SANTA ANITA
FRITZ JOHANSEN: Unusual Heat gelding has always showed promise. He came into this $25k claimer in good form and got hot-riding Kent D in the irons. Won this mile turf race by 1¼ lengths but it could not have been easier as Kent had a long tight hold on him and plenty left in the tank. He was claimed by Peter Miller, a great pick up. Look for a quick return on the $25k investment.
ELEUTHEROS: First time starter for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer would have won any other day but he ran into odds-on Hot Sean. Eleutheros ran his race to be a clear second by more than six lengths and will be a solid single next time out. $$$$$
BLACK TIE’N TAILS: Looked well-spotted in his starter allowance going six furlongs but bobbled and was steadied hard at the start to be dead last in the 10 horse field. Settled down on the inside and made a nice late run to miss the show by ¾ length. No mistakes next out with a good break.
ICE KAT: First time starter for Richard Baltas ran a better-than-looked fourth going a mile on the grass, a very tough chore for a first timer. Look for much better next time out going long on the grass.
TAPPED, JILLY, BERNINA STAR, MANNERLY: These four were 1, 2, 3, 4 in this very tough maiden race with Tapped, a very promising Tapit filly, getting up for the nose win. Jilly finished a half-length in front of Bernina Star, who was 1½ ahead of Mannerly, who battled on the front end the entire race. Could be a nice key race; we will keep these 4 on our watch list.
HOW UNUSUAL, OK DOLL, SUTTON’S SMILE, DO THE DANCE, CRIMSON AND GOLD: All were exiting the same race and running in the last one of the day Oct. 2, which offers the super high five. We have been writing about runners exiting the same race and if you boxed these five in the exacta, trifecta, super and super high five you would have hit it all as they ran 1-2-3-4-5. The $2 exacta paid $56.60, $2 tri $164.40, $1 super $426.80 and $1 super high five $2,619.40.