Xtra Heat (USA)
March 3, 1998 – December 2022
Dixieland Heat (USA) x Begin (USA), by Hatchet Man (USA)
Family 5-g
March 3, 1998 – December 2022
Dixieland Heat (USA) x Begin (USA), by Hatchet Man (USA)
Family 5-g
One of the few female sprint specialists to make it into the Hall of Fame, Xtra Heat won only one Grade 1 race during her racing career. She never won against the very best of the male sprinters, and she didn't match Ta Wee's record for carrying crushing weights against all comers. What the little daughter of Dixieland Heat did have was complete honesty and consistency. She never went on the track without giving her best, and her best was usually enough to get her home in front. As of 2023, none of her foals have shown anything close to her own ability.
Race record
35 starts, 26 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds, US$2,389,635
2000:
2001:
2002:
2003:
Honors
Assessments
Highweighted on the International Classifications of 2001 for 3-year-old dirt fillies at 122 pounds over 1000m–1400m.
As an individual
A small, slightly built bay mare (as a 3-year-old, she measured a shade below 15 hands) with powerful hindquarters for her size, Xtra Heat was tough, game, sound and consistent on the track in spite of osteochondritis dessicans lesions in her stifles. She had a sweet disposition and was a kind-natured broodmare who showed good maternal instincts but was eager and energetic as a competitor with a tremendous will to win. She shipped well and was indifferent to track conditions.
As a producer
Xtra Heat produced 14 named foals of racing age. 12 have started and eight are winners. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Xtra Heat was bred by Pope McLean Sr., Pope McLean Jr., M. McLean and P. Ferlaga Jr. She was owned by Ken Taylor, Harry Deitchman and John E. Salzman, Sr., who purchased Xtra Heat for US$5,000 from the 2000 Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic May sale of 2-year-olds in training She was trained by John E. Salzman, Sr., throughout her racing career and was his first Grade 1 winner. Following a sixth-place finish in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Sprint (USA-G1), Xtra Heat went through the ring at the 2002 Fasig-Tipton November mixed sale, but the final bid of US$1.7 million failed to meet her reserve of US$2.2 million. She was sold to ClassicStar shortly afterward for US$1.5 million. Xtra Heat changed hands again when John Sykes bought her from ClassicStar in 2007 (along with property that later became part of his Woodford Thoroughbreds), shortly before ClassicStar declared bankruptcy. As of 2022, Xtra Heat lives at Woodford Thoroughbreds' Kentucky farm, where she was pensioned after producing her final foal, a 2019 colt by Outwork.
Pedigree notes
Xtra Heat is inbred 5x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Native Dancer. She is by the Dixieland Band horse Dixieland Heat, winner of the 1993 Louisiana Derby (USA-G3). Her dam Begin, a stakes-placed daughter of Hatchet Man, is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Shonda's Girl (by Tudor Grey) and to Lucky Natalie (by Lord Avie), dam of Grade 3 winner Goldigger's Dream (by Native Prospector) and second dam of minor stakes winner Luck and Fame.
Begin's dam Crimson Charla is a winning daughter of Crimson Satan and is a full sister to stakes-placed Logistic, second dam of Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Berry Road. The next dam in the tail-female line, Wood Nymph (Deerlands x Hukilau, by Native Dancer) won the 1963 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs and is a half sister to 1965 Hollywood Juvenile Championship winner Port Wine (by Porterhouse),1968 Santa Ysabel Stakes winner Fish Net (by Dotted Swiss; dam of Grade 3 winners Fish Wife, by Bold Bidder, and King Neptune, by Cornish Prince) and 1974 Florida Breeders' Futurity winner Big Decision (by Dotted Swiss).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Portrait photo taken by Jessica Morgan in 2010. Used by permission.
Last updated: November 19, 2023
Race record
35 starts, 26 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds, US$2,389,635
2000:
- Won Astarita Stakes (USA-G2, 6.5FD, Belmont)
- Won Blue Hen Stakes (USA-L, 6FD, Delaware)
- Won Kattegat's Pride Stakes (USA-L, 7FD, Laurel)
- Won Critical Miss Stakes (USA, 6FD, Philadelphia)
- Won Toddler Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Laurel)
- Won Snow White Stakes (USA, 7FD, Charles Town)
- Won Laura Gal Stakes (USA, 6FD, Laurel)
2001:
- Won Prioress Stakes (USA-G1, 6FD, Belmont)
- Won Stonerside Beaumont Stakes (USA-G2, 7FD, Keeneland)
- Won Endine Stakes (USA-G3, 6FD, Delaware)
- Won Cicada Stakes (USA-G3, 7FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Straight Deal Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-L, 6FD, Pimlico; new track record 1:09)
- Won Sweet and Sassy Stakes (USA-L, 6FD, Delaware)
- Won Ruthless Stakes (USA-L, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Dearly Precious Stakes (USA-L, 6F, Aqueduct)
- Won Arctic Cloud Stakes (USA, 6FD, Pimlico)
- 2nd Breeders' Cup Sprint (USA-G1, 6FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Test Stakes (USA-G1, 7FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Nassau County Stakes (USA-G2, 7FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash Stakes (USA-G1, 6FD, Laurel)
2002:
- Won Barbara Fritchie Handicap (USA-G2, 7FD, Laurel)
- Won Genuine Risk Handicap (USA-G2, 6FD, Belmont)
- Won Vagrancy Handicap (USA-G2, 6.5FD, Belmont)
- Won Endine Handicap (USA-G3, 6FD, Delaware)
- Won Phoenix Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G3, 6FD, Keeneland)
- Won Straight Deal Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-L, 7FD, Laurel)
- Won Interborough Handicap (USA-L, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Princess Rooney Handicap (USA-G2, 6FD, Calder)
- 2nd Garland of Roses Handicap (USA-L, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1, 1200mD, Nad al Sheba)
2003:
- Won Barbara Fritchie Handicap (USA-G2, 7FD, Laurel)
- Won What a Summer Stakes (USA, 6FD, Laurel)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2015)
- Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old filly (2001)
Assessments
Highweighted on the International Classifications of 2001 for 3-year-old dirt fillies at 122 pounds over 1000m–1400m.
As an individual
A small, slightly built bay mare (as a 3-year-old, she measured a shade below 15 hands) with powerful hindquarters for her size, Xtra Heat was tough, game, sound and consistent on the track in spite of osteochondritis dessicans lesions in her stifles. She had a sweet disposition and was a kind-natured broodmare who showed good maternal instincts but was eager and energetic as a competitor with a tremendous will to win. She shipped well and was indifferent to track conditions.
As a producer
Xtra Heat produced 14 named foals of racing age. 12 have started and eight are winners. Her important foals are as follow:
- Southwestern Heat (2004, by Gone West) won the 2007 Sonny Hine Stakes at Laurel and is Grade 3-placed. He was the leading freshman sire in New Mexico and runner-up on the Southwestern region's freshman sire list in 2014. He was New Mexico's leading second-crop sire in 2015 and the state's leading third-crop sire in 2016 before dying in 2017.
- Elusive Heat (2006, by Elusive Quality) won the restricted Geyser Spring Stakes at Saratoga in 2009. She is the second dam of four stakes winners including Grade 3 winners Hot and Sultry and Scalding.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Xtra Heat was bred by Pope McLean Sr., Pope McLean Jr., M. McLean and P. Ferlaga Jr. She was owned by Ken Taylor, Harry Deitchman and John E. Salzman, Sr., who purchased Xtra Heat for US$5,000 from the 2000 Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic May sale of 2-year-olds in training She was trained by John E. Salzman, Sr., throughout her racing career and was his first Grade 1 winner. Following a sixth-place finish in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Sprint (USA-G1), Xtra Heat went through the ring at the 2002 Fasig-Tipton November mixed sale, but the final bid of US$1.7 million failed to meet her reserve of US$2.2 million. She was sold to ClassicStar shortly afterward for US$1.5 million. Xtra Heat changed hands again when John Sykes bought her from ClassicStar in 2007 (along with property that later became part of his Woodford Thoroughbreds), shortly before ClassicStar declared bankruptcy. As of 2022, Xtra Heat lives at Woodford Thoroughbreds' Kentucky farm, where she was pensioned after producing her final foal, a 2019 colt by Outwork.
Pedigree notes
Xtra Heat is inbred 5x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Native Dancer. She is by the Dixieland Band horse Dixieland Heat, winner of the 1993 Louisiana Derby (USA-G3). Her dam Begin, a stakes-placed daughter of Hatchet Man, is a half sister to multiple stakes winner Shonda's Girl (by Tudor Grey) and to Lucky Natalie (by Lord Avie), dam of Grade 3 winner Goldigger's Dream (by Native Prospector) and second dam of minor stakes winner Luck and Fame.
Begin's dam Crimson Charla is a winning daughter of Crimson Satan and is a full sister to stakes-placed Logistic, second dam of Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Berry Road. The next dam in the tail-female line, Wood Nymph (Deerlands x Hukilau, by Native Dancer) won the 1963 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs and is a half sister to 1965 Hollywood Juvenile Championship winner Port Wine (by Porterhouse),1968 Santa Ysabel Stakes winner Fish Net (by Dotted Swiss; dam of Grade 3 winners Fish Wife, by Bold Bidder, and King Neptune, by Cornish Prince) and 1974 Florida Breeders' Futurity winner Big Decision (by Dotted Swiss).
Fun facts
- Xtra Heat actually passed through the bargain basement three times before she started racing. She was sold as a weanling for US$9,100 at the 1998 Keeneland November mixed sale and as a yearling for US$4,700 at the 1999 Ocala Breeders' Sales August yearling sale.
- Taylor, Deitchman and Salzman came close to losing Xtra Heat in her first race, a US$25,000 maiden claimer at Laurel. Trainer Scott Lake had actually filled out a claim slip for the filly but forgot to submit it before the deadline. Xtra Heat won by a neck and was never risked for a tag again.
- Xtra Heat was nearly sold for US$350,000 following her victory in the Astarita Stakes as a 2-year-old, but the prospective buyer backed out after veterinary examination revealed that the OCD lesions in her stifles were still present. (They had been detected prior to her sale as a 2-year-old, but her owners had not gone over her veterinary reports prior to buying her.) Xtra Heat made another 29 starts with no sign of trouble from the lesions.
- With 25 stakes victories, Xtra Heat won the most added-money events of any female member of the Hall of Fame in the 20th or 21st centuries. Only the great 19th-century runner Firenze, who captured 33 added-money stakes and handicaps plus several sweepstakes races, surpasses her.
- Xtra Heat racked up 13 consecutive triple-digit Beyer speed figures at one point in her career, including a career high of 120.
- The Xtra Heat Stakes is a sprint on dirt for fillies and mares aged 4 and up at Aqueduct. As of 2022, it was carded at 6.5 furlongs.
- Xtra Heat's pasture buddy in retirement was Bless, a full sister to 2000 Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner Fusaichi Pegasus.
Photo credit
Portrait photo taken by Jessica Morgan in 2010. Used by permission.
Last updated: November 19, 2023