A member of the 1990 foal crop, this Thoroughbred hailed from Kentucky. But he never made a start in the Bluegrass State. Instead, Europe beckoned, and this son of Nureyev made most of his starts in Ireland.

It was only towards the end of his career did he come to California, a place where he would find immense success. But it would not come at the racetrack.

No, he was destined for a superb stallion career. And he has since become one of the most popular and prolific sires in the history of California.

Unusual Heat's tenure in Ireland could be called a mixed bag, but he was not without success. He managed to capture a couple of stakes like the Amethyst and Glencairn before making the journey to America. It was there where he joined the Richard Mandella stable, making his first start in California just before the spring of 1996 for Dr. Thomas T.S. Liang.

Much like his Ireland days, Unusual Heat produced a variety of results, with his best efforts being wins in a couple of claiming races. The first win, which came at Hollywood Park in June, saw Unusual Heat get claimed. His new owners included James Auerbach and Team Green, and he was sent to the trainer he is most closely associated with: Barry Abrams.

With the new connections, Unusual Heat managed to win in what proved to be his career finale in late June 1996. Though his racing days were over, he was only getting started in California.

Now a stallion, it did not take Unusual Heat long to get on the map. Passing his turf experience to Lennyfrommalibu, the latter captured some black-type stakes in his home state while routing in the early 2000s, including the 2003 California Cup Mile and the 2004 Crystal Water Handicap.

He was followed by Tucked Away, a winner in both the black-type and graded ranks. Able to sprint and route, Tucked Away captured the 2003 Fleet Treat Stakes at seven furlongs and the Grade II Clement L. Hirsch in 2005, both of those races being on dirt. In addition, Tucked Away placed in various stakes at the black-type and graded levels, too.

The stakes winners just kept on coming, with Golden Doc A, Juliessugardaddy, Spenditallbaby, and Unusual Suspect all collecting stakes wins. What's more, Unusual Heat produced winners on dirt, turf and synthetic surfaces over the years, and his progeny became victorious on both the Northern and Southern California circuits while also handling sprinting and routing.

Unusual Heat would sire many winners in his illustrious career, but he took his staliion prowess to another level, for he fathered multiple champions.

One such example was Lethal Heat, whose stellar 2008 campaign netted her Champion Cal-bred Three-Year-Old Female honors and later the 2009 trophy for Cal-bred Older Female.

Speaking of 2009, one of Unusual Heat's sons made his mark on the circuit. The Usual Q.T. rattled off multiple graded stakes wins, highlighted by his score in the Grade I Hollywood Derby, to be named California's top Three-Year-Old Male. He would follow that up the next year with Older Male honors in his home state after winning or placing in various graded stakes, with the Grade I Eddie Read (first place) and Grade I Breeders' Cup Mile (third place) among them.

More champions followed in the 2010s, with Acclamation, Gervinho and Unusual Heatwave all recognized as the top horses in their respective divisions. That went for Acclamation in particular, who earned two Cal-bred Horse of the Year honors as part of his multiple accolades.

But all of this just scratches the surface in terms of what Unusual Heat has contributed to California racing. He has sired hundreds of winners in addition to producing several champions, and it is not uncommon to see his name come up as a winning damsire during a race day somewhere in California. He won numerous titles as a California stallion, and has quite simply been the primary figure in the state's breeding industry throughout the twenty-first century. Anyone associated with the industry, whether they are a jockey, trainer, groom or fan, knows how potent Unusual Heat has been as a stallion.

And just to give another example of how much of a force Unusual Heat has been, he was responsible for siring the top four horses in a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita in early 2011. Fittingly, the race was contested on the hillside turf course, long a place where many of Unusual Heat's progeny have enjoyed success. The result was an Unusual Heat superfecta, which demonstrates the power of this great stallion.

Unusual Heat lived to the age of 27, passing in 2017. Already a living legend long before then, he has become nothing short of an icon of California racing. One of the state's most influental horses, his presence will remain here for years to come, as many Thoroughbreds have been and will be part of his bloodline.

In his honor, Santa Anita hosts the Unusual Heat Turf Classic every year, and he was inducted into the California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Hall of Fame in 2018.

The history of California racing contains figures who have made an indelible impact. Charles H. Strub would be one, as would Seabiscuit, Swaps, Native Diver, Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Charlie Whittingham, John Henry, Lava Man, Zenyatta and California Chrome. That may seem like a long list, but the reality is that it is quite short. Very few spots are reserved for this grand pantheon, but it is without question that Unusual Heat deserves one of them. No one has had the influence he has brought to California breeding, certainly not in this century.

One of the greatest sires ever to come out of the state, Unusual Heat cannot be measured just on his tremendous success.

For all he accomplished, which was substantial, the love and admiration he acquired far outweighs everything else. And that says something about the greatness of Unusual Heat.