How Unusual Closes to Win Red Carpet Handicap

Masterfully ridden by jockey Corey Nakatani, longshot How Unusual spurted between horses at the top of the stretch to enter contention and outfinished 2-1 favorite Responsibleforlove in the final sixteenth to win the $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap (G3T) Nov. 23 at Del Mar.

How Unusual, off at 9-1 for the 1 3/8-mile grass test, was outrun in the early stages, but showed an impressive turn of foot when cut loose by Nakatani to score by a half-length in 2:14.92 for the distance.

Responsibleforlove, with Joe Talamo in the saddle, was runner-up, a half-length in front of Laseen, with La Manta Gris fourth in the field of 12 older fillies and mares.

How Unusual, owned by the partnership of Fetkin, Sill, and St. Hilaire, and trained by Mike Pender, scored her fifth victory in 19 outings and returned $21.80, $7.60, and $5. The four-year-old Unusual Heat filly now has a total bankroll of $302,367.

"Mike and I talked, and we both agreed that there was only one way to go with her--to take her back, get her to settle and into a nice rhythm and then make that late run," Nakatani said. "I thought sure she'd handle the distance and she did. She's a nice filly."

Responsibleforlove paid $3.20 and $3.20, while Laseen returned $6.40 to show.