Stay Hot goes last to first to take La Jolla Handicap
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DEL MAR, Calif. - Back in the comfort of California, Stay Hot won his fourth stakes on this circuit in the last eight months in Sunday’s $100,000 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar, a turnaround from his last-place finish in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 4.
Stay Hot had not raced since the American Turf Stakes, and performed in the La Jolla in a manner more reminiscent of his wins in the Grade 3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar last December, or his wins in the Baffle and Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita in February and March.
Ridden by regular rider Antonio Fresu, Stay Hot ($8) closed from last in a field of five through the final half-mile to win by 1 1/2 lengths over 2-1 King of Gosford, the winner of two sprint stakes on turf at Santa Anita earlier this year.
Fresu was content waiting at the rear of the small field with Stay Hot, who had displayed a strong kick in some of his previous wins. Fresu brought Stay Hot three-wide in the stretch to reach the front.
“That’s what I wanted to do,” Fresu said. “I wanted to get him back. He was very relaxed all the way around.
“I saved a lot of ground. He has a good turn of foot.”
The third choice, Stay Hot ran 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:40.98 and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 88.
King of Gosford finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 5-1 Atitlan, who was followed by 6-5 favorite Final Boss and 25-1 Prince of Power, a maiden.
Final Boss, who won the Cinema Stakes on turf at Santa Anita on June 16, set an early pace of 23.18 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.45 for a half-mile, leading by as much as 1 1/2 lengths. Prince of Power followed Final Boss on the outside down the backstretch before fading from contention.
King of Gosford was fourth on the backstretch while racing wide, and was moved to the inside on the turn by jockey Umberto Rispoli. In the stretch, King of Gosford rallied wide to be closest to the front at the finish.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said the presence of Prince of Power affected the way Rispoli rode King of Gosford.
“The maiden was wreaking havoc with our plans,” D’Amato said. “We had to start and stop and start and stop and he finally went around them.”
Stay Hot races for the partnership of Burns Racing, Exline-Border Racing, SAF Racing, the family of the late Brereton Jones, and William Hudock. Trained by Peter Eurton, Stay Hot has won 5 of 9 starts and earned $302,160.
Fresu insisted Stay Hot’s result on Sunday was more indicative of the ridgling’s ability compared to the loss in a field of 14 at Churchill Downs.
“It was much better than last time,” Fresu said. “When I rode him at Kentucky he was nervous in the post parade. He didn’t show who he is. Today, he was much more relaxed.”
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