Cheekaboo's race career likely finished
ARCADIA, Calif. – Cheekaboo, the winner of the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes for 3-year-old fillies in 2016, has likely run her last race.
Cheekaboo was scratched from Sunday’s Grade 3 Astra Stakes at Santa Anita because of heat in a foot and is scheduled to be sold at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky wnter mixed sale on Feb. 4.
Owned by Sharon Alesia, Mike Burns, and Joe Ciaglia, Cheekaboo won 3 of 24 starts and earned $371,995. She also won the Campanile Stakes for California-bred fillies on turf at Golden Gate Fields in 2016.
Last year, Cheekaboo was winless in seven starts, including third-place finishes in two stakes for California-bred fillies and mares on turf – the Fran’s Valentine Stakes at Santa Anita in May and the Solana Beach Stakes at Del Mar in August.
Trainer Peter Eurton said the foot issue was minor.
“It didn’t seem like it bothered her too much, but it wasn’t worth it,” he said, explaining why Cheekaboo was scratched.
Eurton said a potential buyer could opt to keep the 6-year-old mare by Unusual Heat in training.
“I think they can go either way,” he said. “If we don’t sell her for what we think she’ll get, we will breed her.”
Soi Phet’s future unclear
The 11-year-old stakes winner Soi Phet resumed racetrack activity with trainer Leonard Powell at Santa Anita earlier this month.
A winner of 15 of 61 starts and $1,022,864, Soi Phet has not raced since a sixth-place finish in the E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-bred milers at Los Alamitos last September. Earlier in 2018, the popular gelding won consecutive starts against Cal-breds in the Crystal Water Stakes on turf at Santa Anita at 47-1, and the Bertrando Stakes on dirt at Los Alamitos.
Powell said Soi Phet has been galloping for a week. He said Soi Phet will have a limited campaign this year or will be retired.
Owned by a partnership that includes Powell’s family, Soi Phet had five starts as a 9-year-old in 2017 and six starts last year.
