No Classic Prep for Came Home

DEL MAR — Came Home, winner of Del Mar’s Pacific Classic and No. 1 horse in the country according to this week’s national thoroughbred poll, is not likely to run again before he faces older horses for the second time in the $4-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at on Oct. 26 at Arlington Park.

Currently stabled at Hollywood Park, Came Home will finish up the California part of his Breeders’ Cup training at Santa Anita, but the 3-year-old colt’s trainer, Paco Gonzalez, has indicated that he will skip Santa Anita’s Goodwood Handicap on Oct. 6. Gonzalez is not enamored of the idea of Came Home running less than three weeks before he’d be asked to negotiate 1 1/4 miles in suburban Chicago.

Came Home has won nine of 11 starts and earned $1.8 million. The only flaws on his record are the sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby and a seventh last year in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Belmont Park.

In the immediate aftermath of the Pacific Classic, Gonzalez was the focal point of a strange trackside tableau. As Came Home was being led into the winner’s circle, somebody handed the trainer a flute of champagne. But Gonzalez’s other horse in the race, Bosque Redondo, had broken down after finishing fifth, and was being vanned off. Finding no place to park his glass, Gonzalez hurriedly left the winner’s circle and raced down the track, in the direction of the clubhouse turn, which was the shortest route to the barn where Bosque Redondo was being treated.

The taste of champagne was bittersweet that night for the veteran trainer, because Bosque Redondo’s racing career is over. Winner of the San Bernardino Handicap at Santa Anita in April, Bosque Redondo underwent leg surgery a few days after the Pacific Classic and is recuperating at the Equine Medical Center in Cypress. He will be moved to the farm of his co-owner, John Toffan, next week.

Before favored Street Cry was injured and retired this week, Came Home had been the 12-1 fourth choice, along with War Emblem and Macho Uno, in the future-book betting for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at the Paris racebook in Las Vegas. Medaglia d’Oro was listed at 6-1 and Hawk Wing, the overseas contender, was 10-1.

At 20-1 is Lido Palace, who is ineligible for the Breeders’ Cup and would have to be supplemented, at a whopping cost of $800,000, to run into the Classic. While winless this year, Lido Palace has run some encouraging races in New York, finishing second in the Suburban Handicap and third in the Whitney Handicap, and will face five opponents today in the $500,000 Woodward at Belmont Park. The others entered are Express Tour, Cat’s At Home, Sherpa Guide, Gander and Baseball Champion. Lido Palace’s last victory, five races back, was last year’s Woodward.

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Some tracks, including Belmont Park and the Meadowlands in the New York City area, are going to be closed, but on Del Mar’s closing day, the seaside track will join with the National Thoroughbred Racing Assn. next Wednesday to observe the first anniversary of the terrorists’ air attacks last Sept. 11.

Telecaster Dick Enberg will host a brief ceremony before the first post that will include a flag-raising, the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a moment of silence and a video tribute.

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Milwaukee Brew, the Santa Anita Handicap winner who finished third in the Pacific Classic, is headed for the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Sept. 28, but he will not be joined by his stablemate, Medaglia d’Oro, who will prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Classic off workouts.... Trainer Elliott Walden, whose Indygo Shiner finished second to Romanceishope in last year’s Del Mar Derby, has shipped in Mr. Mellon as tries to win today’s renewal.... Eddie Delahoussaye, who had ridden 19 winners at Del Mar, is body-sore from a spill on the turf course on Aug. 30 and will sit out the rest of the meet.... Winless Zippy Chippy, who lost his 94th consecutive race when he finished seventh in an eight-horse field at the Northampton Fair a week ago, is entered to run Sunday in a $3,100 non-claiming maiden race at the Massachusetts track.... At Del Mar Friday night, the wire came just in time for Joey Franco, winner of the El Cajon Stakes over longshots Taste Of Paradise and Paxtecum. Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Joey Franco paid $5.40 as he won his fourth in a row after a third-place finish in his debut at Santa Anita in December. A head and a nose separated the first three horses.