Frankel holds all the cards

ARCADIA, Calif. - Bobby Frankel may need all the racetracks in the United States to accommodate his older horses this year.

The surprising win by Milwaukee Brew in Saturday's $1 million Santa Anita Handicap gives Frankel as many as five leading contenders for the major older horse stakes of the summer and fall, including Euchre, Skimming, Lido Palace, and Mizzen Mast. Frankel will scrutinize stakes in California and New York and every point in between for his horses.

"I've got to keep them apart," Frankel said.

Frankel earned his third Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding trainer in 2001, and says this year's barn is just as strong. "I think it's deeper," he said of the entire stable. "I don't know if we'll do as well, but I think it's stronger."

On Sunday, Frankel said that Milwaukee Brew will be pointed to the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting with the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup on July 14 as a goal.

"Hopefully, we can get [Milwaukee Brew] to the end of the year sound."

Euchre, who finished 13th of 14 in the Big Cap as part of an entry with Milwaukee Brew, will be given a break, with an expected return in the summer. He won the Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows last summer and may return in that race, Frankel said. By then, Skimming, who has won the last two runnings of the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, should also be back.

Lido Palace, the winner of the Whitney Handicap and Woodward Stakes last year, is being given a break following a fourth in the San Antonio Handicap last month. He will be pointed to the major races at Belmont Park and Saratoga.

Mizzen Mast, who was bound for the Big Cap until a quarter crack surfaced on Feb. 23, is being given a few months off and will be pointed to a summer campaign.

"I'm always looking ahead," Frankel said with a grin creeping across his face. "I'm really greedy."

The also-rans from the Big Cap will scatter throughout the coming weeks and months.

Runner-up Western Pride, who finished fourth lengths behind Milwaukee Brew, is being pointed to the $6 million Dubai World Cup on March 23, according to trainer James Chapman.

Kudos (third) and Cagney (fifth) were being considered for Dubai, but are likely to stay home, trainer Richard Mandella said.

"We're not as enthusiastic about going to Dubai as we would be if we'd won," Mandella said.

Irishesyesareflying (sixth), Freedom Crest (10th), Futural (12th), and Sky Jack (14th) will be given a break.

Fancy As, a seven-time stakes winner in Canada last year, may be headed back north, trainer Bob Baffert said. He was second at the quarter pole, but faded through the stretch to finish 11 1/2 lengths behind Milwaukee Brew.

"I was pretty disappointed," Baffert said. "He may go home."