The Usual Q.T. looks for synthetic-surface victory at Santa Anita

The best horse based in California not named Zenyatta might be The Usual Q.T., a 4-year-old gelding who has won six consecutive races on the turf, including the Grade I Hollywood Derby in November.

The Usual Q.T. gets an opportunity to enhance his reputation running in today’s $500,000 Sunshine Millions Classic at 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita’s Pro-Ride surface, the featured event of a six-race bi-coastal competition between California- and Florida-breds.

Also being run at Santa Anita is the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf at 1 1/8 miles and the $200,000 Filly & Mare Sprint at six furlongs. First post today is 11:30 a.m., with the Classic the eighth race in an 11-race program.

Trainer James Cassidy got The Usual Q.T. as a 2-year-old when he already had been gelded. He was bred by Carlee Van Kempen and is owned by Don Van Kempen Inc. and Michael Netwig.

“I’m sure he was a bit of a handful,” he said. “If they knew what they had now, they wouldn’t have done it.”

The Usual Q.T. is developing into the best son ever produced by the prolific 20-year-old California stallion Unusual Heat, who has been California’s leading sire the last two years and has produced 73 horses who have earned $100,000 or more. The Usual Q.T. has $516,670 in career earnings, but the real test is to see if he can win away from the turf.

Cassidy chose not to run in the $300,000 Turf at Gulfstream Park for travel reasons.

“I’ve never really traveled with him except to Hollywood Park, and he’s gotten a little aggressive about that,” he said. “Eventually, we were going to try him on [synthetic surfaces], and I think this is a good opportunity.”

It’s not as if The Usual Q.T. has run poorly away from turf. He has three second-place finishes in four non-turf races.

And a win in the Sunshine Millions would give Cassidy more options to consider. Jockey Victor Espinoza, who has ridden The Usual Q.T. in his last three victories, gets the call.

Bold Chieftain, a winner of 11 stakes over the last 3 1/2 years in California with career earnings of $1,131,411, will challenge The Usual Q.T. under jockey Russell Baze.

Bootleg Annie, once claimed for $5,000, could be the horse to beat in the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf. Pretty Unusual, a daughter of Unusual Heat, is coming off an upset win at odds of 29-1 in the Grade II El Encino Stakes at Santa Anita.

The defending champion in the Filly & Mare Sprint, High Resolve, is back to run. The 5-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Put It Back is co-owned and trained by Greg Gilchrist.

On Sunday, Santa Anita will hold the Grade I, $250,000 Santa Monica Handicap at seven furlongs for fillies and mares 4 years old and up, featuring Evita Argentina.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com