Second outing at last

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Bill Morey Jr. is looking forward to Friday's feature race at Bay Meadows, when the perhaps aptly named Sensational Guy returns to the races in a six-furlong allowance sprint.

"He acted like he could be a real nice colt," said Morey, who saw Sensational Guy win his debut from the rail in a 5 1/2-furlong race at Del Mar.

Unfortunately, that race came in September 2000. Friday's race will be Sensational Guy's second start.

Morey said that after the Del Mar meet, Spectacular Guy bowed a tendon at Hollywood Park. The colt was sent to Dr. Dennis Mahar at the University of California at Davis, said Morey, "and he took care of him for a year."

Sensational Guy is owned by Carole and Don Chaiken and Ronelle Heller, who also campaigned millionaire Dixie Dot Com with Morey. Just as they gave Morey time with Dixie Dot Com, they have given him time with Sensational Guy.

"When the track was too hard, we'd keep Dixie off it," Morey said. "This horse we have to be careful on muddy, heavy tracks."

Morey hoped to have Sensational Guy back to the races sooner, but the heavy winter rains in northern California prompted him to take more time with the now 4-year-old colt.

"He did run a good race the first time," Morey said.

"He's been off a long time. We haven thrown a real killer work into him, but he has good works and seems ready."

Because Sensational Guy wasn't going to be ready for the just-concluded Golden Gate Fields meeting, Morey kept him stabled at Bay Meadows.

"We're happy to get to the races, but I think that's a little advantage that he's running on the track he works on," Morey said.

Morey has named apprentice jockey Omar Figueroa to ride after Russell Baze got a three-day suspension that begins today.

"I did have Russell lined up, but he got the suspension," Morey said. "It came open kind of late."

Of the new rider, Morey said, "I don't know too much" about Figueroa. "He did work a couple horses for me and seems to be a good fellow. I've had a couple other exercise riders tell me to keep an eye on the kid, that he might be okay."

Sensational Guy has eight rivals, including Damn the Torpedoes, who scored an impressive victory eight days ago at Golden Gate Fields. Slew Stew and Gotta Go to Work, both of whom lost photos in their last starts, are also entered.

Weinhard, Gatto Fortunato, Chicago Joe, The Novelist, and Echo Test round out the field.

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