Hula Blaze, Purchased for $7,500, Is $95,300 Surprise at Santa Anita

A $7,500 horse beat a $3.2-million horse at Santa Anita Saturday, proving for at least 1 minute 42 seconds how inexact the science of breeding is.

There will be other days, no doubt, for Hail Bold King, a $3.2-million purchase by owner Robert Brennan last year, but in the $163,300 San Pasqual Handicap he was no match for Hula Blaze, who won the stake by a head over Video Kid. Hail Bold King was never a factor and finished seventh in the 11-horse field.

“Hula Blaze cost me $7,500 at a Texas yearling sale,” said his owner, Robert Hillin, after the race. “A pretty good buy, wouldn’t you say?”

Uh-huh. Hula Blaze’s victory, his third straight this year and his second in six days at Santa Anita, was worth $95,300 and boosted the 5-year-old Oklahoma-bred’s career earnings to $323,392.

While Hula Blaze’s bloodlines are obscure, Hail Bold King’s parentage is aristocracy, starting with his sire, Bold Bidder, the son of 1957 Horse of the Year Bold Ruler, and including his dam, the stakes-winning mare Inca Queen.

In his first start in the West and in his first appearance anywhere since October, Hail Bold King was sent off as an even-money favorite by the crowd of 39,862.

Before the race, trainer Charlie Whittingham was unhappy with the 123 pounds assigned Hail Bold King. That was six pounds more than the next horse and 10 pounds more than Hula Blaze.

“I think they weighted him on his sales price, not what he’s done,” Whittingham said. “He won only one stake last year.”

After the race, Whittingham was bemoaning Hail Bold King’s trip. “I didn’t want him on the rail,” the trainer said. “Then he clipped the heels of another horse on the turn.”

Breaking from the inside post, Hail Bold King was in front of only one horse going into the first turn of the 1 1/16 miles. Jockey Chris McCarron had him wide going down the backstretch, then brought him to the rail around the turn. Hail Bold King was moved back outside for the stretch run, but never threatened.

“He was in tight on the rail part of the way,” McCarron said. “He never really did get going.”

Timed in 1:42, Hula Blaze paid $18.60, $7.80 and $5.60. Video Kid’s mutuels were $6 and $4.60. Tennessee Rite, who finished 1 lengths behind Video Kid, paid $7 to show.

Noble Threewitt, the 73-year-old trainer who’s been at Santa Anita for almost all of its 48 seasons, didn’t win a $100,000 race there until Debonaire Junior took the San Carlos Handicap on Jan. 13, and now he’s had two hundred-granders 13 days apart.

Threewitt wasn’t sure he’d start Hula Blaze Saturday, since the horse had beaten Halo Folks by a neck in a tough allowance race only last Monday.

“Outside of Whittingham’s horse, I thought my horse was as good as anybody’s in the field,” Threewitt said. “And my horse acted good after that race last Monday.”

Still, Threewitt left it up to Hillin.

“Do you want to run him?” Threewitt asked the owner.

“Yes, I do,” Hillin said. “I think he’s reaching a peak.”

“OK, then,” Threewitt said. “He’s your horse.”

Pat Valenzuela broke Hula Blaze close to the lead and had him in front around the clubhouse turn. “Mr. Threewitt told me to try to take the lead and see how far I could go with him,” Valenzuela said.

It was a long but profitable day for Hillin, who left Austin, Tex., early in the morning after attending a meeting of a group that’s pushing to get pari-mutuel wagering legalized in Texas.

“I’m glad I got here to see this,” Hillin said. The horse had a much easier trip than his owner did.

Horse Racing Notes

Trainer Mike Whittingham is considering either the $250,000 El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows a week from today or the $60,000 Santa Catalina Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6 as the next start for Skywalker, a promising 3-year-old. “It’s an extra ship, going to Bay Meadows,” Whittingham said, “but we’re thinking Kentucky Derby, of course, and you might need extra money in order to get in.” If more than 20 horses enter the Derby, Churchill Downs has a money rule that determines the starters. . . . Imp Society, trained by Wayne Lukas, won the Assault Handicap Saturday at Aqueduct. . . . Mel Stute, who leads the trainer standings at Santa Santa, saddled his 15th winner of the meeting when Lucky Buccaneer won the fifth race. . . . Hail Bold King’s next start probably will be the San Antonio Handicap on Feb. 17. Owner Robert Brennan, who’s from New Jersey, has had little luck on the West Coast, finishing second and third with several horses.