Mucho Unusual – Benoit Photo
CALLAGHAN’S GROUP I WINNING CHILEAN IMPORT BROOKE FIGURES PROMINENTLY AS WELL
ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 15, 2021)–Owner/breeder George Krikorian’s California-bred Mucho Unusual, who has never been off the board in eight starts over the Santa Anita lawn, heads a field of six older fillies and mares in Monday’s Grade III, $100,000 Megahertz Stakes at one mile on turf.
Also figuring prominently is highly regarded Chilean import Brooke, a 5-year-old mare idle since March 14, who will be making her U.S. debut for trainer Simon Callaghan.
Conditioned by Tim Yakteen, Mucho Unusual, a 5-year-old daughter of Mucho Macho Man, out of the Unusual Heat mare Not Unusual, comes off an authoritative three quarter length win going a mile and one eighth on turf in the Grade III Robert J. Frankel Stakes here on Dec. 27.
Ridden by eastern-based John Velazquez in the Frankel, Mucho Unusual will cut back in distance a furlong and be handled by Joel Rosario, who rode her to a pair of wins from three tries at age three. Well beaten in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at a mile and three sixteenths two starts back on Nov. 7, Mucho Unusual took the Grade I Rodeo Drive at a mile and one quarter on turf three starts back on Sept. 26.
Although she’s cutting back in distance, Mucho Unusual has three wins and as many thirds from seven tries at a flat mile on grass and should handle the cutback without a problem.
Owned by Don Alberto Stable and bred in Chile by their Haras Don Alberto, Brooke, who won her Group I stakes on Dec. 30, 2019 by three lengths in a field of 14 sophomore fillies, has been idle since well beaten in a Group II over a “heavy” turf going one mile in Argentina on March 14, 2020.
Favored in six out of eight career starts, Brooke has five wins and two seconds and has defeated a total of 75 horses in the process. She has seven local works to her credit dating back Nov. 21. With her last six drills coming at five furlongs. Brooke will be ridden by Jeremy Laprida who is currently based at Parx Racing near Philadelphia, Laprida has ridden Brooke in all eight of her lifetime starts.
Trainer Andrew Lerner’s Ippodamia’s Girl, idle since a close third going 5 ½ furlongs on turf in the Grade III Sen Ken Maddy Stakes here on Nov. 2, 2019 and consistent California-bred Sedamar, who is trained by Shelbe Ruis, both seek their first graded stakes victories in the Megahertz.
THE GRADE III MEGAHERTZ, WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m. PT
- Brooke–Jeremy Laprida–120
- Colonial Creed–Flavien Prat–124
- Lucky Peridot–Abel Cedillo–124
- Mucho Unusual–Joel Rosario–124
- Ippodamia’s Girl–Juan Hernandez–120
- Sedamar–Umberto Rispoli–120
First post time for a nine-card on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, this Monday, is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita’s races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet.
Press Release- Santa Anita
