MALIBU STAKES: SOUTHERN IMAGE LOOKS HEALTHY, WINS OPENER.Byline: Art Wilson Arthur Earl "Dutch" Wilson (December 11, 1885 in Macon, Illinois; died June 12, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois) was a catcher in Major League Baseball. Art Wilson was the catcher for Cubs pitcher Hippo Vaughn during the "double no-hitter" game in 1917. Staff Writer ARCADIA - There was a time, early this year, when Southern Image was considered a possible Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. contender. He won his first start for fun, and the colt's connections would have been excused if they'd caught the Triple Crown bug. But as is often the case in a sport that can be as cruel as it is sometimes exhilarating, Southern Image was struck by hind-foot problems following a third-place showing in the Grade II San Vicente Stakes The San Vicente Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park each year. The race is open to horses, age three, willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and carries a purse of $150,000. The great racing filly, Busher, won this race against males in 1945. at Santa Anita Santa Anita may refer to:
One of the three classic U.S. horse races making up the Triple Crown. It is held annually in mid-May at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. The course distance is 1³⁄₁₆ mi (1.9 km). The field is limited to 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. victories. All that was left for Southern Image was to win a Del Mar allowance race Aug. 2, after which he bruised the same hind foot he injured during the winter and remained sidelined until Friday, when Santa Anita opened its 67th racing season with the $250,000 Grade I Malibu Stakes. If the 7-furlong Malibu was any indication, Southern Image is 100 percent and ready to go after he caught 34-1 long shot Marino Marini in the last jump to win by a head in 1:22 3/5. He returned $29.40 to his backers in the on-track crowd of 28,295. ``He's always been a talented horse,'' trainer Michael Machowsky said. ``I was really confident today. I just hoped he would get a good trip.'' Winning jockey Victor Espinoza took care of that part, steering Southern Image to the outside so he could steadily close ground on Marino Marini and even-money favorite Midas Eyes, who wound up another length back in third place. Buddy Gil, this year's Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. winner who had been idle since a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, wound up ninth with regular rider Gary Stevens aboard. The victory was the 38-year-old Machowsky's first career Grade I triumph. The Monrovia resident once was Richard Mandella's foreman and assistant trainer before breaking off on his own in 1990. Southern Image won his third race in four lifetime starts and sets him up nicely for either the Sunshine Millions Classic The Sunshine Millions Classic is a race for thoroughbred horses held in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California or at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Half the eight races of the Sunshine Millions are run at one track and half at the other. or the San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes The San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park each year. It's a Grade II event open to horses, age four and up, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. , the second leg of the Strub Series next month. After that, who knows? Machowsky has a talented, lightly raced colt on his hands. ``Maybe it's a blessing he did get hurt,'' Machowsky said. Art Wilson, (626) 962-8811 art.wilson(at)sgvn.com |
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