The light switched on, and Happy Hill Lil became a different filly

The “light bulb effect” is a theory that a great many sharp racing analysts have long embraced, and Happy Hill Lil joined the club yesterday at Saratoga.

The theory goes that some horses who have raced poorly for a time, have a light bulb click on over their heads (as in so many of the old cartoons) and they suddenly realize why they’re in the race. Happy Hill Lil fits the profile perfectly.

In her first eight career starts, the best the 4-year-old daughter of Handsome Mike could muster up was a third-place finish at Belmont Park back in June of 2020. In every race, she trailed near the rear of the pack, sometimes making up an insignificant bit of ground in deep stretch. In start No. 9, the light apparently came on somewhat and Happy Hill Lil came from way back to finish fourth, only four lengths behind the winner.

Yesterday, Happy Hill Lil completed her racing transformation. With Eric Cancel aboard in a race at 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass, she broke slowly from the 12 post, trailed by some 9 or 10 lengths down the backstretch, then uncorked a monster wide run on the turn and ran down the leaders as announcer John Imbriale bellowed, “Happy Hill Lil is putting in a furious run . . . here is Happy Hill Lil to win the finale . . . at a price.”

That price for the first career victory for the New York-bred filly was $35.40, and she earned $27,500 for owner/breeder Roger Cimboya Jr., enough to buy a truckload of light bulbs.