ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 18, 2025) – Favored Old Pal closed with a rush to win Saturday’s $175,000 Unusual Heat California Cup Turf Classic Stakes, presented by City National Bank, at Santa Anita.
Old Pal is by Grazen, out of the English Channel mare Athina Lee, was bred by Ken Miles & Sheridan Jones, is owned by Blinkers On Racing Stable, Corbett, Carolyn, Desai, Jai H., Dizonno, Frederick A., Garcia, Chris, Harris, Cheryl, Hocevar, Craig, Lewis, Tom, Pate, Garrett, Titus, James and Wagner, Les and trained by Mark Glatt.
He has four wins in 11 starts, earnings of $334,940 and was coming off a third in a Nov. 17 optional claimer.
“He can win at a mile or a mile and a sixteenth — he just needs a good, hot pace,” said Glatt.
Coalinga Road was second and On the Whim third in a field of 11. Old Pal, ridden by Antonio Fresu, ran the 1 1/18 miles in 1:47.93 and won by three-quarters of a length at odds of 9-5.
“The horse ran great today,” said Fresu. “He came up from the middle of the pack, found the lane and just did an amazing job. All credit to Mark Glatt and his team. I think the extra eighth of a mile really helped. It allowed him to stretch it out and get the win.”