Hall of Fame sprinter Xtra Heat dies at 24

Xtra Heat, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2001 and a 2015 inductee to the Hall of Fame, died in December at 24.

Her death was announced by Woodford Thoroughbreds, her owner, via Facebook and Twitter. Woodford purchased Xtra Heat privately from Classic Star, her owner at the end of her racing career, when Classic Star dispersed its stock in 2006, according to a Thoroughbred Daily News report.

Xtra Heat's career began modestly. Trainer John Salzman purchased the daughter of Dixieland Heat for $5,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-old sale in May of 2000, and she broke her maiden first-out for a $25,000 tag the following month.

Not only did she never again run for a tag, but all 34 of her subsequent starts came in stakes company. She won eight of her nine starts at 2, including the Astarita (G2) at Belmont, with her only loss coming in her lone two-turn try in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile fillies.

Xtra Heat won nine of her 13 starts for Salzman during her championship 3-year-old year, including the Prioress (G1). She also hit the board twice against males in top-class company: she was second beaten only a half length by Squirtle Squirt in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and third behind Delaware Township in the Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash (G1).

In a racing career that lasted into her 5-year-old season, Xtra Heat amassed a 35: 26-5-2 record and collected $2,389,635 in purses. Those 26 wins included 11 in graded-stakes company. In her final start on Feb. 22, 2003, she won the Barbara Fritchie Handicap (G2) for the second consecutive year. As a nod to her roots, a $25,000 starter stakes for older fillies and mares is still run in her honor at Aqueduct.

As a broodmare, Xtra Heat produced 13 named foals until being pensioned in 2019. The best among them were stakes winners Southwestern Heat (Gone West) and Elusive Heat (Elusive Quality). Southwestern Heat went on to stand stud in Australia, while Elusive Heat is the granddam of multiple Grade 3 winner Scalding as well as stakes winners Tracksmith and Hot and Sultry.