Post-Race Review
Second choice Christiana’s Heat won a thrilling stretch drive in Santa Anita’s Irish O’Brien Stakes, prevailing by a nose in a three-horse photo finish at the wire. Waveline finished second, a neck in front of favorite Bel Air Sizzle in third. Burna Dette, Gambler’s Justice, and Unusual Spirit completed the field of six.
Michael Baze rode Christiana’s Heat, a five-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat for trainer Steve Knapp. The $125,000 race run down the hillside turf course at six and a half furlongs went in 1:13.32. Christiana’s Heat paid $7.80 to win.
Pre-Race Analysis
In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day is Sunday’s feature at Santa Anita, the Irish O'Brien Stakes for state-bred fillies and mares going down the hill at six and a half furlongs.
Bel Air Sizzle was scratched out of Saturday's Grade 1 feature to run in this spot and should go favored. The daughter of Unusual Heat, one of four in the field, is coming off of a dead heat win with Onebadkitty in the Valentine Dancer Handicap on February 21st going one mile. That race is an important one in evaluating this contest, as five of the contestants are returning to clash heads here. Bel Air Sizzle has won five of seventeen starts for trainer Barry Abrams and will again have the services of Garrett Gomez today.
Onebadkitty will break from the rail under Aaron Gryder, who was up for the Valentine Dancer score. In eight lifetime starts, the Street Cry (IRE) filly has won three and placed four times, and has never been off the board. Brian Koriner trains.
Gambler's Justice finished third in the Valentine Dancer and hasn’t won since September 20th at the Fairplex Park. Bill Spawr trains Gambler’s Justice, who won a state-bred turf race back in April at Hollywood Park, defeating Bel Air Sizzle, but Gambler’s Justice was disqualified for interference and placed third. Joe Talamo has the call.
Waveline finished fourth in the Valentine Dancer, and before that was fourth also in the Sunshine Millions Distaff on the synthetic track. Waveline won two allowances in a row in November and December at Hollywood Park, and prior to that was based in England, and then Canada. Ben Cecil trains, and Rafael Bejarano will ride.
Christiana’s Heat is 6-1 on the morning line for trainer Steve Knapp. The Unusual Heat mare finished sixth in the Valentine Dancer, but prior to that finished second by a half length in a listed stakes race down the hill on January 31st. On January 3rd, Christiana’s Heat finished second by a half to the highly regarded Jibboom in the Monrovia Handicap, also down the hill, and is well worth a look today.
Unusual Spirit, Flashover and Burna Dette complete the field of eight.
