“…he has blossomed into a beautiful animal” ~ trainer Peter Eurton
Racing on Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course for the first time on Monday, Ontario-bred GAS ME UP (Hard Spun) 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.
The victory strengthens Gas Me Up’s claim for Champion Turf Male in Canada for 2025 and voting for the Sovereign Awards begins in two weeks.
Bred by Sam-Son Farms and bought for $140,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Gas Me Up won the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes at Woodbine this year for trainer Kevin Attard and was third in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. Gas Me Up is owned by Exline-Border Racing, Michael Jawl, Aaron Kennedy and Tom Zwiesler.
Gas Me Up entered the Hernandez following a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. He was subsequently transferred back to the barn of Santa Anita-based trainer Peter Eurton, who conditioned the dark bay when he was a two-year-old.
Dismissed at 13-1 in the Joe Hernandez, Gas Me Up and 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 a wild 1:10.88, just off the course record of 1:10.40.
“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 he has blossomed into a beautiful animal.”
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.
The gelding’s dam, Chic Thrill, traces to RADIANT RING, a Sovereign Award winner for Outstanding Broodmare who raced for Sam-Son and won over $700,000. Radiant Ring produced champion CATCH THE RING and stakes winners Seeking the Ring and Diamond Fever.
Catch the Ring, Gas Me Up’s third dam, produced stakes winners Catch the Thrill and Catch the Luck, while Catch the Thrill is the dam of stakes winner Curlin’s Catch.
Gas Me Up is one of four foals to race for Chic Thrill, who earned $159,000 and was stakes-placed. Her 2021 foal is Bald Eagle Derby winner Give It a Whirl and her two-year-old of 2025, C’est Chouette, is a winner and stakes-placed.
-with files from Santa Anita media
More News
