Pacific Heat heads wide-open field of nine in Fran's Valentine

Trainer Peter Eurton’s multiple stakes winning Pacific Heat and Kristin Mulhall’s Roo’s Valentine head a wide-open field of nine California-bred or sired fillies three and up in Sunday’s $125,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, to be run at one mile over the Santa Anita turf.

Also prominent are Eddie Truman’s fast improving Moonless Sky, undefeated in two local starts, and Paddy Gallagher’s late running Shehastheritestuff.

Named for Earl Schieb’s homebred daughter of Saros, Fran’s Valentine, a foal of 1982, was a multiple Grade I stakes winner with trainer Joe Manzi and is perhaps most famous for finishing first in the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, run in 1984 at Hollywood Park. Ridden by Patrick Valenzuela, she was disqualified from victory and placed 10th.

PACIFIC HEAT: A three-time California-bred or sired stakes winner, she went to the front and ran a big second off a 53-week freshening here in a one mile turf allowance on April 16. With a recent race under her belt, she’s the horse to beat for owners Sharon Alesia, Burns Racing, LLC and Ciaglia Racing, LLC. A 4-year-old daughter of the recently deceased Unusual Heat, Pacific Heat is 7-4-1-0, with earnings of $380,840.

ROO’S VALENTINE: Ever consistent, she went to the early lead in a one mile main track stakes here on March 26 and was overhauled late, finishing second by 1 ¼ lengths to the talented Skye Diamonds, who came back to run a big second on the main track behind Grade I winner Vale Dori in the Grade III Adoration Stakes on May 7. With two wins from four starts on turf, Roo’s Valentine, a 4-year-old Vronsky filly bred in California by her owner, Kretz Racing, LLC, is 14-4-3-4 and has earnings of $275,555.

MOONLESS SKY: A 4-year-old California-bred filly by Bold Chieftain, she was winless in four starts in south Florida prior to joining Truman’s barn in January. Blessed with an eye-catching turn of foot, she has the look of a filly ready to run a smasher as she seeks her third consecutive one mile turf victory in partnership with Kent Desormeaux. Owned by Pappas Racing, Moonless Sky is 6-2-2-2 with earnings of $72,010.

SHEHASTHERITESTUFF: An impressive come from behind one mile turf allowance winner two starts back on March 11, she rallied boldly to finish fifth, beaten 1 ½ lengths in a second condition allowance over the course on April 9 and will hope to have a fast pace to exploit on Sunday. A 4-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat, she’ll be handled for the third consecutive time by Gary Stevens. Owned by David and Michael Day and Mark DiPietro, she’s 9-3-1-1 and has earnings of $137,368.

THE FIELD FOR THE FRAN’S VALENTINE STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 9 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

1. Pacific Heat—Flavien Prat—122

2. Roo’s Valentine—Martin Pedroza—122

3. Shehastheritestuff—Gary Stevens—122

4. Smoove It—Mario Gutierrez—122

5. Ticaboo—Tyler Baze—122

6. Top Notch—Martin Garcia—122

7. Moonless Sky—Kent Desormeaux—122

8. Cheekaboo—Mike Smith—124

9. Desert Steel—Corey Nakatani—122

First post time for a nine-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m.