STABLE NOTES BY ED GOLDEN

Provided by Oak Tree Racing

BELMONT WINNER SUMMER BIRD BREEZES FOR BC CLASSIC

Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, prepping for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Oak Tree on Nov. 7, worked five furlongs on Pro-Ride Saturday in 1:02, breezing, under jockey Alonso Quinonez.

After the Belmont, Summer Bird added victories in the Grade I Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup (against older horses). He was second to Rachel Alexandra in the Grade I Haskell Invitational.

Ice plans to work the 3-year-old chestnut son of Birdstone again next Sunday, Oct. 25, with regular rider Kent Desormeaux flying in from Kentucky for the assignment. “Kent will be in to work him, and we’ll try to see if we can’t get a work set up in between the races,” Ice said.

In other Breeders’ Cup news:

Undefeated champion mare Zenyatta galloped Saturday at her Hollywood Park headquarters, but trainer John Shirreffs had no word on whether she would defend her crown in the $2 million Ladies’ Classic on Nov. 6 or face males for the first time in the Classic. “We’re in no hurry,” he said.

Richard Mandella remains undecided on the Sprint or the Dirt Mile for the 2008 Robert B. Lewis Stakes winner Crown of Thorns, second to Gayego in the Grade I Ancient Title Stakes on Oct. 11.

“It depends on who runs in each race and how tough they are,” said the Hall of Fame trainer, who made history by saddling four Breeders’ Cup winners at Oak Tree in 2003. “I think I could go either way. I don’t know which would be my better chance, but I’m leaning toward the Mile.”

HALL OF FAME RIDER STEVENS WINS FIRST RACE AS A TRAINER

Gary Stevens, 46, who retired as a rider in 2005 with over 5,000 victories before opening a California-based training operation in August, gained his first win as a trainer Friday at Santa Anita when Higher Incentive won Oak Tree’s third race and paid $15.40.

Stevens, the son of longtime Northwest-based trainer Ron Stevens, connected with his seventh starter since becoming a conditioner. Rafael Bejarano rode the 6-year-old mare that had recently been placed in Stevens’ care after racing in the East for Winning Move Stable and Winter Park Partners.

According to Stevens, his cell phone rang no more than 10 seconds after Higher Incentive had crossed the finish line a neck ahead of Raiding Party in the $32,000 claiming event contested over Santa Anita’s hillside turf course.

“It was my dad calling,” he said. “It was pretty special. He was very emotional and so was I.”

Ron Stevens, in fact, had saddled the first winner that launched his son’s Hall of Fame riding career when the younger Stevens was 16 years of age at Les Bois Park in Idaho on April 21, 1979. The horse’s name was Little Star.

“This took a little bit longer to get done than when I started out as a jock,” Stevens said Friday. “My first win as a jock was nothing like this. I haven’t had this kind of emotion ever, ever. I told (trainer) Eoin Harty the other morning, ‘I’ve never worked so hard in all my life at something and got nothing.’

“When you ride races, you get off (a horse) and you don’t see it until the next time you work it or ride it. Training is 24/7, every day of the year, but I’m having a blast.”

A winner of eight Triple Crown events including three Kentucky Derbies as well as eight Breeders’ Cup races, the native of Caldwell, Ida., continues to work as a commentator for HRTV. As for training, “I knew in the back of my head that this was destined to happen,” he said.

“In the paddock today,” Stevens continued, “(Hall of Fame trainer) Richard Mandella came over to me and said, ‘Hey, what about the untucked shirt?’ I said, ‘Look, it’s my first day off in a long time. I’m not doing HRTV today, and it’s a lot cooler with the shirt out.’” After the race, according to Stevens, Mandella approached him and said, “I’m going to give that untucked shirt thing a try.”

A winner of a record nine Santa Anita Derbies during a riding career that spanned 27 years, Stevens shared credit for his first training success.

“I want to credit (retired Hall of Fame jockey) Angel Cordero on this, too,” he said. “He called me about two weeks ago and recommended a groom named Reynaldo Abreu. This mare was based in New York and so was Reynaldo. He arrived five days ago, and already he’s made a huge difference for us. He’s rubbed a lot of Grade I winners in the East, and he’s picked our outfit up.”

FINISH LINES: Oak Tree offers Carnival Days presented by K-Earth 101 FM Radio in Santa Anita’s infield next weekend, Oct. 24 and 25. Fun-filled activities for children will include a free giant inflatable slide and obstacle course. Pony rides and face painting also will be available . . . All THOROUGHBREDS members who scan their cards at Santa Anita on Oct. 24 will receive free a high-quality set of binoculars, featuring an 8x21 adjustable zoom, while supplies last. First post time next Saturday and Sunday will be 12:30 p.m. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. . . . Participants alive in Oak Tree’s online handicapping contest ShowVivor stood at 271 prior to Thursday’s races.

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