Christiana's Heat gets it done in O'Brien

ARCADIA, Calif. - After close finishes in three sprint stakes on turf since early October, Christiana's Heat won the first stakes of her career in Sunday's $125,000 Irish O'Brien Stakes at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Michael Baze, Christiana's Heat ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:13.32. Once again, she was involved in a close finish, closing from third to win by a nose over Waveline. Bel Air Sizzle, the 9-5 favorite, finished a neck behind Waveline in the field of six California-bred fillies and mares.

"I wanted to make sure we had a target and we were able to just sit chilly until the last sixteenth," Baze said. "When I asked her to run, she had plenty left."

Christiana's Heat was second by a half-length in three sprint stakes in recent months - the California Cup Distaff last October, the Grade 3 Monrovia on Jan. 3, and the Wishing Well Handicap on Jan. 31. All three races were run on the hillside turf course.

Owned by Albert and Kathleen Mattivi and trained by Steve Knapp, Christiana's Heat, 5, has won 5 of 24 starts and $332,332.

Pasadena: Gallant Son wins grass debut

Gallant Son, a three-times stakes winner at Emerald Downs last summer and fall, won his turf debut in the $80,250 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds.

Gallant Son ($18.20) rallied from sixth in a field of 10 to win by three-quarters of a length over 19-1 Smokey Lonesome. Wall Street Wonder, who set the pace, finished third.

Gallant Son has won 5 of 9 starts and $161,988 for owners Chris and Diana Randall and trainer Frank Lucarelli.