Southern Fireball generates buzz

It is early to hype 2-year-olds, but a record-setting maiden win by Southern Fireball on Thursday stamped the Doug O'Neill trainee as the conditional division leader. A second-time starter by Southern Image, Southern Fireball was outrun for the lead, swallowed the pacesetter inside the eighth pole, and drew off by more than four lengths. Her final time for 4 1/2 furlongs was 50.67, bettering the previous track mark by 0.05 of a second.

O'Neill said Southern Fireball "acts like a router. When you work her out of the gate, she stands there like she's falling asleep, and then comes out of there like a rocket."

Rafael Bejarano rode Southern Fireball, and told O'Neill she was "still a little green." She was reluctant to switch leads, but once she did, she took off.

Southern Fireball was a buy-back at the Barretts March sale; the final bid was $75,000. O'Neill's brother, Dennis, purchased her privately after the sale for a group that includes Robert Master, Arthur Brooks and Mike Lewis. Southern Fireball is the first starter sired by Southern Image, a multiple Grade 1 winner.

She earned an 88 Beyer Figure. Her win was on the fifth anniversary of Southern Image's final victory, which came in the Grade 1 Pimlico Special on May 14, 2004. He lost his next by a nose, and then was retired with six wins from eight starts including the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes and Santa Anita Handicap.

The win by Southern Fireball was the fourth this meet by an O'Neill-trained 2-year-old. O'Neill said Southern Fireball would return June 10, along with debut winner Repo, in the $70,000 Cinderella Stakes.