Swan song? Ashleyluvssugar may make the Turf Classic his career finale

Ashleyluvssugar, as familiar to fans at Santa Anita Park as its art deco façade, could make his last start in Saturday’s $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic.

The 9-year-old gelded son of Game Plan has raced 18 times at Santa Anita, winning six with two seconds and four thirds while earning $948,963. Overall, he has 10 wins from 36 starts with earnings of $1,475,583.

He worked Sunday morning for the Turf Classic, one of five attractive stakes for California-breds Saturday. The others are the $200,000 California Cup Derby, the $200,000 California Cup Oaks, the $150,000 California Cup Sprint and the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint.

Ashleyluvssugar went “an easy five-eighths” in 1:01.80 for trainer Peter Eurton.

“We’ll just play it by ear every race from here on out,” Eurton said. “We expect him to run well Saturday, but if he doesn’t, he could be retired at any time.”

Ashleyluvssugar last raced Nov. 30, finishing fifth in the Berkeley Handicap (G3) at Golden Gate. It was his first start on the synthetic Tapeta track and his first start in four months. “I think he was just getting used to it,” Eurton said.

“If he had been there for a couple races he probably would have been better off. The first part of the race he was kind of checking things out.”

This will mark “Ashley’s” third start in the Turf Classic. He won it in 2017 and was second last year. Owned by Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stables and Ciaglia Racing, LLC, Ashley’s last victory came against open company in the Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2) May 28, 2017.

Gary Stevens was the rider.