Southern Image’s Streak Is on Line

The likely favorite for the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, Hollywood Park’s signature race July 10, will be running today.

However, Southern Image, who has rattled off three Grade I victories since Dec. 26, won’t be among the participants in the $250,000 Californian, the local prep for the Gold Cup.

Rather, the 4-year-old Halo’s Image colt will be at Churchill Downs for the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap, a Grade I that drew a small, but select, field of six.

Owned by Blahut Stables LLC, Kagele Brothers and Allen Tepper and trained by Mike Machowsky, Southern Image has to rank, with the recent retirement of Medaglia d’Oro, as no worse than the second best handicap horse in the country behind 2003 Breeders’ Cup Classic and Dubai World Cup winner Pleasantly Perfect.

Beaten only once in seven starts, Southern Image, a Florida-bred, has won five in a row. His biggest victories have come in the Malibu, Santa Anita Handicap, and, in his first venture outside California, a 1 1/4-length score in the Pimlico Special on May 14.

To keep his streak going in the Foster, which is run at 1 1/8 miles, Southern Image must defeat defending champion Perfect Drift, multiple stakes winner Peace Rules, Pimlico Special runner-up Midway Road and longshots Best Minister and Colonial Colony.

The 6-5 favorite on the morning line with jockey Victor Espinoza, Southern Image is scheduled, after today, to run in the Gold Cup, then head to Del Mar for the $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 22.

“The Foster has a great field,” Machowsky said. “I think there are four horses who can win it. [Southern Image] kind of makes his own trip. If they go slow, he can be up on the pace, but if not, he can sit off them. That’s up to Victor.”

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The Californian is one of three graded stakes on the Hollywood Park card along with the $175,000 Hollywood Breeders’ Cup Oaks and the $350,000 Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap.

A Grade I at 1 1/4 miles on the turf, the Whittingham drew 11 entrants, and while it isn’t the strongest race in terms of quality, it is a great betting contest.

To demonstrate how open the race is, the favorite on Russ Hudak’s morning line is 4-1. That honor goes to Continuously, who hasn’t run since he was second to Puerto Banus in the San Luis Obispo Handicap on Feb. 16 at Santa Anita.

Trained by Bobby Frankel for owner Saud bin Khaled, the 5-year-old Diesis horse has won two of three on the Hollywood Park grass, including a victory, via disqualification, in the Hollywood Turf Cup last fall. Alex Solis, who last won the Whittingham with the Frankel-trained River Bay in 1999, will ride against Musical Chimes, Irish Warrior, Sabiango, Bayamo, Just Wonder, Gassan Royal (who is also trained by Frankel), Seinne, Hawkeye, Continental Red and Vangelis.

Even The Score, a decisive winner of the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap on May 8 in his first start at Hollywood Park, heads the field in the Californian, a Grade II at 1 1/8 miles.

Owned by Ro Parra and trained by Vladimir Cerin, the 6-year-old Unbridled’s Song horse has won eight of 27 while traversing the country. Since the middle of 2002, he has run at eight tracks.

His opponents today will include four horses -- Ender’s Shadow, Gift Of The Eagle, Buckland Manor and Total Impact -- who finished behind him in the LeRoy, along with Gene de Campeao, Nose The Trade, Mud Shark and Fonz’s.

Hollywood Story, whose only win came in the Hollywood Starlet on Dec. 21, makes her first start at Hollywood Park since that 6-1 upset in the Oaks, a Grade II at 1 1/16 miles.

Fifth in the Kentucky Oaks in her last start April 30, Hollywood Story will be meeting a couple of fillies, Class Above and House Of Fortune, who finished behind her at Churchill Downs.

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The Stephen Foster and Charlie Whittingham Memorial Handicap are part of a national pick four. The other races in the wager are the $250,000 Brooklyn Handicap from Belmont Park and the $250,000 Fleur De Lis Handicap from Churchill Downs.