Afternoon Deelites Is Ailing : Horse racing: Tendon injury discovered in colt could end his career, Mandella says.

A tendon injury discovered in the left front leg of Afternoon Deelites on Sunday has put the colt’s racing future in doubt, trainer Richard Mandella said.

Unbeaten in his first five starts before being beaten a head by Larry The Legend in the Santa Anita Derby, Afternoon Deelites suffered the injury while finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby on May 6. He also came out of the race with a throat infection.

Mandella informed owner Burt Bacharach, who is currently in Europe, of the problem with the Private Terms colt via telephone Sunday.

“When we brought him home, he appeared fine after the race,” Mandella said. “But then we noticed a slight filling in his tendon. It’s slight, but it is a very significant problem.

“The horse won’t race for quite a while if he ever races again. It will just be a matter of whether we decide to rest him and bring him back (to the races) or retire him. We’ll wait a week and see what comes up with it.

“I’m not one to make excuses for my horses, but I have to think this accounted for his performance in the Derby. People should respect what a super horse this was and appreciate him like I have.

“I’ll never have a better chance to win the Kentucky Derby or have a better horse to go in with, but that’s racing.”

Before his two defeats, the Kentucky Derby future book favorite was untouchable, capturing four consecutive stakes after breaking his maiden last fall at Oak Tree. As a 2-year-old, he won the Hollywood Prevue and Hollywood Futurity, then, after returning to the races as a 3-year-old, he won the San Vicente Breeders’ Cup Handicap and San Felipe Stakes.

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Kent Desormeaux, who had last won a race at Hollywood Park on May 1, scored three times Sunday, including an expected victory aboard 1-2 favorite Possibly Perfect in the $132,850 Wilshire Handicap.

Her regular companion since she came over from Europe in 1993, Desormeaux wasn’t aboard Possibly Perfect when she made her 1995 debut in an allowance race at Santa Anita on April 2, but he was happy to be back Sunday.

“It’s a pleasure to be back on the best mare in the country,” he said after the daughter of Northern Baby beat 5-2 second choice Morgana by nearly two lengths. “I thank (trainer) Bobby (Frankel) for putting me back on her. He’s true to his word.”

This was the fourth consecutive victory for Possibly Perfect and eighth in 11 starts since she joined Frankel’s stable. She has now earned $743,773 for owners Robert and Geri Witt.

Challenged from the outset by Morgana, Possibly Perfect, who is now perfect in three starts on the Hollywood Park turf course, drew clear in the final sixteenth while never feeling Desormeaux’s whip. More effective from off the pace, Morgana saved the place by a half-length over Aube Indienne. Fondly Remembered and Real Connection completed the order of finish.

“She’s great, she’s a good mare,” said Frankel, who now has 10 wins from 26 starters at the meeting. “I freshened up my horses all winter and it’s working out well so far. I hope I can keep it up.”

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Urbane, who was injured as the beaten favorite in the Kentucky Oaks on May 5, probably won’t return to the races until fall, according to trainer Brian Mayberry.

“It looks like she’ll be all right, but she needs some time off,” Mayberry said of the Citidancer filly, who is still in Kentucky. “She’s not permanently injured. I suppose you’d describe her injury as a hematoma. She got her hind leg locked with another horse in the race and hurt her right hind.”

Horse Racing Notes

Like Gary Stevens, Kent Desormeaux also has a mount in the Black Eyed Susan. He will ride Cherokee Forever in the 1 1/8-mile race. Forever Cherokee was second to Cat’s Cradle at 59-1 in last month’s Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park. . . . Jim Brookfield, who exercises horses and assists trainer Sandy Shulman, will leave for Kentucky in two weeks where he will head his own stable, which will be based at Keeneland. . . . Desormeaux also won with Apendix Joe and Ackler. Pat Valenzuela also won three times and Eddie Delahoussaye, who had five wins Saturday, came back with a pair Sunday, as did Stevens.