The 1940s might be considered the forgotten decade of Southern California racing for a couple of reasons.

To begin with, no live programs took place for a time as the country became involved in World War II. And that in turn meant fewer horses had the chance to become stars of the circuit.

Of course, that does not mean that the area was devoid of major horses in those days. Busher and Honeymoon, two talented female equines, acquired their share of stakes wins throughout that period. But while they certainly well-known in their time, they have not had the staying power of Seabiscuit, Noor, Swaps, or others. But still, Busher and Honeymoon were a significant part of the decade.

Before either of them came on the scene, however, a colt who could call himself a stablemate to Seabiscuit became a regular in Los Angeles County. He started out in 1939, but he really made his mark in the 1940s.

1941, to be exact.

In his first two seasons, Mioland did his fair share of winning and traveling. He won at Bay Meadows, Santa Anita, Jamaica Racetrack in New York, and Washington Park in Illinois, among other venues. He also enjoyed stakes success, taking the 1940 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita and the American Derby at Washington Park.

Clearly talented in those early years, Mioland came into his own in 1941 as he won or placed in nine of twelve starts to claim top honors in the handicap division.

And along with that accolade, Mioland managed to do something never before seen in Southern California. And no one has done it since.

Following a win in the New Year Handicap at Santa Anita on January 1, Mioland came back ten days later in the San Pasqual Handicap. Favored to win the race, Mioland faced eight rivals on a sloppy surface. Nine furlongs later, Mioland met the camera first after coming from off the pace early on to nab his second win of the meet for trainer Tom Smith and owner Charles Howard.

After a fourth place in the seven-furlong San Carlos Handicap on Febuary 8, Mioland returned to routing in the mile and one-sixteenth San Antonio Handicap fourteen days later. With rider Leon Haas retaining the mount and another sloppy main track waiting for him, Mioland did what he did in the San Pasqual. He came from a few lengths off the pace to get up to the lead, though he just made it by a nose this time around after winning the San Pasqual handily.

Next came a runner-up finish in the March 1 Santa Anita Handicap, but Mioland was back on track exactly one week later on March 8 for the San Juan Capistrano. Asked to go a mile and a half for the first time, Mioland changed up the strategy for his last race of the meet. With an initial stalking trip. the Howard colt took the lead earlier than he had in either of his previous wins at the meet and led at every point of call thereafter to become the first horse to sweep the San Pasqual, San Antonio and San Juan Capistrano in the same season.

It has stood the test of time, too. As Southern California racing enters the 2020s, no one has matched Mioland's sweep of those three prestigious races.

The triple highlighted the versatility that lived within Mioland. While he captured a couple of sprints early in his career, Mioland was largely a router in his five seasons of competition. Winning those three stakes at Santa Anita's winter meet showed his prowess at distance running, as he handled three different routes of ground that exceeded one mile.

Another aspect of this comes from the various track conditions. The San Pasqual and San Antonio were both on off tracks, while the San Juan Capistrano received a fast rating. Mioland proved throughout his career he could handle either scenario, and that fact was in abundance during the winter of 1941.

Finally, Mioland collected his Santa Anita treasures by employing more than one running style. Again, this would be a regular feature throughout Mioland's career. He never relied on just one method of running from his debut to his final start; he was right at home either sticking close to the front or coming from a few lengths back.

Mioland's tenure at Santa Anita played a large role in the colt winning his divisional award. But it also serves as a time capsule, for the crowds that watched him live saw a sampling of what he did for a sizable portion of the 1940s.

And the modern day race fans? They will find that Mioland was a tough racehorse who used that meet to earn his status as one of the truly memorable horses of that era.