ARCADIA, Calif. – A closing kick has become a bankable style for Gas Me Up, who rallied to record a surprise win in Monday’s Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes for turf sprinters at Santa Anita. In his first start for trainer Peter Eurton since the fall of 2022, Gas Me Up closed from last to win the second Grade 2 stakes of his career in the $202,500 Hernandez. Even though Gas Me Up finished seventh by 4 1/4 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, Gas Me Up was largely ignored in the betting in the Hernandez, which drew a field of 10. The 5-year-old gelding paid $28.20 as the sixth choice. He ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in 1:10.88, only .31 of a second behind the 2023 course record. Gas Me Up earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 100. Gas Me Up won consecutive starts on turf from off the pace at Woodbine last summer, in a six-furlong allowance race and the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at a mile. After finishing third from a stalking position in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile in September, Gas Me Up closed from 12th of 13 in the BC Mile. Gas Me Up remained in California following that loss. He was ridden for the first time on Monday by Mirco Demuro. In the Hernandez, Gas Me Up was at the back of the field when the group crossed from the hillside course to the main track. Gas Me Up closed with a rush to win by 1 1/4 lengths. :: Santa Anita Classic Meet! Get DRF Past Performances, Clocker Reports, and more. “I had so much horse,” Demuro said. “I was last, but I was never scared I’d get beat. When I asked him to go, he had a turn of foot.” Sumter (7-1) ran briefly with Gas Me Up in the stretch but could not keep pace with the winner, finishing second. Sumter finished two lengths clear of 21-1 Zio Jo. El Potente, the 2-1 second choice, finished fourth after racing near the front in early stretch. Sorrento Sky finished fifth, followed by Yellow Card, Motorious, Flyover, Schwarzmeier, and Awesome Rhythm. Motorious, fifth as the 7-2 favorite in the BC Turf Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar, was the 7-5 favorite in the Hernandez. He was fifth early and was beaten 5 1/2 lengths. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Motorious, a race-day replacement for Antonio Fresu, who sustained a toe injury on Sunday. Ortiz “thought he was in a good spot and when he asked him he didn’t fire,” trainer Phil D’Amato said of Motorious. There were two notable scratches. D’Amato withdrew Unconquerable Keen, winner of the Stormy Liberal Stakes on Nov. 30 at Del Mar, in favor of a trip to Florida for the $175,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs on Jan. 24, he said. Imagination, second in the BC Sprint on dirt on Nov. 1, also was scratched. Trained by Bob Baffert, Imagination has never raced on turf in his 14-race career. Gas Me Up, a 5-year-old gelding by Hard Spun, races for the partnership of Exline-Border Racing, Michael Jawl, Aaron Kennedy, and Tom Zwiesler. Gas Me Up had four starts for Eurton in 2022 and did not race again until June 2024, winning an allowance race for trainer Kevin Attard in his only start that year. Gas Me Up won 2 of 5 starts for Attard earlier this year before he was transferred to Eurton last month. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.