Mandella pleased with Indy Point

Indy Point has won two of three starts in the United States and was installed

as the 9-2 third choice on the Turf morning line off of his 1 1/4-length victory

in the September 29 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita. The

Argentinean-bred chestnut galloped 1 1/2 miles for trainer Richard Mandella

Tuesday morning, just as the sun broke through Santa Anita. The four-year-old

had exercise rider David Nuesch up and his neck bowed as he began into his

exercise.

"I'm very pleased with him now," Hall of Famer Mandella said. "I was not

happy with his race (two starts back) in Chicago (the Arlington Million in which

he finished 13th and last as the favorite)."

The trainer recalled the circumstances.

"We were afraid he'd be too sharp for that mile and a quarter after his mile

win (at Del Mar in his first start since coming from Argentina). So we took a

hold of him away from the gate to make sure he didn't try to run off. Then all

the horses in front of him started backing up and now he's trying to climb over

them and he's hitting the bulbs on his front legs with his backs (legs) and he's

all sort of unhappy.

"After the race he was really sore; I was even afraid he might have broken a

cannon bone the way he was acting. But you could see where he'd banged himself;

he was all nicked up. Then a couple of hours later he was doing better. And by

the next morning, after we'd poulticed him, he was doing fine. So I'm forgetting

that race and expecting that he's going to do a lot better here."

Indy Point will once again be handled by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.

Trainer Dale Romans is following the same pattern with the defending Turf

champion Little Mike as last year and it appears that the six-year-old gelding

is very happy to be back in California. Shortly after winning the Joe Hirsch

Turf Classic at Belmont, Little Mike headed west to do his final training at

Santa Anita. He completed his major work Saturday by breezing five furlongs in

:59 4/5.

"He's doing really well," said Tammy Fox, trainer Dale Romans' longtime

significant other and main assistant, who was handling the training duties

Tuesday morning because Romans was a little under the weather. "I haven't been

getting on him, but his regular exercise rider says he can't be doing any

better."

Phipps Stable's Point of Entry, the 4-1 second choice in the Turf, galloped

"an easy mile" Tuesday morning at Santa Anita after arriving from Belmont Park

on Monday.

"He's happy," said Gene Recio, assistant to trainer Shug McGaughey, who was

scheduled to arrive in Southern California Tuesday afternoon. "It was an easy

ship."

Runner-up to Little Mike in last year's Turf, Point of Entry is scheduled to

make his first start since winning the Manhattan Handicap on June 8.

"It's a lot to ask of him, but he's a great horse. He's capable of doing it,"

Recio said. "We wouldn't be here if we didn't think he could do it."

Point of Entry suffered a non-displaced condylar fracture of his left-hind

cannon bone after winning the Manhattan on June 8.

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