Lethal Heat remains undefeated

Golden Doc is not the only talented 3-year-old daughter of Unusual Heat in the barn of trainer Barry Abrams.

Lethal Heat won for the third time in as many races Sunday at Santa Anita, rallying past the weary pacesetters in the $108,500 Santa Paula.

In her first start on something other than turf, Lethal Heat, a 7-1 shot, proved she could handle the synthetic and became a graded stakes winner in her third race in less than a month.

An unstarted maiden in February, Lethal Heat defeated maidens by a nose at 22-1 on March, then returned to win an optional claimer as the lukewarm favorite on March 20 before her clever score Sunday.

“She’s just a very good horse,” Abrams said. “She can do anything.

“The farther they go, the better.”

In defeating P.S.U. Grad, a 6-1 shot, Lethal Heat ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.91.

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A winner three times in 12 starts in her native England, Diamond Diva is one for one in the U.S after a victory in the $77,450 American Beauty Handicap at Aqueduct in New York.

Under jockey Mike Smith, who replaced David Flores when that rider was late returning from the United Arab Emirates after he competed in the Dubai World Cup program, the 4-year-old Dansili filly tracked the pace set by Fleet Caroline before assuming command in the final eighth of a mile.

The final time for the one mile on turf was 1:35.02.

Diamond Diva, the 4-1 second choice, is owned by Lincoln Collins’ Three Chimneys Racing LLC and trained by Jim Cassidy.

Fleet Caroline was easily second, four lengths in front of 1-2 favorite Black Mamba.

The loss was the sixth in a row for Black Mamba and three of the defeats have come when she has been favored.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com