Heatseeker Pulls An Upset To Win Santa Anita Handicap
Five-year-old Irish-bred Heatseeker, ridden by jockey Rafael Bejarano, won Santa Anita Park‘s signature event, the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap, by 3/4 lengths, Saturday, March 1.
Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Heatseeker covered the Big ‘Cap distance of 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.42 and paid $16, $7, and $4.80. Sunshine Millions Classic winner Go Between under jockey Garrett Gomez returned $7 and $5.20. Champs Elysees with jockey Ramon Dominguez paid $7.80 to show.
“I heard the other horse (Go Between) coming at the end,” jockey Rafael Bejarano said. “That’s why I just kept riding as hard as I could. But I was confident we were going to hold on because my horse was still running, he was still giving me a lot of power.”
Horse trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has saddled more than 5,000 winners, but had a Big ‘Cap runner for the first time at 61. Heatseeker had been trained by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel until being switched to Hollendorfer in early December. Frankel trains Champs Elysees.
Tiago came in fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap followed by Zappa, Student Council, Awesome Gem, Great Hunter, Air Commander, Big Booster, Seminole Native, Monterey Jazz, Medici Code and Celtic Dreamin was last in the field of 14 older horses.
"Heatseeker Pulls An Upset To Win Santa Anita Handicap" was posted on 1 March 2008 10:17 PM under Horse Racing News, Horses, Stakes Races
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