Past performances for Unusual Heat Turf Classic, presented by City National Bank
From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 13, 2021)–A Grade II stakes placed gelding by red hot sire Clubhouse Ride, Margot’s Boy, along with multiple stakes winning Heck Yeah and long fused Indian Peak all rate big chances among a wide open field of 11 older horses going a mile and one eighth in Saturday’s $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank. The Turf Classic is one of five Cal Cup stakes on Saturday.
Presented by City National Bank, the Unusual Heat Turf Classic is part of the CTBA’s lucrative Golden State Series, for eligible California-bred or sired horses four and up.
Owned and bred in California by Alfred Pais, Margot’s Boy is trained by Craig Lewis, who also conditioned Clubhouse Ride throughout a distinguished career that resulted in more than $1 million in earnings. A 4-year-old gelding, Margot’s Boy is out of the English-bred mare Margot Machance and comes off a close third place finish versus older horses in open allowance company going one mile on dirt Dec. 20 at Los Alamitos when ridden for the first time by Juan Hernandez.
With all three of his career wins coming around two turns on grass, Margot’s Boy’s best performance came five starts back when second, beaten a head in the Grade II Del Mar Derby at a mile and one eighth on turf.
Third, beaten a head by Indian Peak in the mile and one eighth turf Snow Chief Stakes here on June 20, Margot’s Boy rates a big look with Hernandez riding him back.
A winner of the 2018 Cal Cup Derby, lightly raced Heck Yeah’s lone win from three turf starts came in the 2018 Cal Cup Turf Sprint when trained by Bob Baffert. A winner of the Cal-bred Echo Eddie on April 7, 2018, Heck Yeah then went to the sidelines for nine months, making just two starts at age four before an 11 month hiatus until Feb. 2, 2020.
Transferred to Steve Sherman at Golden Gate Fields, Heck Yeah, a 6-year-old full horse by Acclimation out of the Maria’s Mon mare Lutess, seemed to have found new life on synthetic Tapeta, as he comes off a pair of impressive allowance scores–at one mile on Oct. 17 and at 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 7. With career-high Beyer Speed figures of 86 in those two wins in-hand, Heck Yeah bids for his third consecutive win in what will be his 13th career start.
Bred in California by Michael Pageler, Heck Yeah is owned by Constance Ann Pageler, Bob Baedeker and Michael Sigband. He’ll be reunited with Drayden Van Dyke.
Idle since well beaten in the Grade III La Jolla Stakes Aug. 9 at Del Mar, Dr. and Mrs. William T. Gray’s homebred Indian Peak had been headquartered at Golden Gate Fields with trainer Quinn Howey, but will be making his first start for Brian Koriner on Saturday. A winner of the mile and one eighth Snow Chief versus Cal-breds on June 20, Indian Peak, a 4-year-old colt by Comic Strip, out of the Roar mare Ms. Booty, is proven at the trip and he’ll be ridden for the first time Joel Rosario.
THE $200,000 UNUSUAL HEAT TURF CLASSIC PRESENTED BY CITY NATIONAL BANK
Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT
- Brandothebartender – Umberto Rispoli – 122
- Ward ‘n Jerry – Flavien Prat- 124
- Fly to Mars – Jose Valdivia, Jr. – 124
- Indian Peak – Joel Rosario – 124
- Marckie’s Water – Abel Cedillo – 124
- North County Guy – Mario Gutierrez – 122
- Heck Yeah – Drayden Van Dyke – 124
- Acclimate – Tyler Baze – 124
- Tropical Terror – Geovanni Franco – 120
- Margot’s Boy – Juan Hernandez – 122
- Cono – Ricardo Gonzalez – 122
First post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 12:00 p.m. All of Santa Anita’s races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet.