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Classy Indian Peak Headlines Saturday’s Unusual Heat Turf Classic

Classy and plenty versatile, Indian Peak heads a field of eight older horses going a mile and one eighth over the Santa Anita turf in Saturday's $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic, presented by City National Bank.

A winner of last year's Cal Cup Derby on the Santa Anita main track, Legacy Ranch's Big Fish gets back with statebreds on Saturday and appears a good fit as he tries the Classic distance for the first time.

Owned and bred by Alfred Pais, Margot's Boy, although winless in nine starts last year, had four seconds and a proven affinity for the local lawn as he seeks his first stakes win.

Originally scheduled for turf, the Grade 3 San Gabriel Stakes was moved to the main track due to recent rain on Dec. 26 and although he was attentive to the early pace, Indian Peak simply didn't fire, finishing a distant fourth at 5-1.

Trained by Ruben Alvarado, Indian Peak, a 5-year-old gelding by Comic Strip, out of the Roar mare Ms. Booty, was a big third, beaten three quarters of a length two starts back going 1 1/16 miles on turf in the G2 Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar Nov. 27.

A winner of the mile and one eighth turf Snow Chief Stakes here at age three in June, 2020, Indian Peak is 5-2-1-0 over the course and he comes off his best year in terms of money-won, banking $170,932 from an 11-2-1-1 mark in 2021.

Owned by Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber, Indian Peak, who won the California Flag Handicap three starts back going down the hillside turf at about 6 ½ furlongs on Oct. 17, will likely attend the early pace as he seeks his seventh win from 23 overall starts.

Trained by David Hofmans, Big Fish, a 4-year-old gelding by hot sire Mr. Big, comes off a fourth place run going a mile and one sixteenth on synthetic Tapeta in the G3 Berkeley Handicap Nov. 27 at Golden Gate Fields.

Although winless in three tries over the Santa Anita turf, Big Fish has two wins from six turf tries, including an ungraded stakes win going a mile on turf at Del Mar as a juvenile. With an overall mark of 12-3-2-1, Big Fish has the credentials to be a major factor in the Classic.

A sharp second, beaten a neck in a one mile allowance on the main track here Dec. 4, the Craig Lewis-trained Margot's Boy, who was ninth the Classic a year ago, has three wins from eight tries over the course and rates a fighting chance with Juan Hernandez back aboard. A 5-year-old gelding by top California-based sire Clubhouse Ride, Margot's Boy is 21-3-5-3 with earnings of $260,946.

THE UNUSUAL HEAT TURF CLASSIC WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 6 of 10 Approximate post time 2:30 p.m. PT

Whooping Jay—Joe Bravo–120
Margot's Boy—Juan Hernandez—122
Aligato—Flavien Prat—120
Luvluv—Tyler Baze—120
Camino Del Paraiso—Ricardo Gonzalez—124
Big Fish—Umberto Rispoli—124
Ferrariano—Abel Cedillo–120
Indian Peak—John Velazquez—124

First post time for a 10-race card on Cal Cup Day, Saturday, is at 12 noon. Admission gates open at 10 a.m. The Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank, is on of five California-bred or sired stakes on Saturday.

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Zero Tolerance Outlasts Fast-Closing Tapwater In Las Cienegas

Zero Tolerance stalked favored Hear My Prayer to the top of the lane en route to a hard fought head victory over late-closing Tapwater in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., thus providing trainer Ruben Alvarado with his first career stakes win. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Zero Tolerance, a 4-year-old grey daughter of Mizzen Mast, got about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:13.26.

Drawn on the far outside, Zero Tolerance fell into a perfect trip as speedy Hear My Prayer went to the lead, maintaining a one-length advantage past the half mile pole, but the winner gained the advantage at the dirt crossing at the top of the stretch and was all out to hold off the runner-up.

“Unbelievable, I don't have the words to say,” said Alvarado, a longtime assistant to Peter Miller, who has taken a hiatus from training, handing over his stable to Alvarado. “I remember I had this moment when Roy H won the Breeders' Cup (Sprint, in 2017 and 2018). That was a moment I would never forget…

“That's her (Zero Tolerance), I knew she could run. She's a horse that can come off the pace or be on the lead. … She loves six and a half, so I knew she was going to run huge for me. She was a little fresh, so that was what we expected from her.”

A winner of a five-furlong turf allowance at Del Mar on Nov. 20, Zero Tolerance was off as the second choice at 2-1 in a field of seven older fillies and mares and paid $6.00, $3.80 and $2.60.

Owned by Custom Truck Accessories, Jason Hall, Joe Kelly and Michael Riordan, Zero Tolerance, who is out of the El Prado mare Torreadora was a winner of Santa Anita's ungraded Unzip Me Stakes two starts back on Oct. 3 and she is now a two-time stakes winner with four wins from six overall starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $215,000.

“She was traveling super relaxed and it does help to have a target, I think it helped her to relax,” said Prat, who although he didn't ride her in her most recent start, has now won three of his four engagements with her. “She can be a little on her toes sometimes, but she was relaxing well today and when it was time to make a move, she responded well.”

Ridden by Joe Bravo, Tapwater was unhurried from her rail post position, running next to last after the first quarter mile. In her first try down the hillside, the 6-year-old mare, who was shortening up out of a series of two turn races, rallied impressively while trying to drift in and just missed. Off at 10-1 Tapwater paid $10.00 and $5.00 while finishing 1 ½ lengths better than a tiring Hear My Prayer.

The 8-5 favorite with Juan Hernandez, Hear My Prayer paid $2.40 to show.

With the win, Prat notched his third on the day and he went to get his fourth victory of the afternoon in the next race, making 21 for the meet, four better than runner-up John Velazquez. The Las Cienegas also marked Prat's meet-leading sixth stakes win as well.

Fractions on the race were 21.99, 44.16 and 1:06.92.

Racing resumes with a special four-day holiday week on Friday, with first post time for an eight-race card at 12:30 p.m.

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All Three Stakes Winners Doing Well After Saturday Scores

The three stakes-winning horses from Saturday at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., showed no ill effects from their efforts and will be given some well-earned rest before “to be determined” next assignments.

Taken in order in which they were achieved:

Three Diamond Farm's Field Pass, a 4-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid, recorded career win number eight in his 23rd career start in the $250,000 Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap and the $150,000 winner's share of the purse boosted his career earnings to $913,143. Nolan Ramsey is trainer Mike Maker's assistant in charge of West Coast operations.

“Everybody's happy for the horse,” Ramsey said this morning. “He's a hard-trying horse and it's nice to see him punch his ticket. As far as what's next, the San Gabriel at Santa Anita (Park in Arcadia, Calif.) is an option but we have options back east as well.

“As of right now, he's booked on a flight to go back east Tuesday, but we'll find out today what we're going to do.”

The win by Tezzaray in the $100,000 G3 Jimmy Durante was the second in as many starts for trainer Peter Miller since being imported from England last summer. Ruben Alvarado, who is taking over as Miller takes a step back from training, said all three of the stable's Durante entrants – Liam's Dove (5th) and Travel Smart (6th), in addition to Tezzaray, were fine.

“I thought all three of my fillies ran very well and were given great rides,” Miller said after the race. “It's nice to win a stakes race on the way out.”

Trainer John Shirreffs said by text that Beyond Brilliant, winner of the $400,000 G1 Hollywood Derby was looking very good Sunday morning. “He had his head out waiting for his early morning feed. That's always a good sign.”

It was the third victory in nine starts for Beyond Brilliant, owned by the C R K Stable of Lee and Susan Searing of Arcadia. The $240,000 winner's share of the purse, earned via a masterful wire-to-wire guidance by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, raised the son of Twirling Candy's earnings to $381,280.

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‘Strictly A Personal Decision’: Peter Miller Taking Temporary Hiatus From Training

Five-time Breeders' Cup champion and multiple graded stakes-winning trainer Peter Miller will be taking a temporary hiatus from the rigors of daily training beginning Monday, Nov. 29, to spend more time with his family, focus on overall health and wellness, and pursue other interests. In his own words, the trainer details how he arrived at this decision:

“I have been working virtually every day on the backstretch of a racetrack since the day after I graduated from high school in 1984,” said Miller. “On that day, I was lucky enough to be hired by the great Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham. I am and forever will be grateful for all that he taught me.

“Throughout my career I have derived great joy in the pursuit of my passion as a trainer. Managing a large stable is a 24-hour, 365-day a year endeavor. The effort to compete at the highest level of my profession has taken its toll on my family and my health and I believe this decision is best for me, my family and our future.

“I know that there may be some speculation related to this decision; however, I want to make it very clear that it is not a result of any regulatory action, secret agreement or hidden agenda of any kind. This is strictly a personal decision.

“So as of Nov. 29 I will be taking a step back. I am grateful to all of my clients and my talented hard-working team. I am completely indebted to them for the successes we have shared. My extremely capable and long-time assistant Ruben Alvarado will be taking the reins and I will continue to act as an advisor/racing manager to my owners and my assistants as well as staying involved as an owner myself.

“My love for horses lured me to the racetrack as a teenager and held me there for the next 38 years. I trust that it will bring me back after this hiatus.”

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