As the rains arrived once again in Southern California Friday morning, Saint Liam, winner of the Donn Handicap (gr. I) bedded down with Bobby Frankel's horses at Santa Anita after making the trip from Florida Thursday in uneventful fashion. Rick Dutrow Jr., 45-year-old trainer of Saint Liam, also took the trip in stride and was unconcerned about the weather and drawing the extreme outside post in the field of 11."He settled in nicely," Dutrow said Friday morning. "He's doing good. I'm confident he can handle anything they throw at him."While rain continued into Friday morning, there was light at the end of the tunnel for Saturday.Track superintendent Steve Wood said it started raining again at 3:10 Friday morning and another three-tenths of an inch was recorded, making it more than 40 inches through 51 racing days at Santa Anita since Christmas. Average for an 85-day meet is 14 inches."It is expected to shower on and off today," Wood said. "Best-case scenario is it will be out of here tomorrow morning." The main track was listed as "sloppy" Friday morning.In other Big 'Cap news, Richard Mandella said all systems were go for his two contenders, Rock Hard Ten and Congrats.
David Bernstein was not dismayed with the possibility of an "off" track for speedster Truly A Judge, who won the San Gabriel Handicap (gr. II) on a wet/fast surface. "It couldn't hurt us," Bernstein said.
Bobby Frankel said San Antonio Handicap winner Lundy's Liability, unbeaten in two races at Santa Anita, would run despite a less-than-ideal training schedule and the chance of an "off" track.