To ship, perchance to run?

ALBANY, Calif. - Trainer Dean Pederson faced a decision this week regarding Super Tuesday, a 4-year-old daughter of Political Ambition who has earned $201,310 in her career.

Super Tuesday won the $100,000 Work the Crowd Handicap at one mile on the turf in her last start. It was an easy decision to nominate her to Saturday's $100,000 Grade 3 Brown Bess Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Golden Gate Fields' turf course.

But the decision whether to run her in the Brown Bess was not so easy.

"I see names like [Richard] Mandella, [Neil] Drysdale, [Bobby] Frankel, and I wonder what I'm doing there," Pederson said.

The field for the Brown Bess is expected to include Janet, who won a pair of Grade 1 turf races last year and would be spotting Super Tuesday seven pounds as the 123-pound highweight.

But it appears Super Tuesday won't be running here Saturday after all. Someone from the Santa Anita racing office called Pederson to ask if he wanted to nominate Super Tuesday to Saturday's running of the $125,000 Pro or Con Handicap at one mile on the turf there.

"I hadn't given that race much thought. I can't tell you the guy who called me, but I'm glad he did," said Pederson, who decided to run against Cal-breds for more money in the Pro or Con rather than facing open company in the Brown Bess.

"Up here, I'd be 20- or 30-1. Down there, I'll be 4- or 5-1. You want to do what's right for your horse. We have never asked her to do more than what she was ready to do."

Leading jockey Alex Solis will ride Super Tuesday.

Super Tuesday already has black type, and Pederson would like to get her a graded placing or victory, but he knows he'll have other chances to do that with his improving filly.

An easy choice

For the trainers of the eight older fillies and mares entered in Thursday's feature, the decision to run was easy. The race is a one-mile turf race for $25,000 claimers.

Trainers Thomas Bell and Roger Stein made the decision to ship here because they were looking for easier spots on the turf for Queenoftheprom and Repayma.

Trainer Larry Ross found Thursday's race the right spot for Breeze Gal's comeback and Maytown Misstree's second start since a brief freshener. Trainer Bill Mahorney steps Time on Target up after a win, while trainer Armando Lage drops Desdemona after a second-place finish.

Both Mango Dancer and Playdemrocks ran for $25,000 tags last time, but trainers Jerry Hollendorfer and Bill Morey move them from dirt to turf Thursday.

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