Watch out for Lady Railrider, if she's healthy

<p>For the past month, Steve Specht, Santa Rosa's most successful horse trainer, has been thinking about the possible scenarios for today's $50,000 Luther Burbank Handicap.</p><p>Sometimes he envisions his morning line favorite, Lady Railrider, leading the other fillies and mares across the finish line. Other times, he tells himself his multiple stakes winner has been away from the races for nine months and she'll probably get tired in the shadow of the wire.</p><p>“I think she's the best horse and she's fit enough to win,” Specht said. “But I wouldn't recommend mortgaging the house to bet on her.”</p><p>Lady Railrider won two stakes races in a three-week span last October and then was taken out of training because of quarter cracks in her front hooves. The painful condition requires a blacksmith to cut out part of the hoof. The horse can not resume training until the hoof grows out.</p><p>Unfortunately, it's a chronic condition for Lady Railrider. If Specht and owners Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams get six races per year out of the California-bred, they feel fortunate. Still, the mare has earned $396,700 while winning seven of 18 starts. She has been a model of consistency, finishing among the top three 15 times.</p><p>In the spring, when Lady Railrider's front hooves had grown out and she was ready to get back to work, Specht studied a calendar and mapped out a training schedule that would have his horse ready to impress the home folks in the 40th renewal of the Burbank.</p><p>Until mid-July, everything had gone perfectly. Lady Railrider looked as fast as ever in two works at Golden Gate Fields in June. Then there was a setback. How major, Specht will find out just before 5 p.m. today.</p><p>When out for a gallop on July 14, something apparently upset the mare and the muscles in her back tightened up. The racing term is tying up.</p><p>“The next morning she seemed fine and I had to work her a mile if she was going to be fit enough to run in the Burbank,” Specht recalled. “She just wasn't at her best that day. She went in 1:43 and change and I expected her to go a couple of seconds faster. Just like humans, after your muscles tighten, you need a few days to get completely over it.”</p><p>Specht is afraid his mare didn't get enough out of the work and she could tire in the stretch today.</p><p>Her last work (six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 on July 22 at Golden Gate) pleased Specht, but that dull mile work is keeping him from being overly confident.</p><p>“She's the best horse, if she's fit enough,” Specht says. “But like I said, don't mortgage the house to bet on her.”</p><p>Frank Alvarado, who has guided Lady Railrider to four stakes victories, rides today with the weight of 120.</p><p>You Lift Me Up, from the team of Russell Baze and Jerry Hollendorfer, is the highweight at 122.</p><p>Baze, the world's winningest rider, thinks the race sets up nicely for his mare.</p><p>“She has good tactical speed and I'll be able to put her where I need to,” he said. “If the pace is fast, I can take her back and if there's no pace on, we can be up close. I expect a good effort from her.”</p><p>Lady Railrider beat Baze's horse twice last year, taking her measure in the Work the Crowd and Pacific Heights. Both races were at Golden Gate, the latter over the turf. </p><p>The Burbank goes as the ninth of 12 races. Quarter-horses go in the opener at 12:45, followed by the $7,000 Santa Rosa Distaff Stakes. </p><p>With six 10-horse fields and a good weather forecast, fair manager Tawny Tesconi is excited.</p><p>“Our numbers were off a little bit the first two days of the meet,” Tesconi said, “but we'll make it up this weekend. The calibre of racing is strong and we have a lot of full fields which is what everyone likes. I'm confident the people will come out.”</p><h3>NOTES</h3> <p>-- Jockey Jorge Ayarza was taken to Memorial Hospital after his mount in the second race fell. Ayarza was being treated for a forearm injury. His mount, Kasper CVR, was not injured.</p><p>-- The $1 million Haskell Invitational, featuring Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness champ Lookin at Lucky, is the top simulcast being offered at the fair. It is scheduled for 2:43p.m.</p>