“Our primary focus is to get her over a million dollars,” said Yakteen, who has orchestrated a terrific career for the 5-year-old California-bred mare by Mucho Macho Man. “She's getting close now ($933,415) and if all goes well in the Matriarch, we'll try to run again in the Frankel (Grade 3 Robert J. at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Dec. 31) and follow a similar path to what we've done this year.”

A win or second-place finish in Del Mar's $400,000 Matriarch, to be contested at one mile on turf, would put Mucho Unusual over the $1 million dollar mark and further enhance her residual value as a broodmare.

With an overall race record of 21-7-5-4, Mucho Unusual, who took the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., on Sept. 26, 2020, is out of the outstanding producer Not Unusual, who is by Unusual Heat. A winner of the Grade 3 Frankel here on Dec. 27, 2020 and of the Grade 3 Megahertz on Jan. 18, 2021, Mucho Unusual has four graded stakes wins and five overall stakes victories, all on turf, to her credit.

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Mucho Unusual is a 5-year-old mare by Mucho Macho Man, out of the Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual, was bred by owner George Krikorian and is trained by Tim Yakteen.

She has career earnings of $862,715, of which $317,333 were earned in 2020 when she scored her greatest career triumph in the Sept. 26 Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita. She also won the G3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 27. The former California Cup Oaks winner has placed in nine graded stakes.

The other finalists for Horse of the Year, in alphabetical order, were Bulletproof One and Warren's Showtime.

Other Cal-bred champions recognized during the teleconference:

Champion California-bred Two-Year-Old Male – Tie between Big Fish and Good With People. Big Fish, bred by George Krikorian, owned by Legacy Ranch, trained by David Hofmans; Good With People, bred and owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, trained by Peter Miller.

Champion California-bred Two-Year-Old Female – Governor Goteven, bred and owned by Templeton Horses LLC, trained by Walther Solis.

Champion California-bred Three-Year-Old Male – El Tigre Terrible, bred by Martin Bach, owned by Slam Dunk Racing and Michael Nentwig, trained by Peter Miller.

Champion California-bred Three-Year-Old Female – Warren's Showtime, bred by Benjamin Warren, owned by Benjamin and Sally Warren, trained by Craig Lewis.

Champion California-bred Older Male – Galilean, bred by Bar C Racing Stables, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Denise Barker, William Sandbrook, John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith, trained by John Sadler.

Champion California-bred Older Female – Mucho Unusual, bred and owned by George Krikorian, trained by Tim Yakteen.

Champion California-bred Sprinter – Tie between Fashionably Fast and Sneaking Out. Fashionably Fast, bred by Harris Farms, owned by Harris Farms, Per Antonsen and John Nicoletti, trained by Dean Pederson. Sneaking Out, bred and owned by KMN Racing, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.

Champion California-bred Turf Horse – Mucho Unusual, bred and owned by George Krikorian, trained by Tim Yakteen.

Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Earnings – Square Eddie, property of Reddam Racing LLC.

Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Number of Winners – Square Eddie, property of Reddam Racing LLC.

Champion Sire of California Conceived Foals by Turf Earnings – Square Eddie, property of Reddam Racing LLC.

Champion Sire of California Conceived Two-Year-Olds by Earnings – Square Eddie, property of Reddam Racing LLC.

Trainer of the Year – Steve Miyadi.

Broodmare of the Year – Warren's Veneda, property of Benjamin Warren.

Champion Breeder of California Foaled Thoroughbreds by Earnings – Reddam Racing LLC.

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