Trainer Peter Eurton saddled his
eighth consecutive winner at Santa Anita on Saturday, as Chickie Charms stormed
home to win by 5 ¼ lengths in the sixth race under Joe Talamo.
Although impossible to confirm, it
is believed Eurton’s feat, which began April 5, is unprecedented in the
75-year history of Santa Anita.
“Going into last Saturday, we had
four wins and 15 seconds,” said Eurton, 54. “I thought we could turn some
of those seconds around and now things are clicking. What can you
do? It’s almost scary. Before this race I thought ‘I can’t win this
one too.’”
Owned by Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam
Stables, Ciaglia Racing and Rob Dyrdek, Chickie Charms paid $8.00 to win.
Eurton’s only other starter on
Saturday was Called to Serve, who was a handy 3 ¾ length winner of the fifth
race under apprentice Eswan Flores. Off at odds of 5-2, he paid $7.00.
Best known as the trainer of Grade I
Del Mar Debutante and Grade I Oak Leaf Stakes winner Weemissfrankie, Eurton
insists his current run of good fortune started this past summer at Del Mar.
“It just seems that since (owner)
Frank (Alesia) died at Del Mar, we’ve been blessed. Weemissfrankie won
there on opening day and then she won the Debutante,” said Eurton.
When asked if he was superstitious
about the way he has entered his horses during the streak or with how he’s
dressed or watched races, Eurton was quick to respond.
“Not at all. I do things
the same way at the barn but I’m not superstitious.”
Eurton’s eight-race roll began on
Thursday, April 5, as he sent Belle Passe and Joel Rosario to victory in the
third race, paying $4.80 to win.
He recorded a hat trick two days
later on Santa Anita Derby Day, April 7, winning the first race with Valley Cat
and Rafael Bejarano, the third with Relentless Heat and Talamo and the seventh
race with Fiddlers Afleet and Bejarano. The winners paid $8.80, $5.40 and
$4.20.
His next starter came on Thursday,
April 12. Eurton’s Itssultryinthecape, with Chantal Sutherland up, won
the second race by 4 ½ lengths and paid $8.40 to win.
Win number six came on Friday, as
Eurton braved stormy weather conditions, giving Kevin Krigger a leg up in the
third race aboard Lemon Hero. The result was a head victory and win
mutuel of $7.60.
Eurton has no horses entered for
Sunday and said he “might have a couple horses the last two days of the meet.”