Horse shortage not in evidence

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Reds Superstar, who missed by a neck in a similar spot May 26, appears to be the one to beat when he heads an overflow field in the mile allowance feature for 3-year-olds and up at Bay Meadows on Saturday.

There will also be an allowance race for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the nine-race card. Dramatic Show, who finished second in a similar spot while returning from a seven-month layoff, heads a field of nine in that race, which will be the fourth.

Despite a local shortage of horses and simultaneous racing at the San Joaquin County Fair in Stockton, the fields are unusually large. Six races drew nine or more horses and two races have also-eligibles. Some horses are coming in earlier than normal from Emerald Downs in Washington, and Greg Brent, the track's racing secretary, speculated that many trainers want to run because this is the final weekend of the spring meeting. After Sunday's program, major racing in northern California will give way to a month of racing at the Alameda County Fair at Pleasanton and the Solano County Fair at Vallejo.

Red's Superstar, who is trained by John Buc, looks very tough to catch in the eighth-race feature. He set a solid pace in his last start, and missed by only a neck to the Southern California invader Kolob, and he finished four lengths in front of the third horse.

Alvarado to serve time mending

Jockey Frank Alvarado, who was injured in a spill during the Ascot Handicap at Bay Meadows last Sunday, has received a three-day suspension beginning Saturday. Alvarado's rib injury, however, was expected to keep him out of action at least through Sunday anyway.

"He gets to recuperate and serve his time at the same time," steward Darrell McHargue said. Alvarado plans to ride at Arlington Park this summer and had planned to start there last Wednesday. If he had not been hurt, he would have had to serve the suspension even though he was in another state.

Jockey Dennis Carr, who suffered a tailbone injury in the same spill when his mount leaped over Alvarado's, returned Thursday but had to take off his mounts after finishing fourth in the first race.

"When the first race was delayed, my filly reared up, and when she came back down I aggravated it," Carr said. "I lost the strength in my legs. The X-rays were negative, but I'm going to have to get X-rayed again."