Abrams hopes McHeat stays hot for Sensational Star

ARCADIA, Calif. – McHeat, who is scheduled to start in Saturday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes for California-breds, has been the star of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting for trainer Barry Abrams.

From 21 starts, Abrams has won two races, both by McHeat in early January. McHeat won an optional claimer against Cal-breds at a mile on turf at 11-1 on Jan. 1, and an optional claimer against open company at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at 17-1 on Jan. 14.

McHeat was fourth after a poor start in an optional claimer against open company at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Feb. 7, a race that was a prep for the Sensational Star, which is run on the hillside turf course.

McHeat is unbeaten in three starts on the hillside turf course. A 4-year-old gelding owned by breeder Madeline Auerbach, McHeat was turned out after finishing last of nine in the Echo Eddie Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds on the main track last April.

Abrams had a quick answer on Wednesday when asked if he was surprised McHeat won twice in January.

“Yes,” he said. “We gave him some time off. He grew and matured. He had a lot of ability and he showed it.”

The loss on Feb. 7 did not discourage Abrams.

“He got wiped out at the start,” he said.

Saturday, McHeat is a contender in the Sensational Star, led by the millionaire Alert Bay and Forest Chatter, who won the California Flag Stakes on the hillside turf course in October.

The Sensational Star is the richest race on an otherwise quiet weekend at Santa Anita. Sunday’s main race is the $75,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes for older horses on the hillside turf course.

The next graded stakes is the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes, a Grade 3 for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on March 5. Songbird, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2016, is a possible starter in the Santa Ysabel.