Hot Chili looks solid

NEW BOSTON, Mich. - Hot Chili, the top 2-year-old in Michigan last year, will look for his second consecutive stakes win in Sunday's $50,000 Mackinac Handicap at Pinnacle Race Course. The 1 1/16-mile fixture for statebred sophomore colts and geldings looks to be a replay of the Sept. 1 Dowling Stakes, where Hot Chili was a four-length winner over Fiery Lake and Bipolar Express.

Hot Chili, one of two runners from the James Jackson stable, was second in the opening-day Lansing Stakes and third in an allowance race, both sprints, before scoring in the Dowling, which was a mile around two turns. Mary Doser will ride, and Hot Chili will carry 122 pounds, spottting from two to eight pounds to his nine rivals.

Jackson also will saddle Berry's Pride, who has been unplaced in stakes action here and will try blinkers for the first time.

Bipolar Express, third in the Dowling as the favorite, gets in at 120 pounds, including leading rider Terry Houghton. Bipolar Express, trained by Gerald Bennett, had a pair of allowance wins at 5 1/2 furlongs before his Dowling defeat.