NEWS
Unusual Suspect returns from layoff in Sunshine Millions Classic
Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 6:09 PM
UNUSUAL SUSPECT
Benoit & Associates photo
by Steve Bailey
Trainer Barry Abrams is known for frequently bringing back his horses on short rest.
When he saddles Grade 3 winner Unusual Suspect in the $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic Stakes on Saturday at Santa Anita Park, however, he will do so following a layoff of more than 3 1/2 months.
The last time the six-year-old Unusual Heat horse raced he finished sixth of seven in the John C. Mabee California Cup Mile Handicap on October 3 during the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita.
“His race in the Cal Cup Mile didn’t set up well for him,” Abrams said. “He wasn’t as sharp as he had been because he had experienced a long campaign. I gave him some time off. He’s a fresh horse and this is a good place to start up. It’s a tough field, but he’s going to run well.
“I wasn’t happy with his performance [in the Cal Cup Mile] and when one of my horses doesn’t run well and needs a break, I give it to them. If they run good, they keep running.”
The 1 1/8-mile Classic is one of six races that make up this year’s Sunshine Millions card, which features $1.8-million in prize money for California-bred and Florida-bred horses.
The Classic, the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Stakes and the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint Stakes will be run at the Arcadia, California, track. The $300,000 Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes, the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Distaff Stakes, and the $200,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes will be run at Gulfstream Park.
The Usual Q. T. will attempt to extend his winning streak to seven in his 2010 debut in the Classic.
Trained by James Cassidy, the four-year-old Unusual Heat gelding won the Oak Tree Derby (G2), the Hollywood Derby (G1), and the Sir Beaufort Stakes (G3) to cap a 2009 season in which he won six of nine starts and finished second twice.
Also entered in the Classic are Grade 1 winner Wicked Style, who also has been entered in the Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes; Canadian champion Palladio; and multiple stakes winner Bold Chieftain.
Multiple Grade 3 winner Soldier’s Dancer was installed as the overwhelming 8-to-5 morning-line favorite for the Turf, which he won last year at Santa Anita. No other horse in the 11-horse field was pegged at odds of less than 4-to-1.
A six-year-old Lost Soldier gelding, Soldier’s Dancer won the PTHA President’s Cup Stakes at Philadelphia Park and the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup Handicap at Calder Race Course to cap his 2009 season for trainer David Vivian.
Trainer Marty Wolfson has a pair entered in the Turf in Grade 3 winner Jet Propulsion and multiple stakes winner Pickapocket, who are the second and third betting choices at 4-to-1 and 6-to-1, respectively, on the morning line.
The 1 1/8-mile Distaff has lured stakes winner Jessica Is Back, the slight 9-to-5 morning-line favorite, and Grade 3 winner Sweet Repent, who won four of eight starts last year for trainer David Braddy and was made the 2-to-1 second choice.
Multiple stakes winner Pashito the Che, who won six times and finished second on four other occasions last season for trainer Scott Lake, was installed as the slight 8-to-5 morning-line favorite for the six-furlong Sprint. Grade 2 winner This Ones for Phil is the second choice at 9-to-5.
Pretty Unusual enters the 1 1/8-mile Filly and Mare Turf Stakes off a victory over Stardom Bound in the El Encino Stakes (G2) on January 17 at Santa Anita. The eight-horse field also includes multiple stakes winner Saucey Evening.
Multiple stakes winner High Resolve will try for a repeat victory in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Sprint Stakes for trainer Greg Gilchrist. The six-furlong race drew a field of 13.
Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times
Sunshine Millions Sprint S.
January 30, $200,000, 4yo & up, 6F, Gulfstream Park, 4:33 PM ET
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Machismo 6, g. |
Trippi |
122 |
Manoel Cruz |
John Sadler |
| 2 |
Sneaking Uponyou 4, g. |
Snuck In |
121 |
Elvis Trujillo |
Jamie Ness |
| 3 |
Accredit 5, h. |
E Dubai |
122 |
Julien Leparoux |
Michael Maker |
| 4 |
Pashito the Che 4, c. |
Flatter |
121 |
Eibar Coa |
Scott Lake |
| 5 |
Drift King 5, g. |
Concorde's Tune |
122 |
Joe Bravo |
William Turner, Jr. |
| 6 |
This Ones for Phil 4, g. |
Untuttable |
121 |
John Velazquez |
Richard Dutrow, Jr. |
| 7 |
Rockerfeller 6, g. |
Maria's Mon |
122 |
Inez Karlsson |
Kenneth Hoffman |
January 30, $300,000, 4yo & up, f&m, 1 1/8M, Gulfstream Park, 5:08 PM ET
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Cat Can Do 7, m. |
Adcat |
122 |
Paco Lopez |
Ralph Ziadie |
| 2 |
Granted Tiger 5, m. |
Tiger Ridge |
122 |
Eddie Castro |
H. Jerkens |
| 3 |
Christmas Ship 5, m. |
Montbrook |
122 |
John Velazquez |
Jerry Hollendorfer |
| 4 |
Sweet Repent 4, f. |
Repent |
120 |
Manoel Cruz |
J. Braddy |
| 5 |
Amazing 5, m. |
Greatness |
122 |
Elvis Trujillo |
Brian Lynch |
| 6 |
Even Road 6, m. |
Stephen Got Even |
122 |
Cornelio Velasquez |
Stanley Ersoff |
| 7 |
Jessica Is Back 6, m. |
Put It Back |
122 |
Julien Leparoux |
Martin Wolfson |
| 8 |
Scolara 5, m. |
Quiet American |
122 |
Javier Castellano |
William Mott |
| 9 |
Unforgotten 6, m. |
Northern Afleet |
122 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Dallas Stewart |
January 30, $300,000, 4yo & up, 1 1/8M, Gulfstream Park, 5:43 PM ET
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Picou 5, g. |
With Approval |
122 |
Javier Castellano |
Chad Brown |
| 2 |
Tie Rod 6, g. |
Old Topper |
122 |
Daniel Vergara |
Wayne Catalano |
| 3 |
Duke of Mischief 4, c. |
Graeme Hall |
120 |
Eibar Coa |
David Fawkes |
| 4 |
Bad Action 4, g. |
Brahms |
120 |
John Velazquez |
Todd Pletcher |
| 5 |
Ballonenostrikes *, g. |
Lost Soldier |
122 |
Jeremy Rose |
Dennis Manning |
| 6 |
Roman Tiger 5, g. |
Tiger Ridge |
122 |
Carlos Marquez, Jr. |
Dennis Manning |
| 7 |
Fearless Eagle 6, h. |
Invisible Ink |
122 |
Paco Lopez |
Edward Plesa, Jr. |
| 8 |
Soldier's Dancer 6, g. |
Lost Soldier |
122 |
Manoel Cruz |
David Vivian |
| 9 |
Wicked Style 5, h. |
Macho Uno |
122 |
Rafael Bejarano |
George Arnold, II |
| 10 |
Pickapocket 6, g. |
Mecke |
122 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Martin Wolfson |
| 11 |
Jet Propulsion 7, g. |
Double Honor |
122 |
Julien Leparoux |
Martin Wolfson |
January 30, $200,000, 4yo & up, f&m, 6F, Santa Anita Park, 2:36 PM PT
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
U R All That I Am 4, f. |
Valid Wager |
120 |
Mike Smith |
Jerry Hollendorfer |
| 2 |
Emmy Darling 4, f. |
Graeme Hall |
120 |
Alex Solis |
John Sadler |
| 3 |
Miss McCall 4, f. |
Lightnin N Thunder |
120 |
Tyler Baze |
Mike Mitchell |
| 4 |
Dotsy Jean 5, m. |
Lit de Justice |
122 |
Victor Espinoza |
Martin Jones |
| 5 |
Rate of Exchange 5, m. |
Exchange Rate |
122 |
Joel Rosario |
Martin Wolfson |
| 6 |
Sleep Tight 5, m. |
Exchange Rate |
122 |
Jose Lezcano |
Mike Mitchell |
| 7 |
Libor Lady 5, m. |
Exchange Rate |
122 |
Garrett Gomez |
Michael Pino |
| 8 |
Fearless Leader 6, m. |
Suave Prospect |
122 |
Chantal Sutherland |
Michael Lerman |
| 9 |
Via Veneto 4, f. |
Orientate |
120 |
Martin Garcia |
Bob Baffert |
| 10 |
Dubai Majesty 5, m. |
Essence of Dubai |
122 |
Jamie Theriot |
W. Calhoun |
| 11 |
High Resolve 5, m. |
Put It Back |
122 |
Russell Baze |
Greg Gilchrist |
| 12 |
Quisisana 5, m. |
Decarchy |
122 |
Rafael Bejarano |
Mike Puype |
| 13 |
Magdalena's Chase 5, m. |
Cape Town |
122 |
Joseph Talamo |
John Sadler |
January 30, $300,000, 4yo & up, f&m, 1 1/8M, Santa Anita Park, 3:07 PM PT
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Closeout 5, m. |
Repriced |
122 |
Jose Lezcano |
Thomas Proctor |
| 2 |
Tight Precision 5, m. |
Pure Precision |
122 |
Joel Rosario |
Thomas Proctor |
| 3 |
Pretty Unusual 4, f. |
Unusual Heat |
120 |
Chantal Sutherland |
Barry Abrams |
| 4 |
You Lift Me Up 5, m. |
Lord Carson |
122 |
Rafael Bejarano |
Jerry Hollendorfer |
| 5 |
Bootleg Annie 6, m. |
Go for Gin |
122 |
Garrett Gomez |
Kathy Walsh |
| 6 |
Saucey Evening 4, f. |
More Than Ready |
120 |
Jose Valdivia, Jr. |
H. Motion |
| 7 |
Catsalot 4, f. |
Momentum |
120 |
Alonso Quinonez |
Leonard Powell |
| 8 |
Century Park 4, f. |
General Meeting |
120 |
Tyler Baze |
Bob Baffert |
January 30, $500,000, 4yo & up, 1 1/8M, Santa Anita Park, 3:38 PM PT
| Post |
Horse |
Sire |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
| 1 |
Jeranimo 4, c. |
Congaree |
120 |
Brice Blanc |
Michael Pender |
| 2 |
Unusual Suspect 6, h. |
Unusual Heat |
122 |
Alonso Quinonez |
Barry Abrams |
| 3 |
Enriched 5, g. |
High Brite |
122 |
Michael Baze |
Doug O'Neill |
| 4 |
Palladio 8, h. |
Lycius |
122 |
Mike Smith |
Roger Attfield |
| 5 |
Unusual Smoke 5, h. |
Unusual Heat |
122 |
Martin Garcia |
A. Avila |
| 6 |
Bad Action 4, g. |
Brahms |
120 |
John Velazquez |
Todd Pletcher |
| 7 |
The Usual Q. T. 4, g. |
Unusual Heat |
120 |
Victor Espinoza |
James Cassidy |
| 8 |
Compari 4, g. |
Redattore (BRZ) |
120 |
Garrett Gomez |
Martin Jones |
| 9 |
Bold Chieftain 7, h. |
Chief Seattle |
122 |
Russell Baze |
William Morey, Jr. |
| 10 |
Wicked Style 5, h. |
Macho Uno |
122 |
Rafael Bejarano |
George Arnold, II |
| 11 |
Acclamation 4, c. |
Unusual Heat |
120 |
David Flores |
Donald Warren |
