From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 27, 2016) – With the only turf attempt under her belt, Roo’s Valentine heads a field of eight in Saturday’s $200,000 California Cup Oaks, presented by Xpressbet, for 3-year-old Golden State Series eligible fillies going one mile on the Santa Anita turf.
Owned and bred in California by Kretz Racing, LLC, Roo’s Valentine has never been out of the money in five lifetime starts. After two thirds and a second when sprinting over the main track in maiden special weights late summer and into the fall, Roo’s Valentine seemed to finally find her footing around two turns. After breaking her maiden going a mile on the grass Nov. 5 at Del Mar, she followed up with a win in the one mile Soviet Problem Stakes at Los Alamitos.
Trained by Kristin Mulhall, Roo’s Valentine is by California sire Vronsky, out of the Cindago mare Black Valentine. Cindago, who died in Sept. 2012 was a California sire who stood at Legacy Ranch.
Roo’s Valentine is 5-2-1-2 overall with earnings of $116,240.
The post time favorite in two out of three lifetime starts, Pacific Heat will look for redemption this Saturday at Santa Anita after an eighth place finish in the Grade I Starlet. Bred in California by Harris Farms and Don Valpredo, Pacific Heat is by California sire Unusual Heat out of the Stormy Atlantic mare, Hotlantic.
After breaking her maiden by 13 ½ lengths at Los Alamitos on Sept. 25, Pacific Heat, who was purchased at the 2014 Barretts Limited October Yearling Sale for $175,000, won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes by 5 ¼ lengths at Del Mar on Oct. 29. Most recently, she ran eighth in the 1 1/16 miles Grade I Starlet on Dec. 12 at Los Alamitos. Trained by Peter Eurton and owned by Sharon Alesia, Mike Burns, Ciaglia Racing, LLC and Taylor Legan, Pacific Heat is 3-2-0-0 overall with $140,250 in earnings.
Patriotic Diamond hopes to rebound off a sixth place finish in the Starlet and will have Rafael Bejarano back in the saddle, once again, to help her do so. A winner of the Generous Portion Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 28, Patriotic Diamond ran third in the Golden State Juvenile Stakes to Pacific Heat before winning a six furlong allowance at Del Mar on Nov. 26.
Patriotic Diamond was bred in California by Kin Hui Racing Stables, LLC, and is owned by Diamond 100 Racing Club, LLC. Trained by Patrick Biancone, Patriotic Diamond is by Hat Trick out of the Whywhywhy mare Patriotic Viva. ‘Diamond’ is 5-2-1-1- overall with earnings of $153,550.
Stakes winner Just Google Me will look for her second added money victory Saturday. Bred in California by Golden Eagle Farm and owned by C T R Stables, LLC, Just Google Me is trained by Scott Rollins and comes off a second place finish to Roo’s Valentine in the Soviet Problem Stakes on Dec. 5 at Los Alamitos.
The bay filly by Golden Eagle Farm’s Stormin Fever, out of the Crytoclearance mare Lila Paige is 6-2-2-1 overall with earnings of $147,750.
The complete field for the Cal Cup Oaks, to be run as the fourth race on a 10-race card Saturday, with jockeys and weights in post position order: Just Google Me, Edwin Maldonado, 123; Patriotic Diamond, Rafael Bejarano, 123; Hurricaine Callie, Santiago Gonzalez, 119; Run for Retts, Tyler Baze, 119; Roo’s Valentine, Martin Pedroza, 123; Run Like the Boss, Joe Talamo, 119; Pacific Heat, Flavien Prat, 123; Cheekaboo, Mario Gutierrez, 119.