Janet looks like a million for Vienna

ALBANY, Calif. - Janet will continue her march to millionaire status when she heads a field of five older fillies and mares in Saturday's $100,000 Brown Bess Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

The 5-year-old mare would go over $900,000 in career earnings with a victory in the Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile turf race. The race attracted only five runners and will be run as the third race on the card, which gets underway with an early 12:15 p.m. first post.

Janet won four of 11 starts in 2001, including a pair of Grade 1's, the Ramona at Del Mar and Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita. The 123-pound highweight, she will spot her rivals from six to nine pounds.

Trainer Darrell Vienna always had high hopes for Janet, a British-bred mare. He purchased her for owner Red Baron's Barn LLC after her maiden victory on June 19, 2000, at Windsor in Great Britain.

"No one buys a horse after breaking its maiden in Europe expecting to have a Grade 1 winner," Vienna said. "You're hoping for one, but it's unrealistic to expect it.

"I knew she was really good, but you don't know they're Grade 1 until they win one."

Janet should be a millionaire already in Vienna's view.

"She's a good one," he said. "She has a history of troubled races. She's been boxed in on a number of occasions. She contributed to it. She'd kind of rush herself up. She doesn't do that so much now. It's just experience."

Janet ran second to Tout Charmant in the Grade 2 San Gorgonio in her last start on Jan. 13. Her next important goal is the $250,000 Santa Barbara Handicap, a Grade 2 turf race at Santa Anita on April 20.

"This fit in her schedule," said Vienna, explaining why he entered Janet. "I'd rather it was a bigger purse."

The connections of Alexine (Frank Alvarado, 117 pounds), Polaire (Kevin Krigger, 116), Impeachable (Ron Warren, 115) and Autumn Rhythm (Russell Baze, 114) may be hoping that Vienna has his eyes on bigger targets.

That's possible, but not likely, even though Janet may not be cranked up completely.

Vienna has regular rider David Flores coming north despite a big day of racing at Santa Anita.

"I hate taking races for granted," Vienna said. "If you look at a race as crossing a stream, you have to step on stones to get across. You want to be careful not to slip, even on smaller stones."

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