Toga Toga Toga Makes the Grade

In an afternoon of firsts, Toga Toga Toga came from well off the pace to win the $156,750 Santa Monica Handicap in the slop at Santa Anita on Saturday.

The initial Grade I race of 1997 was the first Grade I victory for trainer Eduardo Inda and owner Stanley Bell and the first for jockey Julio Garcia since he won the 1991 Ramona at Del Mar with Campagnarde.

Toga Toga Toga’s biggest previous victory came when she won the $61,000 Pine Tree Lane Handicap last month at Hollywood Park.

This was her first foray into graded company, and in a race that catered to her style, the 9-2 choice got up to beat Ski Dancer, the 3-1 second-favorite, by half a length in 1:23 1/5 for the seven furlongs.

“It looks like sunshine to us,” said Bell in the rain after Toga Toga Toga’s fifth win in 15 starts. “This is our first Grade I winner, so we’re very excited.

“[Inda] said every time she had been on an off track [in the morning] she seemed to skip over it.”

Never off the board in seven starts at Santa Anita, the 5-year-old mare has three victories there. She paid $11.40 and the win was worth $96,750 to Bell.

“She worked well over a good track, but I wasn’t sure if she was going to like the slop or a sealed track,” Inda said. “But she had trained real well for this race. This is super. I’m very happy for [Bell]. He’s been really good to me.”

Ski Dancer finished three lengths ahead of Grab The Prize, who came from last to edge pacesetter Track Gal for third place. Advancing Star, the 2-1 favorite, could not get the lead and wound up last in a field reduced to six after Hidden Lake and Top Rung were scratched.

*

High Heeled Hope, who has won her last three starts around one turn, is the 3-1 favorite against 10 other 3-year-old fillies in today’s $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes.

A well-beaten third behind Sharp Cat, the top 3-year-old filly in California and one of the best in the country, High Heeled Hope should appreciate the return to seven furlongs. She won her last two starts at the distance, including the Maker’s Mark at Hollywood Park more than two months ago. Alex Solis will again ride for trainer Randy Bradshaw and owner Ernie Paragallo.

Like the morning-line favorite, Rexy Sexy also has four career victories and she is the 4-1 second choice. The California-bred daughter of Huddle Up won the California Breeders’ Champion Stakes at the Santa Ynez distance earlier in the meeting. Corey Nakatani will ride the 123-pound highweight.

*

Funeral services were held Thursday for longtime owner-breeder Robert Hibbert, who died at his home in Houston last Monday at 89.

Successful in the oil and gas business and a bank director, Hibbert was the owner of Roving Boy, the champion 2-year-old in 1982.

*

The most anticipated matchup of the meeting will take place a week from today and it won’t occur in the day’s richest race, the $500,000 Strub Stakes.

Rather, Gentlemen and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup are expected to run in the $300,000 San Antonio Handicap at 1 1/8 miles.

Very impressive in his last two wins at Hollywood Park, one coming on the turf, the other on dirt, Gentlemen has won eight of 11 and the San Antonio is likely to be his only start of the Santa Anita season. Trainer Richard Mandella has said the 5-year-old, who broke the track record for 1 1/8 miles at Hollywood Park in the Native Diver, running 1:45 1/5, will skip the Santa Anita Handicap in favor of the Dubai World Cup on March 27. Gentlemen worked seven furlongs in 1:27 2/5 Saturday morning at Hollywood Park.

Scratched from the recent San Pasqual Handicap because of track conditions, Alphabet Soup will be making his first start since the Breeders’ Cup upset of Cigar and others. The defending champion in the San Antonio, the roan would then move on to the Big ‘Cap on March 2.

There had been rumors that Skip Away might ship in for the 1 1/4-mile Strub, but trainer Sonny Hine said last year’s 3-year-old champion will make his 1997 debut in the $300,000 Donn Handicap on Feb. 8 at Gulfstream Park. Hine also said it was doubtful Skip Away, although eligible, would come to California for the Big ‘Cap.

Among those likely to run in the Strub are San Fernando winner Northern Afleet, Victory Speech, Editor’s Note, Ambivalent, Zanferrier, Phantom Quest, Mateo and Ready To Order.

Horse Racing Notes

Because of the Super Bowl, post time today will be at 11 a.m. . . . Siphon, who won the Hollywood Gold Cup last year, will make his first start since finishing a distant third behind Dare And Go in the Pacific Classic last Aug. 10, in today’s seventh race, a $60,000 classified allowance race at 1 1/16 miles. He is being pointed for the Santa Anita Handicap by trainer Richard Mandella.