Pleasantly Perfect 'Doing Good' Sunday

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"I actually gave him a short gallop today to test the water. He came through that fine and looks good. But every day is susceptible to cancellation of his whole program. We're talking a little step at a time. Somewhere next week we're going to have to get a serious work in him and it all either goes well enough to go to Dubai (for the $6 million World Cup on March 27) or if it doesn't go really good, we aren't going to go. But for what happened he couldn't be in better shape right now."

Mandella was delighted for his former student of about five years, Mike Machowsky, who saddled Southern Image to win the Big 'Cap.

"I'm very excited that Mike was able to win that race," Mandella said. "He's worked hard and he's a nice young man. It makes me proud that someone who worked for me accomplished something that good."

Mandella added that 2-year-old champions of 2003 Halfbridled and Action This Day will each "get a little something" going into next weekend's races, the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) on Saturday for Halfbridled, and the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) on Sunday for Action This Day.

"It won't be much," Mandella said. "Like three furlongs or a half-mile."