Santa Anita: Heat Trap tough in Thursday allowance - if she draws in

ARCADIA, Calif. – Heat Trap got stuck briefly behind a wall of horses in her recent comeback, ultimately finishing third after she found room to rally along the inside.

Thursday at Santa Anita, the filly is stuck again – on the also-eligible list for the race-7 feature. Thirteen were entered in the turf sprint for fillies and mares. But the rails are at the outermost 30-foot setting, which means only 10 will start in the first-level allowance.

Heat Trap needs scratch help to draw in. If she does, the turf sprint is hers for the taking. Her chief rivals include Fanticola, Tribal Spy, Moulin de Mougin, and Boller Bomb.

Carla Gaines trains Heat Trap, a 4-year-old filly by Unusual Heat with 2 wins from 5 starts and established ability on the tricky downhill turf course. Heat Trap was favored in a similar downhill allowance Oct. 3, but was blocked at the head of the lane.

As the field crossed the dirt, the only path available for jockey Victor Espinoza was along the inside. Heat Trap squeezed into the running lane closest to the rail. But inside rallies are difficult to follow through with, and though Heat Trap battled bravely to the wire, she fell short by a head, finishing third at even-money inside a three-way blanket finish.

The effort was good enough for Heat Trap to start favored again Thursday, if she draws in. She worked a bullet half-mile since she last raced, and Espinoza is back aboard. Furthermore, most turf sprints are running to form. After only one winning favorite this meet from the first 12 turf sprints, favorites have won 4 of the last 7 turf sprints.

Fanticola could inherit favoritism if Heat Trap does not draw in. A lightly raced 3-year-old, she has hit the board in all four of her starts, and she faced good company, including Beholder last summer in a maiden race, and multiple winners Socialbug and Tayrona this year.

Fanticola is trained by Mike Mitchell, runs well fresh, and may benefit from the cutback to a sprint. She wired maidens in a turf route in her last race Sept. 4 at Del Mar, but her career-best Beyer Speed Figure was earned sprinting on July 21 in her comeback off a one-year layoff. Joe Talamo rides Fanticola.

Tribal Spy has improved this fall. She was blocked in the stretch last time, but extricated herself in time to finish second as a 52-1 outsider in a stakes race. Irving Orozco rides for trainer Adam Kitchingman.

The allowance feature is race 7 on an eight-race card Thursday.