Southwestern Heat, the first foal out of champion filly Xtra Heat, will take a big step up in class when he competes in the six-furlong Hirsch Jacobs Stakes (gr. III) at Pimlico May 19.
The 3-year-old Gone West colt is trained by Tim Salzman, the son of Xtra Heat's co-owner and trainer, John Salzman. His champion dam, who was based at Laurel Park, was a multiple stakes winner at Pimlico in 2001, the year she was named champion 3-year-old filly.
Southcoast Stables' Southwestern Heat broke his maiden by 13 lengths at Laurel April 11 and then won an allowance at Pimlico April 28. In order to garner his first stakes win, he will have to defeat several stakes winners, including Heart Throbbin', Street Magician, and Like Mom Like Sons.
One and Won Stable's Heart Throbbin', a son of Formal Gold trained by King Leatherbury, enters the Hirsch Jacobs off a nose victory in the April 21 Maryland Stallion Station Stakes. Hobbitontherocks, who finished second behind Heart Throbbin', is set for a rematch on Saturday and is looking to break a slight case of seconditis, as he also ran second by a neck in the April 7 Bay Shore Stakes (gr. III).
Some tough competition could also come from Like Mom Like Sons and Street Magician. Like Mom Like Sons sports a perfect four-for-four record, and in his last out, the Carson City colt won the Woodstock Stakes at Woodbine for Norseman Racing Stable and trainer Sid Attard.
R. Larry Johnson's Street Magician captured the March 31 Aventura Stakes at Gulfstream Park. In his last outing, the Michael Trombetta trainee finished fifth in the April 28 Withers Stakes (gr. III).
Sports Town won the May 16 Ogygian Stakes at Belmont and is expected to scratch. Finallymadeit and Stormin Baghdad round out the field.
Hirsch Jacobs Stakes (gr. III), $100,000, 3-year-olds, six furlongs, approximate post 1:24 p.m. EST:
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Southwestern Heat, 116, Eric Camacho
2. Sports Town, 118, John Velazquez
3. Heart Throbbin', 120, Ryan Fogelsonger
4. Finallymadeit, 118, Eduardo Nunez
5. Street Magician, 122, Rafael Bejarano
6. Hobbitontherocks, 116, Ramon Dominguez
7. Stormin Baghdad, 118, Edgar Prado
8. Like Mom Like Sons, 122, Garrett Gomez