Light Jig Puts Past Behind Her

Making her first start in a group or graded stakes since she finished 12th in the Prix de Psyche Aug. 9 at Deauville in France, Light Jig had a far better result on Sunday.

Showing the same late kick she demonstrated against lesser company in winning two of her first three starts in the U.S., the 4-year-old Danehill filly beat Moscow Burning and four others to win the $200,000 Beverly Hills Handicap at Hollywood Park.

In the process, Light Jig, who was bred in England by Juddmonte Farms, gave trainer Bobby Frankel and jockey Alex Solis a sweep of the weekend stakes in Inglewood. On Saturday, Greek Sun remained unbeaten by upsetting favorite Laura’s Lucky Boy in the $153,450 Cinema Breeders’ Cup Handicap.

Saving ground for the entire trip while bottled up by the slow pace (25.47, 49.71 and 1:13.78 for six furlongs) being set by Noches De Rosa and longshot Miss Loren, Light Jig was taken to the outside by Solis at the head of the stretch and was able to run down Moscow Burning. The final time for the 1 1/4 miles on turf was 2:01.52.

A winner only once in seven races in France, Light Jig gave Solis his 11th stakes victory of the meet, tops among all jockeys. She also gives Frankel and Juddmonte Farms a formidable 1-2 punch in the female turf division. They also have the talented Intercontinental, who won the Just A Game earlier this month at Belmont Park and is perfect in three U.S. starts.

Noches De Rosa, who had won the Gamely Breeders’ Cup Handicap on May 31, was third, then came Miss Loren, Notting Hill and Ardum Relaunch.

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The $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, Hollywood Park’s signature race that will be run for the 65th time July 10, lost its favorite when Southern Image was declared out of the Grade I.

Trainer Mike Machowsky said a foot problem would keep the Santa Anita Handicap and Pimlico Special winner from participating in the Gold Cup. The son of Halo’s Image had been scheduled to work in preparation for the Gold Cup on Sunday at Santa Anita.

“There was a touch of heat in his left foot,” Machowsky said. “The pulse is warm, which is a sign he’s going to pop an abscess.”

Machowsky didn’t indicate when Southern Image could return, although plans had called for him to run in Del Mar’s $1-million Pacific Classic on Aug. 22.

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Speightstown, one of the top sprinters in the country, will not be coming west to run in Saturday’s $300,000 Triple Bend Breeders’ Cup Handicap, one of two Grade I’s on the card at Hollywood Park. The other is the $750,000 American Oaks, a 1 1/4 mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies.

Owned by Eugene and Laura Melnyk and trained by Todd Pletcher, Speightstown, who won the True North on June 5 at Belmont Park for his third consecutive victory in 2004, apparently didn’t work to the satisfaction of his trainer Sunday, so he probably won’t make his return until the $200,000 A.G. Vanderbilt on Aug. 14 at Saratoga.

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Nigon, the 5-1 third choice, beat favored A Bit O’Gold by three-quarters of a length to win the $1-million Queen’s Plate at Woodbine, in the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.