Another Week and Ringaskiddy Would Run

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Apr. 24, 2002) - Juan Garcia, having just won a $400,000, Grade I race with a horse he claimed for $50,000, isn't complaining.

But he sure wouldn't have minded if Sunday's $100,000 Quicken Tree Stakes for California-breds at 1½ miles on the turf had been scheduled two weeks after the San Juan Capistrano Handicap, instead of just seven days.

Ringaskiddy, the Quicken Tree defending champ, won the San Juan Capistrano and is already bouncing off the walls of his stall as if he hadn't just run 14 furlongs.

Garcia still could have an enjoyable day Sunday, as he sends out 9-year-old millionaire warhorse Native Desert in the $175,000 TVG Khaled Stakes and Our Here Tiz in the $150,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes.

As for Ringaskiddy, he did not completely rule out running his Grade I winner on seven days rest, but he did not sound comfortable with the thought of wheeling the 6-year-old gelded son of Slewvescent right back.

"If it had just been one more week," said Garcia. "He's doing so good right now. It's just that the races are so close."

That is one reason why the Quicken Tree figures to have the smallest field of any of the 10 races on Sunday's Gold Rush III card at Hollywood Park. In addition to winner Ringaskiddy, fellow Cal-breds Continental Red and Speedy Pick finished third and sixth in the San Juan Capistrano. Speedy Pick led after 1 ½ miles.

The San Juan Capistrano pretty well wiped out the top of the Cal-bred class of turf marathoners. Another Cal-bred who scratched from the San Juan Capistrano, Soul Warrior, tragically suffered a heart attack after a Monday work in preparation for the Quicken Tree and died.

With entries for all of the Gold Rush races to be taken Thursday, the only probable starters for the Quicken Tree are Adminniestrator, who finished second by a head to Ringaskiddy in last year's running; Continental Stich, Our Main Man and Suspicious Minds. The supplementary fee is $5,000 and there could be some takers for that.