Vienna: Run local, buy global

DEL MAR, Calif. - At a time when he is thinking of campaigning his major stakes winners closer to home, trainer Darrell Vienna has been searching the globe for his next crop of top-class runners.

On Friday, Vienna said that the multiple stakes winner Janet and the sprint star Disturbingthepeace are unlikely to travel to Arlington Park this month and may make another start at Del Mar.

Janet, who finished third in the Ramona Handicap on July 27, is being pointed for the $150,000 Palomar Handicap on Sept. 8. She had been considered a candidate for the Beverly D. at Arlington Park on Aug. 17.

"We're thinking about staying here," Vienna said. "Why ship?" Vienna said.

Disturbingthepeace has been nominated for the $150,000 Pat O'Brien Handicap over seven furlongs on Aug. 18, where he will try for his third consecutive sprint stakes. He won the Bing Crosby Breeders' Cup Handicap on July 27.

Recently, Vienna returned from South America, where he acquired 18 Argentine and Chilean-bred horses. An active buyer in Europe in recent years (where he bought Janet, Nuclear Debate and Suances), Vienna said he sought South American breds to buy less-expensive horses and to try a different market.

"I told my clients this is an experiment," he said. "I didn't buy high-priced horses, just sound horses. I wanted a big enough sample to learn about the form."

The purchases include Potri Bid, a 3-year-old filly who won a Group 2 stakes in Argentina; and Star Cross, who has placed in a Group 1. The group is currently in quarantine and may not start until the Santa Anita winter meeting when Vienna will have a clearer indication of their talent.

"It will be like opening presents to see what we get," he said.

Affluent may take on Janet

Janet may have a top opponent in the Palomar in Affluent, the winner of the Ramona Handicap. Trainer Ron McAnally said Affluent will pass the Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 17.

McAnally considers the Palomar, run over 1 1/16 miles on turf, to be a leading option for the 4-year-old filly's next start. Affluent has won five stakes for owner-breeder Janis Whitham.

Workouts for Classic

Came Home and Momentum, two leading candidates for the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 25, worked at Hollywood Park on Friday.

The 3-year-old Came Home, a winner of five stakes this year, worked six furlongs in 1:11.20 under jockey Mike Smith, the fastest of five works at the distance.

The 4-year-old Momentum, who finished second by a nose to Sky Jack in the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 14, worked five furlongs in 59.40.

Came Home won the Swaps Stakes on July 14 and impressed Gonzalez with the ease of Friday's workout.

"He went a lot faster than I wanted to," trainer Paco Gonzalez said. "I wanted 1:13. But he did it easy."

Gonzalez said Came Home will remain at Hollywood Park until the days before the Pacific Classic. Trainer Craig Dollase said Momentum will ship to Del Mar earlier and will have a breeze over this track.

The Pacific Classic, run over 1 1/4 miles, is expected to have a strong field led by Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem, who won the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park last weekend. War Emblem returned to the racetrack at Del Mar on Friday, jogging a mile.

Other probables include Bonus Pack, Dig For It, Euchre, Grey Memo, Kela, and Sky Jack.

Swept Overboard nears breeze

Dollase said Swept Overboard, the winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont Park on May 27, is within a week of a breeze after being out of training earlier this summer because of injury.

The 5-year-old Swept Overboard finished fourth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint last October at Belmont Park and is being pointed for the same race at Arlington Park on Oct. 26.

Puerto Madero on the move

Puerto Madero, who won the 1999 Donn Handicap and finished second in the 1988 Hollywood Gold Cup, will join the stallion roster at Hideaway Farms in San Jacinto, Calif. in 2003.

He will stand for $3,500, with a discount of $3,000 if paid by Sept. 1.

The 8-year-old Puerto Madero previously stood at Walmac International in Kentucky for $2,500, live foal.

A winner of $1,361,626, Puerto Madero's won four Grade 1 or Group 1 races in Chile and the United States. His first foals arrived this year.

* Mirco DeMuro, the former Italian champion jockey, has returned to California six months after he left Santa Anita to ride in Hong Kong and Europe. DeMuro had just one winner from 30 mounts at Santa Anita earlier this year, but won with two of four rides here last summer. Earlier this year, he won the Italian 1000 Guineas on Sadowa and the $1.1 million Italian Derby on Rakti.

* Fairplex Park has opened for training in advance of its fair meeting, which runs during the Los Angeles County Fair, Sept. 13-29. The meeting runs 17 consecutive days and includes three $100,000 races on the final weekend.

* Donald Murray, the executive director of the Winners' Foundation, has announced he is resigning, effective Jan. 1. The Winners' Foundation, a non-profit organization, aids people in horse racing with alcohol and substance abuse problems. Murray has held the position for 11 years at Southern California tracks.