DATE: Tuesday, April 29, 1997               TAG: 9704290517

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER  

                                            LENGTH:   46 lines

PACIFICBOUNTY SAYS NEIGH TO DERBY

Pacificbounty was withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby on Monday morning when trainer Walter Greenman decided that the horse's injured right front heel would not be 100 percent by Saturday.

The California-based colt, who is part-owned by Norfolk's Donald and Lynn Grey, was injured April 12 at the start of the Arkansas Derby, in which he finished third.

``I'm old enough to know these kinds of things happen,'' Donald Grey said. ``You're up today and down tomorrow. Horse racing is one of the most extreme cyclical things you can be involved in.

``Am I disappointed? Absolutely. I wanted to run at least one leg of the Triple Crown.''

Pacificbounty had won the Golden Gate and El Camino Real derbies earlier this year to catapult into the Kentucky Derby picture. Las Vegas oddsmakers had the black colt at 10-to-1 for the Derby.

Grey said the colt will not race in any of the three Triple Crown races - the Derby, the Preakness or the Belmont Stakes. Instead, he will be shipped from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., to Southern Caliornia, where he will rest and recover.

The colt had been galloping in a protective bar shoe - a regular horseshoe with a metal bar from point to point. But the bruised heel had not improved sufficiently to work out at full speed Monday or today.

``We pulled his shoe Sunday afternoon and cleaned up the foot and you could see a crack that was going up into the hair line,'' Greenman said. ``It's not a serious deal right now, but it would be if we went on with him. The foot should be perfect in a couple of weeks.''

Grey predicted a return to the track in either June or July.

``We need to take him off the track and let him roam around on the farm,'' Grey said. ``That will allow the injury to heal quicker than being cooped up in a stall.''

In other Derby news, Blue Grass Stakes winner Pulpit was made the tentative 5-2 morning-line favorite.

Pulpit, who has won four of five career starts, was given the edge over Wood Memorial winner Captain Bodgit, the second choice at 3-1 for Saturday's 1 1/4-mile Derby.

Silver Charm was the third choice at 5-1, followed by Free House (6-1), Concerto (6-1), Crypto Star (8-1), Sharp Cat (10-1), Hello (12-1), Phantom on Tour (12-1), Jack Flash (20-1) and Celtic Warrior (30-1).

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