Pacific Heat much the best in Golden State Juvenile Fillies

DEL MAR, Calif. - Pacific Heat gave trainer Peter Eurton the perfect start to Breeders’ Cup week with a win in her stakes debut in Thursday’s $201,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.

The Golden State Juvenile Fillies was the feature race on the opening day of the Del Mar autumn meeting, which runs through Nov. 29.

Eurton watched the race from Keeneland, where he will run Kobe’s Back in Saturday’s BC Sprint. On television, he saw Pacific Heat score a commanding win by 5 1/4 lengths in the race for California-bred 2-year-old fillies over seven furlongs.

“It was awesome,” Eurton said by phone. “It was good to see. I wish I was there.”

Sent off favored in a field of 12, Pacific Heat ($4.80) was timed in 1:24.31.

Eurton said Pacific Heat will be supplemented to the $300,000 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12. The Grade 1 Starlet is run at 1 1/16 miles.

In the Golden State Juvenile Fillies, Pacific Heat closed from fourth to take the lead in early stretch under jockey Joe Talamo. Pacific Heat raced between horses on the backstretch before Talamo guided her to a clear path on the outside. With a three-wide rally on the turn, Pacific Heat was prominent when the field reached the stretch.

Sambamzajammin, a 22-1 outsider, finished third, three-quarters of a length in front of Patriotic Diamond, the winner of the Generous Portion Stakes here in August.

Red Stitch finished fourth, followed by Dragon Flower, Halo Darlin, Khalaya, Just Google Me, Forthenineteen, Octofy, and Run for Retts.

Pacific Heat, by top California stallion Unusual Heat, was purchased for $175,000 at the 2014 Barretts October yearling sale, the most expensive hip of that sale. She races for Joe Ciaglia, Mike Burns, and Sharon Alesia.

Pacific Heat won her debut in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs by 13 1-2 lengths at Los Alamitos on Sept. 25.

“That was a surprise in her first start,” Eurton said.

While the immediate focus is a top-class race on dirt, Eurton said Pacific Heat could be versatile enough to try turf at some point. The filly has earned $140,000 in her first two starts.

“She looks like a dirt horse, but with that pedigree you’ve got to think grass,” he said.