Dunham's horses first and second in Santa Anita race

San Luis Rey Training Center trainer Dan Dunham had both the winner and the second-place horse in the ninth race, April 27, at Santa Anita Park.

Master Juba won the 5 1/2-furlong race on Santa Anita’s dirt track and crossed the finish line 5 1/4 lengths ahead of Golden Image, who finished 3 3/4 lengths in front of third place Carribean Colours.

“That was a good day at the races,” Dunham said.

Master Juba’s victory was Dunham’s 65th career win as a trainer, and Golden Image gave Dunham his 90th career second-place finish. Dunham had not previously trained horses who finished both first and second in the same race.

Both of Dunham’s horses in that race are 3-year-old geldings. Master Juba made his racing debut, March 1, at Santa Anita in a 6 1/2-furlong turf race and finished eighth among the nine horses.

“He didn’t run well the first time. I ran him down the hill and I thought he was a little confused,” Dunham said.

Santa Anita’s turf course has a downhill segment. The dirt track is flat, so Dunham used that surface for Master Juba’s second career race, April 27.

“He was back on the dirt,” Dunham said.

Evin Roman was Master Juba’s jockey for both races, so Dunham needed to provide Roman with little instruction before the April 27 race.

“He knew the horse,” Dunham said. “That horse is kind of a front-running horse.”

Roman thus proceeded to let Master Juba go to the front.

“That was the plan,” Dunham said.

Master Juba broke first among the eight horses in the maiden claiming race for 3-year-olds, and he led for the entire race. He completed the first quarter-mile in 22.40 seconds and was half a length in front of second-place Translucent. Golden Image, who broke second, was fourth after a quarter of a mile, a head behind third-place King Parker and two lengths in back of Master Juba. When Master Juba completed his first three-eighths of a mile 47.04 seconds after the start of the race he had a 2 1/2-length lead over Translucent, who lead Golden Image by a head. Golden Image was a length in front of King Parker, who had fallen to fourth place.

Golden Image had moved into second place entering the stretch and was a length in front of Carribean Colors, but Master Juba held a four-length lead when he entered the stretch 59.34 seconds after the race began.

“He tried, but he wasn’t going to go with the winner that day,” Dunham said of Golden Image.

Master Juba had a winning time of 1:05.80. He earned $19,000 of the $32,000 total purse.

Golden Image, who was ridden by Tiago Pereira, earned $6,400 for his second-place finish.

“We expected him to run well,” Dunham said.

Golden Image was foaled in California March 4, 2016. He was sired by Eddington out of Golden Reflection. He had two races in 2018 as a 2-year-old and finished seventh in both. His third career race and his most recent before the April 27 competition was a five-furlong race, March 23, at Santa Anita; he finished third among the eight horses.

Master Juba was foaled Feb. 23, 2016, in California. He was sired by Typhoon Slew out of Promenade and is owned by Woodstock Breeding Stable LLC and Jim Syren.

Golden Image is still eligible for maiden races, so Dunham’s plan is to run him in another one of those.

“Hopefully he can get it done this time,” Dunham said.

The win makes Master Juba ineligible for maiden races.

“We’ll probably run him in a starter allowance race,” Dunham said.

Master Juba went off at 6.9:1 odds, and Golden Image had 3.2:1 odds. Any betting slips for an exacta with Master Juba winning and Golden Image finishing second paid 29.3:1.