Margolis Triples on Santa Super Saturday

Conditioner Steve Margolis saddled a training triple on Santa Super Saturday at Fair Grounds, including a win with Clark Brewster’s Cherokee Queen in the $75,000 Blushing K. D. Handicap, and remained upbeat Sunday morning despite the compromised start of Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein’s Country Day, who ended up running second in the $75,000 Bonapaw Stakes.

“Yeah, sure Country Day got sawed off at the start,” said Margolis, “but Chamberlain Bridge is a good horse and it’s no disgrace to lose to him. My horse ran a good race. I thought James Graham gave him a good ride, and Country Day was coming on at the end, so I’m not too disappointed.

“As for the mare (Cherokee Queen), she was already a good horse when she got here to me, and she ran a real good race for her first time over the track. Now, we might just point her for the (filly and mare) series that is coming up here (beginning with the $75,000 Marie Krantz Memorial on Jan. 14).”

MAXIMUS RULER SUFFERING FROM SLIGHT LUNG INFECTION SUNDAY 

Don Benge’s Maximus Ruler, fourth in Saturday’s $75,000 Tenacious Handicap, was suffering from a slight lung infection Sunday morning, according to trainer Clark Hanna.

“We scoped him and found some mucus down there after the race yesterday,” said Hanna.  ‘We’ll just watch his temperature for a couple of days and hope it’s nothing serious.”