Pacific Heat's Talent Makes All the Difference in Evening Jewel

Under true sloppy conditions at Santa Anita, favored Pacific Heat held on to win Saturday’s $200,000 Evening Jewel Stakes by 1 ¼ lengths under Flavien Prat.  Trained by Peter Eurton, the 3-year-old filly by Unusual Heat got 6 ½ furlongs on 1:17.38.

“I prefer a fair track,” said Prat.  “She wasn’t really comfortable on this sloppy track today, but she has so much talent that didn’t even matter.  Her talent made all the difference.”

Off at 6-5 in a field of nine 3-year-old fillies bred or sired in California, Pacific Heat, who notched her third career stakes win, paid $4.40, $3.80 and $3.00.  Owned by Sharon Alesia, Mike Burns Ciaglia Racing, LLC and Taylor Legan, Pacific Heat picked up $110,000 for the win, increasing her earnings to $366,280.  She now has four wins from six starts.

Longshot Run for Retts made a run at the winner, who raced erratically the final eighth, but had to settle for second, finishing a neck in front of Roo’s Valentine.  Off at 15-1 with Tyler Baze, Run for Retts paid $11.20 and $6.20.

Ridden by Martin Pedroza, Roo’s Valentine was off at 30-1 and paid $9.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 21.56, 44.48 and 1:10.30.

Source: Santa Anita Park