INGLEWOOD, Calif. (May 9, 2008) - Unbeaten Lethal Heat will aim for her fourth consecutive victory in the $100,000 Railbird Stakes on Sunday at Hollywood Park.
Trainer Barry Abrams had intended to run the California-bred filly here in the Melair two weeks ago, but she was left out of the field due to a mix-up at entry-time. Abrams won the Melair with Bel Air Sizzle after the original first-place finisher was disqualified and he is hoping his good fortune continues in the Railbird.
Lethal Heat, a daughter of Unusual Heat, won each of her three races in March, the most recent a 1¾-length victory in the Grade III Santa Paula Stakes. She will break from the five-post Sunday with Rafael Bejarano up for the first time in the seven-furlong Railbird.
The field of ten 3-year-old fillies for the Grade III event on Cushion Track lines up as follows from the rail out:
Sweet Hope, with Jon Court up, carries 117 pounds; Magical Victory, Victor Espinoza, 115; Highland Torree, Corey Nakatani, 115; Tasha's Miracle, Martin Garcia, 123; Lethal Heat, Bejarano, 121; Peisinoe, Alex Solis, 117; Homemade Brew, Tyler Baze, 117; P.S.U. Grad, Michael Baze, 121; Lovely Isle, David Flores, 115, and Million Dollar Run, Joel Rosario, 115.
P.S.U. Grad, expected to be scratched from Saturday's Senorita Stakes on the turf course, finished second in the Santa Paula. Winner of the Barretts Debutante Stakes in September, P.S.U Grad seeks her first graded victory in the Railbird.
"She came out of her last race good, and this looks like a good spot," trainer Craig Dollase said of the Harlan's Holiday filly.
Tasha's Miracle, third in the Grade I Las Virgenes at Santa Anita in February, returns to Southern California following a sixth-place finish in the Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland in April. She has earned a race-high $263,800 with two wins in seven starts.
Lovely Isle finished fifth as the favorite in the Santa Paula, beaten four lengths. Winner of her first two starts as a 2-year-old, she finished seventh in the Santa Anita Oaks two starts back.
Improving Homemade Brew steps up as she looks for her second straight win; Peisinoe set the pace before tiring and finishing fourth in the Santa Paula; Sweet Hope ships south after a win at Bay Meadows; Highland Torree finished third in the Santa Paula; Magical Victory closed to finish second to Homemade Brew, and Million Dollar Run finished second in her only start to date.
The 46th edition of the Railbird runs as the eighth of nine races on Sunday's rogram at Hollywood Park. First post time is 1:20 p.m.
