Heck Yeah back in winner's circle in Echo Eddie Stakes

In his first without blinkers, Heck Yeah unfurled an impressive turn of foot when called upon as he rallied to take Saturday’s $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths under Mike Smith.  Trained by Bob Baffert, Heck Yeah, a 3-year-old California-bred colt by Acclamation, got six and one half furlongs in 1:17.13.

Second, just off pacesetter Rewired around the far turn, Heck Yeah easily cruised to a one length advantage while well within himself a quarter mile from home and went on to win as much best. 

A winner of the Cal Cup Derby here at a mile and one sixteenth two starts back on Feb. 19, Heck Yeah was most recently fifth in the one mile turf Pasadena Stakes against open company on March 17.  Off as the 8-5 second choice in a field of eight Golden State Series eligible sophomores, Heck Yeah paid $5.20, $3.40 and $2.40.

“I shouldn’t have run him back in that turf race (Pasadena, March 17) going long," said winning conditioner Bob Baffert. "But he came out of it well. I took the blinkers off (today). Last time in the paddock he never relaxed. He used himself up last time.

Bred in California by Michael Pageler and out of his Maria’s Mon mare Lutess, Heck Yeah is owned by Pageler, Dr. Michael Sigband and Bob Baedeker.  A three-time stakes winner versus state-bred competition, he’s now 5-4-0-0 overall and with the winner’s check of $110,000, his earnings have reached $308,000.

Ridden by Javier Castellano, Fire When Ready outran Take the One O One in the closing stages to finish second by a head.  Off at 6-1, Fire When Ready paid $5.00 and $2.80.

Take the One O One, the 6-5 favorite with Joe Talamo, finished third by 3 ¼ lengths over Psycho Dar and paid $2.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.13, 45.27 and 1:10.40.

(The final time of 1:17.13 was nearly identical to Spiced Perfection’s 1:17.08, accomplished two races earlier in the filly counterpart to the Echo Eddie, the $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes).