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Tim Mickelson's two horses win—one his legendary brother, the other a descendant of legendary Native Dancer
Chris Trotman
Tim Mickelson noted in a Tweet on Monday that both his horses won, each of them apparently a good mudder.
Brother Phil Mickelson, with caddie Tim aboard (who never needed to go to the whip), won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by three lengths on a sloppy track on the Monterey Peninsula. He went off at 25 to 1 to start the tournament.
Tim’s other horse, Fiery Lady, with Mike Smith aboard, won the ninth race by two lengths at Santa Anita Park on Sunday in a race that was moved from the turf course to the dirt because of all the rain Southern California has had.
Yes, Tim is into horse racing and has been since attending Del Mar Race Track as a teenager. He became a thoroughbred owner in 2003, Golfweek once reported, when he purchased one-eighth of a horse, Eightthehardway.
Sixteen years later, he’s still at it, with his ownership, along with four partners, of Fiery Lady, a descendant, five generations removed, of — ready for this? — Native Dancer, “one of the most prolific racehorses of the 20th century, winning 21 of his 22 lifetime starts and becoming the sport’s first television superstar,” the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame noted. “He appeared on the cover of Time magazine and was a fan favorite everywhere he raced.”
Fiery Lady is no Native Dancer. She’s not a Phil Mickelson, either. She won this latest race in a field reduced to four horses when 10 horses were scratched, most because the race was moved to the dirt.
Still, a win is a win is a win.
Two days before her victory, Mickelson Tweeted this (the ML stands for Morning Line):
His prayer was not answered. Fiery Lady went off at 7 to 5. She paid $4.80 to win and $2.40 to place.