'Captain' may pay dividends

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Fifty thousand dollars is a hefty investment in any horse, but trainer Cliff DeLima hopes it was money well spent when he claimed My Captain on Nov. 5.

The 7-year-old makes his second start for DeLima in the Sunday feature at Bay Meadows, a $62,500 optional claimer at six furlongs. My Captain drew the outside post in the field of five older runners.

DeLima knew what he was getting when he made the claim of the one-time stakes winner.

"He tries," DeLima said. "He's going good right now."

In his first start for DeLima, My Captain ran third in an allowance race won by multiple stakes winner Halo Cat. Carthage, who came back to win his next start, ran second.

My Captain won the day DeLima claimed him from Art Sherman after running second in his previous to start to another DeLima claim, Twentythreejaybird.

"Sherman did a good job with him," DeLima said of the tender-footed My Captain. "I just hope we can win a few with him and do half as well as Sherman."

My Captain won $306,215 under Sherman's care, including $101,725 at Bay Meadows where he had three victories, a pair of seconds, and a third in seven starts.

His primary rival here should be Loyalton, who held on by a nose to win the Larkspur Stakes for 3-year-olds at Golden Gate Fields, edging Seattles Best Joe and Wilko.

will be making his third start since an 11-month layoff, but will find the pace much tougher here.

Greenie, a member of the Sherman barn, has some speed, although he proved no match for Carthage in his comeback here on opening day. He has won 2 of 3 starts here, but the rail draw probably dictates that he will have to gun early.

Turf races scheduled

Two turf races, one for maidens and one for $12,500 claimers, have been carded Sunday. It marks the first time in the meeting that turf races have been carded.

The course is quite soft, and any rain could lead to a switch to the main track.