Florida’s two races; Belmont will have the Woodward and Nassau County Handicap.

Visible Gold made it five consecutive victories with her customary wire-to-wire tactics in the $81,600 Louis R. Rowan Handicap on Sunday.

The 7-10 favorite under Laffit Pincay, the 4-year-old Deputy Minister filly was chased by 4-1 second choice Vijaya and won by three-quarters of a length in 1:34 3/5 for the mile on turf.

Winless in 10 starts on the main track, Visible Gold, who is owned by John Toffan and Trudy McCaffery, now has five victories in seven starts on turf and has never been worse than third.

“She went a little faster than I wanted the first quarter (22 3/5 seconds), that other filly (Vijaya) was pushing us pretty good,� Pincay said. “She’s a very easy horse to ride. She relaxes well and then you just hope that she gets there. I thought she ran pretty well and she ran tough. She was a little tired at the end, but the turf was a little soft and maybe that made her a little more tired.�

Vijaya finished three lengths in front of Fortissima. Then came Slew Of Pearls, Let’s Sgor, Happy Wife and Avant’s Gold.

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Hector Torres, who was disqualified from first to second aboard Spirited Susan in the Cascapedia Handicap on Friday, was suspended for five days, beginning Thursday. . . . Treat Tobeatyafeet upset 9-10 favorite Vying Victor by two lengths in the $56,100 Most Host Handicap on Sunday. Ridden by Martin Pedroza, who had six winners Saturday, the 6-year-old Dixieland Band gelding covered the 1 1/16 miles on a slow track in 1:45 4/5.