Gas Me Up goes last to first in Joe Hernandez, Santa Anita Park Photo
Santa Anita Park Press
ARCADIA, CA —Racing on Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course for the first time Monday, Gas Me Up rallied from far back in last under Mirco Demuro and sprung a 13-1 upset in Monday’s Grade II, $200,000 Joe Hernandez Stakes going about 6 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita.
Gas Me Up entered the Hernandez following a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. That effort came for Canada-based trainer Kevin Attard. He was subsequently transferred back to the barn of Santa Anita-based trainer Peter Eurton, who conditioned the now 5-year-old gelding by Hard Spun when he was a 2-year-old.
Dismissed at 13-1 in the Joe Hernandez, Gas Me Up and jockey Mirco Demuro were more than 10 lengths back after 80-1 longshot Schwarzmeier blazed the opening quarter mile in 20.91 seconds. Gas Me Up remained in last after a half mile in 42.82 seconds. At that point the eventual winner launched his rally. Gas Me Up circled the field and then blew past leader Sumter (7-1) inside the final sixteenth of a mile to win going away by 1 ¾ lengths. Sumter, ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Richard Mandella, held second by two lengths over Zio Jo (21-1).
“It was wonderful, he is an amazing horse,” said Demuro, who was riding Gas Me Up for the first time. “I had so much horse on my hands. I was last, but I was never scared to get beat because he is so good in the end. When I asked him to go, like the trainer said to me, he has a very good turn of foot. I knew the Mandella horse was not easy to beat but my horse got it.”
The winning time for Gas Me Up was 1:10.88.
“I was completely surprised,” Eurton said. “I mean going five wide and being able to finish like he did, I haven’t been around him in a long time but has blossomed into a beautiful animal.”
Gas Me Up is owned by Exline-Border Racing, Michael Jawl, Aaron Kennedy and Tom Zwisler. Co-owner Justin Border discussed the trainer switch and change in jurisdictions for Gas Me Up in the winner’s circle.
“His form was obviously very good up there (at Woodbine),” Border said. “The E P Taylor (turf) course closed and he is lightly raced for his age, so Kevin and everyone thought he would just be fantastic down the hill. He earned his way into the Breeders’ Cup. We thought that was worth a shot. He was already here and it just made a ton of sense. The stars aligned and it all worked out today.” Gas Me Up improved to 11: 5-1-1 with more than $430,000 in earnings.
Gas Me Up paid $28.20, $13.20 and $8.80. Sumter returned $8.00 and $5.00. Zio Jo, ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Doug O’Neill, paid $11.60.
Live racing resumes Wednesday with a special makeup card due to last week’s rainstorms that hit the area and delayed the start of the Classic Meet. First post is 12 p.m. for a nine-race card.
