Brahms Benefits From DQ at Derby

Monday, November 27th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) â€” Brahms remained undefeated on the turf this year after a rough-and-tumble stretch run that saw winner Designed for Luck disqualified in the $500,000 Hollywood Derby.

Brahms finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Designed for Luck, but the 3-year-old reached the winner's circle Sunday when Hollywood Park stewards ruled that Designed for Luck drifted out in the stretch drive under Laffit Pincay Jr.'s left-handed whipping.

``Between the eighth pole and the sixteenth pole, I felt some pressure on my inside and I stopped riding and straightened him up,'' said jockey Pat Day, who was aboard Brahms. ``It cost him a little momentum and, I think, might have cost him the race.''

Designed for Luck, a 50-1 longshot, was dropped to fifth.

``He came out a little bit, but I didn't hear anybody scream or anything like that,'' Pincay said. ``If I would have heard somebody, maybe I would have done something else. I can't remember the last time I got my number taken down in a race like this.''

The stewards decided that Designed for Luck's drifting caused Zentsov Street and Walkslikeaduck into close quarters and forced those horses to take up and lose their positions.

``I think the horse should come down,'' said Elliott Walden, who trains Brahms. ``It looks like he jammed up horses. He (Brahms) was hung out wide coming into the far turn. He showed great courage to continue on. He was second ... but he ran a winning race.''

In Sunday's other $500,000 event, Tout Charmant defeated Tranquility Lake by a head to win The Matriarch, giving jockey Chris McCarron his record fifth career victory in the race.

Under Day, Brahms covered 1 1-8 miles in 1:46 4-5 and paid $5.40, $4 and $3.20 as the 8-5 wagering favorite in the field of 12 3-year-olds.

David Copperfield and Victor Espinoza, who led most of the way, returned $10.20 and $6.60, while Zentsov Street was another half-length back in third and paid $4.20 to show. Walkslikeaduck was moved up to fourth.

``I got mugged,'' said McCarron, who rode Zentsov Street. ``I ran out of room to go. I thought Designed for Luck definitely caused some interference.''

Vladimir Cerin, who trains Designed for Luck, was incensed by the stewards' ruling, saying his horse's run didn't affect the order of finish.

``The best horse was taken down by people sitting and watching TV,'' Cerin said. ``Now to tell me that some horse that ran a mediocre fifth gets to be moved up to fourth is absolutely moronic.''

The Hollywood Derby, sponsored by Early Times, became a wide-open race after War Chant retired earlier in the week. War Chant will be retired to stud in Kentucky after he failed to recover quickly from his victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile three weeks ago.

The victory was worth $300,000 to Brahms, who is 4-0 on the turf this year since returning to the races in September after a 10-month layoff.

In the Matriarch, Tout Charmant covered 1 1-8 miles on the turf in 1:46 and paid $7.40, $3.40 and $2.40 as part of a co-favored entry with Caffe Latte.

Tranquility Lake, whose second-place earnings of $100,000 made her a millionaire, returned $4 and $3.40 after battling Tout Charmant through the stretch. Happyanunoit was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $3 to show.

``We finally won one,'' said Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally, who's had a string of second-place finishes this year, including Tout Charmant's second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill Downs three weeks ago.

``She's unbelievable,'' he said of Tout Charmant. ``Everything she's done for us since we've had her has been good.''

McAnally has been training Tout Charmant since early this year when the 4-year-old mare was purchased by Stonerside Farm, which is co-owned by Bob McNair, owner of Houston's NFL franchise.

Previously, Tout Charmant was trained by Bob Baffert, who saw Caffe Latte finish sixth in the field of nine fillies and mares.

``I told Baffert a couple of weeks ago, `You left some of that juice in her,' McAnally said. ``So it's now paying off.''

Tout Charmant earned $300,000 for her third victory in her final race of the year. McAnally said the mare will resume racing next spring.