By Bloodhorse.com
ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 24, 2019) — Veteran runners Ashleyluvssugar and Richard’s Boy are just two of the California-bred standouts entered Jan. 26 at Santa Anita Park, a card that will feature four races for California-bred or California-sired runners.
Multiple grade 2 winner Ashleyluvssugar will get a class break in his 8-year-old season debut in the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic Stakes presented by City National Bank. The Game Plan gelding campaigned by Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable, and Ciaglia Racing closed out last season with three straight grade 2 races, earning one placing during that stretch.
Tainer Peter Eurton said Ashleyluvssugar appears ready for his season opener, which follows a bit of a racing break back to Nov. 23.
“He’s full of vim and vigor and still acts like he wants to run,” Eurton said. “As long as he’s healthy, which he is, he’ll continue to run and compete at this level.”
The 1 1/8-mile Turf Classic is the most lucrative of Saturday’s four stakes showcasing California-breds, the others being the $150,000 California Cup Sprint, the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint, and the $100,000 California Cup Turf Sprint Stakes.
In the Sprint, 2017 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) runner-up Richard’s Boy will stay on the main track after closing out last season with a close-runner-up finish to St. Joe Bay in a five-furlong allowance race on the dirt at Los Alamitos Race Course. The 7-year-old son of Idiot Proof is aiming to secure the fifth stakes win of his career—second on dirt—in Saturday’s six-furlong test.
Rockingham Ranch campaigns Richard’s Boy, who is trained by Peter Miller.
In the Turf Sprint for Cal-bred 3-year-olds, stakes-placed Our Silver Oak will attempt to secure his first stakes win. The son of Unusual Heat has earned those stakes placings in a pair of Cal-bred stakes on dirt, including his most recent effort, a distant second to Galilean in the King Glorious Stakes in December at Los Alamitos. Saturday’s race will mark the second turf start for Our Silver Oak, who in his first try on the grass finished second in an open allowance-optional claiming race in November at Del Mar.
William (Billy) Morey trains Our Silver Oak, who is campaigned by Robert Jones, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano.
In the Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, Barbara Beatrice will look to improve on her runner-up finish in last year’s edition of this test on the hillside course. Among the expected seven rivals for the 7-year-old daughter of Grazen is Cordiality, who captured last year’s Solana Beach Stakes for Cal-breds going one mile on the Del Mar turf.
Queen Bee Racing and trainer Phil D’Amato campaign Barbara Beatrice while Cordiality races for Rockingham Ranch and David Bernsen and is trained by Miller.