clarinews@clarinet.com (ALEX KAHN) (01/14/90)
ARCADIA, Calif. (UPI) -- Raise A Stanza found a rain-soaked track to his liking as he came from off the pace to capture the 52nd running of the $109,500 San Carlos Handicap Saturday at Santa Anita. The 4-year-old son of Raise A Man raced in sixth position in the field of eight until the final turn of the seven-furlong race. There, jockey Russell Baze took him to the outside where he outfought both the driving rain and the favored Oraibi in the stretch drive to score a 3/4-length victory in 1:21 3/5. The winner was set off at 8-1 odds, returning $19.20, $6.20 and $4. Oraibi, ridden by Laffit Pincay, Jr., paid $3.60 and $2.80, while third-place Tanker Port, ridden by Robbie Davis, paid $3 to show. The victory brought $64,500 to sports entrepreneur and breeder Jack Kent Cooke of Middleburg, Va., to increase the colt's lifetime earnings to $420,350. Music Merci, winner of the Malibu Stakes two weeks ago, goes after the second leg of the Strub Series for 4-year-olds Sunday when he tops a field of 11 in the $200,000 San Fernando Stakes. A winner of more than $1 million lifetime earnings, Music Merci was expected to be a favorite in the 1 1/8-mile race, but Exploding Prospect, Opening Verse, and Lives A Dream were also expected to make a strong showing. The series culminates in the $500,000 Charles H. Strub Stakes Feb. 4.