SANTA ANITA : Alysbelle Upsets Pacific Squall to Win the La Canada Stakes

Besides the same sire and dam, Alysbelle now has something else in common with Alysheba.

The full sister to the richest horse in thoroughbred history became a graded stakes winner with her upset of heavily favored Pacific Squall in the $220,850 La Canada Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Purchased for $925,000 as a yearling by trainer Jack Van Berg for owner Clarence Scharbauer, Alysbelle had done most of her best work on turf before Saturday.

Of her three previous victories, only her first had come on the main track, and she had not been close to Pacific Squall in two earlier tries. Last April 24, she was beaten by five lengths, and was nearly 10 lengths back in the Hollywood Oaks on July 12.

Sent off at more than 15-1 in the La Canada, the 4-year-old Alydar filly raced wide throughout under Eddie Delahoussaye, joined the 3-5 favorite at the top of the stretch and went on to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:49 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles.

Losing for only the third time in eight starts, Pacific Squall finished 5 1/2 lengths in front of Interactive. Avian Assembly, the 7-2 second choice and second to Pacific Squall in the El Encino three weeks earlier, was fifth.

“She’s always had a lot of ability, but it’s been a little hard to get it out of her,� Van Berg said of Alysbelle. “She’s filled out so she’s a good-looking filly and the older she gets, the better I think she’s going to be.

“She’s matured a lot and she’s grown up. Eddie gets along with her beautifully.�

Although five other jockeys have ridden Alysbelle, Delahoussaye is the only one to have won with her. “She’s always shown that she had ability, but she’s temperamental,� Delahoussaye said. “You’ve got to leave her alone as much as you can and try not to fight her too much. She wants to (drift) out, and you mess with her, and she’s worse.

“When we got to the backside, I gave her her head, and we started getting closer. As we got to the last turn, she was trying to (drift) out again. Then, once she gets to the lead, she wants to pull herself up. But, I’ll tell you one thing, she won, and she’s a well-bred filly. Maybe she might last longer this way. She just does enough to get there.�

Said Chris McCarron, Pacific Squall’s rider: “It might have looked like we were coming back at the winner, but (Alysbelle) is just like her brother. She gets in front and starts goofing around. (Alysbelle) teased me. Alysheba used to tease a lot of horses. Really, I had no excuses.�

Much-traveled, oft-injured and a member of one of racing’s finest 3-year-old classes, Music Merci is still around four years later.

A contemporary of Sunday Silence, Easy Goer and Prized, among others in 1989, the gray gelding scored a 14-1 upset of favored Star Of The Crop in the $108,700 Palos Verdes Handicap on Saturday.

Last while his six rivals were bunched together fighting for the lead, Music Merci surged under David Flores to beat Star Of The Crop, the 13-10 choice, by a neck in 1:08 4/5 for the six furlongs.

This was the second consecutive victory for the 7-year-old, who has earned more than $1.4 million for co-owners Lawrence Pendleton and Harvey Cohen. Both victories have come after Music Merci was off for more than eight months.

“The wait (for Music Merci to return to racing) has all been worthwhile,� Cohen said. “I can’t describe the feeling. It’s all ‘Music’ today.

“When I saw him coming, it was unbelievable. My chair went flying, my arms started waving. . . . I lost it. I would have been thrilled for him just to be competitive today. Winning is like a dream come true.

“(Trainer) Armando (Lage) has done a tremendous job. This is a horse who needs very special care and treatment, and he’s gotten it from Armando.�

Lage, Music Merci’s third trainer after Ron McAnally and Craig Lewis, was delighted with how the race set up.

“I was happy to see all those horses in a line going for the lead and Music Merci behind them,� he said. “I told David to warm the horse up good and to stay off the pace, whether one horse or all of them went for the lead.�

Caught widest of all in the unexpected speed duel, Star Of The Crop did well to run second, a length ahead of 11-1 shot Cardmania. Fabulous Champ was fourth ahead of Answer Do, Slew The Surgeon and Gundaghia.

“If I had to do it over again, I would have taken him back out of the gate,� jockey Gary Stevens said of Star Of The Crop. “I committed early to go. He was running within himself, but I had to use him more than I wanted going into the turn to try to clear them, but I couldn’t clear them anyway. I ended going up about five-wide around the turn.

“He still tried to come back when Music Merci flew by him about 50 yards out. There was just nothing left. I can only blame myself.�

Horse Racing Notes

Ken Skinner earned his first victory at Santa Anita since 1977 when he won the second race aboard 40-1 shot Scottish Castle. Trained by Mark MacDonald, Scottish Castle paid $82.40 and teamed with 22-1 shot College Green for a Santa Anita record $508.40 quinella payoff. . . . Jockey Pat Valenzuela called in sick Saturday and lost two winners, Rocket Roger (to Corey Nakatani) and Duane (to Laffit Pincay). . . . Hector Torres was handed his second five-day suspension of the meeting for an incident during Friday’s ninth race. Torres was cited for failing to make the proper effort to maintain a straight course in the stretch while riding Knight Teller, who finished fourth. . . . Set Them Free is the 7-5 morning line favorite for today’s feature, the $100,000 Santa Ynez Breeders’ Cup Stakes at seven furlongs. . . . There is a Pick Six carryover of $117,364 for today.