WIDE-OPEN FIELD OF NINE OLDER HORSES IN SATURDAY’S $200,000 UNUSUAL HEAT TURF CLASSIC

By Mike Willman —-

HE WILL,THE BIG TRAIN, RYE, SMOKEY IMAGE & SUMMERSIMAGE HEAD WIDE-OPEN FIELD OF NINE OLDER HORSES IN $200,000 UNUSUAL HEAT TURF CLASSIC AT 1 1/8 MILES OVER SANTA ANITA TURF ON SATURDAY

ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 24, 2018)—Saturday’s $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic has the look of a completely wide-open affair, as trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s He Will heads a field of nine older horses set to go a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita turf.

In addition to He Will, who will be taking a steep drop in class out of a pair of recent graded stakes, Peter Miller’s The Big Train, Billy Morey’s Rye, Carla Gaines’s Smokey Image and Ricardo Perez’s Summersimage all rate big shots in the race restricted to horses bred or sired in California that has been named in honor of California’s recently deceased super stallion, Unusual Heat.

HE WILL

Owner: All Schlaich Stables, LLC, Hollendorfer, LLC, Team Green, LLC, Randall & Todaro Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
Surging late under Mike Smith, he was beaten a desperate nose two starts back in the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar Nov. 26. An even seventh here in the Grade II San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf Jan. 6, he’ll try to rebound Saturday with Rafael Bejarano aboard, as Smith has an engagement aboard Collected in the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park. A 6-year-old full horse by Cyclotron, He Will is 21-6-4-2 with earnings of $362,964.

THE BIG TRAIN

Owner: Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber Trainer: Peter Miller
Although he’s only won two of 16 starts and his resume is glaringly devoid of stakes placings, this 5-year-old gelding by Peppered Cat comes off an inspired Cal-bred allowance score over the course and distance and rates a big shot in a field devoid of a clear-cut standout. Far back early here on Jan. 12, The Big Training came rolling late under Corey Nakatani to win going away by three quarters of a length. With Nakatani back aboard Saturday, look for similar tactics to be employed in a race that would appear to have plenty of early speed.

RYE

Owner: Joseph P. Morey Jr. Revocable Trust Trainer: William Morey
From a red-hot barn, Rye was fanned five-wide turning for home in the Grade III Berkeley Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on Golden Gate Fields’ Tapeta Nov. 25 and finished seventh, beaten 5 ½ lengths. An allowance winner going the same distance on Tapeta two starts back, Rye, a 5-year-old full horse by English Channel, has two wins from four tries at 1 1/8 miles on turf—one of them coming at Santa Anita. Best suited at this stage of his career as a deep closer, Rye would be aided by a fast pace. Note: Morey’s late father, William Morey, Jr., trained California-bred Bold Chieftain, winner of both the 2007 and 2009 California Cup Classic, as well as the 2010 Sunshine Millions Classic.

SMOKEY IMAGE

Owner: Irvin Racing Stable Trainer: Carla Gaines
Undefeated in his first six starts, all on dirt, this 5-year-old full horse by Southern Image is winless in his last 10 tries but earned a career-top Beyer Speed figure of 95 in his most recent start, a close fourth in the Grade II San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf Jan. 6. Tactics should be fairly straight forward, as “Smokey’s” best chance is to go the front and try to get a breather heading into the far turn.

SUMMERSIMAGE

Owner: William L. Hedrick Trainer: Ricardo Perez
On or near the lead in all three of his career wins, including a gate to wire minor stakes win going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Santa Rosa two starts back on Aug. 6, this lightly race 4-year-old colt by Slew’s Tiznow will likely try to go with Smokey Image early. Bred by his owner, Summersimage is out of the Siberian Summer mare Summer Swimmer.

THE $200,000 UNUSUAL HEAT TURF CLASSIC WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 8 of 10 Approximate post time 3:15 p.m.

1. He Will—Rafael Bejarano—122
2. Accountability—Drayden Van Dyke—120
3. Summersimage—Alonso Quinonez—122
4. Camino Del Paraiso—Flavien Prat—120
5. Brandothebartender—Brice Blanc—120
6. Rye—Kent Desormeaux—120
7. The Big Train—Corey Nakatani—120
8. Smokey Image—Tyler Baze—120
9. Tule Fog—Santiago Gonzalez—120

Special early first post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 11:25 a.m. Admission gates open at 10 a.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

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Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.