Start Was Also the Finish for Magical Mile

Magical Mile’s 3-year-old debut Wednesday at Santa Anita was considerably less impressive than his first race in May. Making his first start since he injured a knee while winning the Hollywood Juvenile, the J.O. Tobin colt finished third in a four-horse field at 2-5 odds.

After winning his first start by 7 1/2 lengths in a Hollywood Park record :56 2/5 for five furlongs, Magical Mile won the Juvenile by four, then went on the shelf.

In a field shrunk by the scratches of Real Cash and Drag Race, Magical Mile broke a step slowly, then lugged out on the backstretch under Eddie Delahoussaye. It was apparent around the far turn that he was going to be no match for French Seventyfive and Iam The Iceman, the 1-2 finishers, and Magical Mile wound up beaten by six lengths.

“He got wiped out at the start,” Delahoussaye said. “He took a step back, then when he came out, he kind of bobbled. Then the outside horse (Iam The Iceman) came over. That didn’t help. I would have liked to have had a clear shot.

“I thought after that, he might be all right. He was trying to get out with me, but he’s always done that. It’s just a shame he had to break that way.”

Magical Mile wasn’t on his best behavior after the race, either. Returning to be unsaddled, he propped on the turn and dropped Delahoussaye.

“He kind of went steady (in the final quarter mile),” the jockey said. “He never quit and he ran straight. He just had bad luck today. He’d been off a long time, and everything went wrong.”