Mucho Unusual makes it look easy in Frankel Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - The final months of 2020 have defined Mucho Unusual’s career.

Mucho Unusual won the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes here in September, her first win in a race at the highest level. Mucho Unusual followed the victory with a 12th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

Back at Santa Anita, Mucho Unusual won the fourth stakes of her career in Sunday’s Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares on turf.

“She makes my job easy,” trainer Tim Yakteen said. “She’s very straightforward.”

:: Start earning weekly cashback on your wagering today. Click to learn more.

From the first furlong, the $101,500 Frankel Stakes developed in favor of Mucho Unusual, who was ridden for the first time by John Velazquez. Mucho Unusual stalked pacesetter She’s Our Charm for the first five furlongs and took the lead from Miss Teheran in early stretch before winning by three-quarters of a length over Never Be Enough, the 32-1 outsider in the field.

She’s Our Charm (4-1) was third in a field of eight.

Mucho Unusual ($7.80) ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.94.

Miss Teheran, a slight 5-2 favorite over Mucho Unusual, was aggressively ridden by Joel Rosario through the final five furlongs. Miss Teheran was sixth on the rail on the first turn before Rosario moved her into contention closer to She’s Our Charm at the end of the backstretch.

Going into the turn, Miss Teheran led narrowly on the rail, inside of She’s Our Charm and a three-wide Mucho Unusual.

“I knew there was one speed in the race,” Velazquez said of She’s Our Charm.

“Joel moved a little early. I put pressure on the one in the middle so he would put pressure on Joel.”

While Miss Teheran was within a head of a closing Mucho Unusual with a furlong remaining, she could not sustain the effort and faded to finish fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

“I thought in that position I had to do it,” Rosario said of his early move. “She kept running for me.”

Zee Drop finished fifth, followed by Rideforthecause, Altea, and Colonial Creed.

Mucho Unusual, a 4-year-old California-bred filly by Mucho Macho Man, races for owner and breeder George Krikorian. Mucho Unusual has won 6 of 18 starts and has earned $762,715.

In 2019, Mucho Unusual had a fine season at Santa Anita, winning the $200,000 California Cup Oaks against statebreds and finishing second in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita in December of that year.

Mucho Unusual will remain in training in 2021, Yakteen said.