Pacific Heat, the 7-5 favorite in a field of a dozen California-bred two-year-old fillies, swept to the lead from the outside entering the stretch and went on to score an authoritative victory in the featured $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes on opening-day of Del Mar’s second Bing Crosby fall racing season.
With Joe Talamo in the saddle, Pacific Heat drew off impressively in the final furlong to score by five and one-quarter lengths in 1:24.31 for the seven furlongs over Del Mar’s main dirt surface.
Sambamzajammin, a 22-1 longshot piloted by Miguel Perez, closed to be second, with Patriotic Diamond, the 2-1 second choice, third, three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up. Yodelsong was fourth. Withdrawn from the original field were Sharp Holiday and Obey.
Pacific Heat, a daughter of Unusual Heat, was scoring her second win in as many starts, having broken her maiden easily at Los Alamitos a month ago. The filly, trained by Peter Eurton and owned by Alesia, Burns and Ciaglio, earned $110,000 with her triumph.
The day’s attendance was 6,144.
Racing continues Friday on the first day of the two-day Breeders’ Cup championships at Keeneland race course in Lexington, Kentucky, with Del Mar gates opening at 9 a.m. for simulcasting. The first Del Mar race is scheduled for 12:45 p.m.
JOE TALAMO (Pacific Heat, winner) – “I picked up this (mount) and I was lucky they chose me. I was loaded all the way around there. She ran really well. And I don’t think distance will be any problem for her. She’ll go right on.”
MIGUEL PEREZ (Sambamzajammin, second) – “The winner pushed me in from the quarter pole home. But my filly ran well. She gave it a good try.”
RAFAEL BEJARANO (Patriotic Diamond, third) – “I was in a perfect position with her; sitting right behind the speed. She ran on, but the winner -- she was just too much today.”
LARRY ZAP, stable spokesman (Pacific Heat, winner) – “We knew that she was special when we bought her and she’s proven it today. We knew there was some cheap speed in the race and after that it was just up to Joe (Talamo) to get her to the outside and you saw what happened from the quarter pole on. Just a classy filly from Day One.”
Trainer Peter Eurton is at Keeneland in Lexington, KY, where he’ll saddle Kobe’s Back in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
FRACTIONS: :22.71 :46.00 1:11.52 1:24.31
This was the first running of the Golden State Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
The stakes win was rider Talamo’s 40th at Del Mar.
The stakes win was trainer Eurton’s fifth at Del Mar.
The winner is owned by Sharon Alesia of Carlsbad, CA, Michael Burns and Joe Ciaglia of Ciaglia Racing.