GOLDEN GATE DEBUTANTE FEATURED ON 11-RACE FRIDAY CARD
A field of 10 two-year-old fillies signed up to take part in the $50,000 Golden Gate Debutante this Friday, November 23.
Among the list of main contenders is Brahm’s Command and Tomlin, both who cut back in distance after second and third place finishes, respectively, in the one-mile Pike Place Dancer on turf last month. Before the Pike Place Dancer, Brahm’s Command broke her maiden going five and a half furlongs on this Tapeta surface while Tomlin defeated allowance runners, also sprinting on the Golden Gate main track.
A number of recent maiden victors make their debut against winners in the Golden Gate Debutante. Noble Contessa, from the Mike McCarthy barn at Santa Anita, went to the lead and never looked back in a one-mile maiden special weight at Golden Gate on October 27 and cuts back from a route to a sprint in this spot. Sarazona Two broke her maiden facing Cal-bred fillies on November 10 and wheels back quickly for this race while La Aguililla, who pulled off a 16-1 upset in her career debut, defeated five other rivals in an open company maiden event on November 3.
Swing Thoughts has the most experience out of anyone in the field, with 9 career starts to her name. The Ed Moger Jr. trainee recently won an allowance optional claiming race, defeating Silk Ransom and Boomchicaboom, both who are also slated to run in this race. Jerry Hollendorfer and owner KMN Racing campaign two contenders in the 2018 Debutante: Silk Ransom and Stealthediamonds, who won an allowance race two starts ago sprinting over this track. She most recently ran last in the Pike Place Dancer Stakes going a route of ground and gets back to sprinting, which is arguably her best game at this point in time.
Dreaming About You completes the field, having just run second in a starter allowance race to Southern California shipper The Creep. The Dan Markle trainee is the fifth runner in the race that cuts back from a route to a sprint, having just run a mile on the lawn.
The Golden Gate Debutante goes as Race 8 on the 11-race program. First post time on Friday afternoon is 12:15 PT, with the Debutante set to go off at approximately 3:45 PM PT.
The GG Debutante field from the rail out: Silk Ransom (A. Cedillo, J. Hollendorfer), Noble Contessa (R. Gonzalez, M. McCarthy), Dreaming About You (J. Couton, D. Markle), Brahms Command (F. Duran, G. James), Sarazona Two (C. Martinez, F. Rondan), Boomchicaboom (W. Antongeorgi III, J. Wong), Stealthediamonds (J. Hernandez, J. Hollendorfer), La Aguillila (J. Matias, R. March), Swing Thoughts (A. Gomez, E. Moger Jr.), Tomlin (F. Alvarado, S. Specht).
WRIGHT, HERNANDEZ & REDEKOP WIN TWO STAKES’ WITH CITY ZIP PROGENY
Trainer Blaine Wright, jockey Juan Hernandez and owner Peter Redekop teamed up to win a pair of stakes races at Zia Park in Hobbs, New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon. Zia held their biggest race day of the year on Thanksgiving Eve-a day in which 7 stakes’ were featured on their 10-race card.
In Race 5, 4-year-old filly Alliford Bay won her fifth race in a row when capturing the $100,000 Zia Park Distaff going six furlongs. With the victory under her belt, Alliford Bay improved her record to 8 wins, 1 second and 1 third with career earnings of $252,247. This was the seventh stakes victory for Alliford Bay, who was purchased by Redekop and bloodstock agent Alistair Roden for $150,000 as a 2-year-old. Alliford Bay has now won stakes races at four different racetracks: Emerald Downs, Hastings Racecourse, Sacramento and Zia Park.
Two races later, Hernandez guided the Wright trained Anyportinastorm to a wire-to-wire score in the $100,000 Zia Park Sprint. Anyportinastorm completed the six-furlong event in a sizzling fast 1:07.92 seconds, only about three-quarters of a second off the track record for six panels, while defeating Grade 3 winner and Grade I placed gelding Stallwalkin Dude in the process. The Zia Park Sprint was the first stakes win for Anyportinastorm, who also completed the trifecta in the Lost in the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate earlier in the year. Anyportinastorm, bought at the 2016 OBS 2-year-old in training sale for $320,000, holds a consistent record of four wins, one second and three thirds in nine lifetime starts.
The Kentucky stallion City Zip, who stood at Lane’s End Farm for $50,000 in 2017, sired both Wright stakes winners. Unfortunately, City Zip was euthanized at the age of 19 that same year due to chronic food problems. He has produced six champions and over 75 black type winners since beginning stud duty in 2002.
TWO STAKES’ LISTED ON SATURDAY 10-RACE PROGRAM
When entries for Saturday were released by the Golden Gate Fields racing office on Wednesday afternoon, a terrific 10-race program filled the overnight.
Among the races this Saturday are a pair of stakes’: the $50,000 Oakland Stakes for sprinters and the $100,000 Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap for 3-year-olds and upward going one mile.
93 runners were entered in 10 races on Saturday, which averages out to 9.3 horses per race. The Late Pick 4 is comprised of the Oakland and Berkeley, along with a 12-horse starter allowance race (with 1 also eligible) and an 11-horse maiden claimer that goes as the nightcap. First post time on Saturday: 12:45 PM
EIGHT SPRINTERS SET TO GO IN THE OAKLAND STAKES
The $50,000 Oakland Stakes, which has been carded as Race 7 on Saturday, was originally scheduled for last Saturday, November 17. The Friday and Saturday cards last week were cancelled, however, due to poor air quality from the Northern California fires, and the Oakland was moved back one week.
Leading the 2018 Oakland Stakes field is Awesome Anywhere, coming off two dominating allowance wins at Santa Anita since being claimed by Jerry Hollendorfer three starts ago. The 4-year-old gelding is 2 for 3 on the Golden Gate Fields main track, having previously been in the barn of trainer Tim McCanna.
Hollendorfer saddles a second Oakland Stakes contender in Annie’s Candy, who makes his first start for Team Hollendorfer since being claimed for $40,000 last month. The Twirling Candy gelding won the Oak Tree Sprint at Pleasanton in June and most recently won a $40,000 claimer, defeating Mah Gellen, who is also entered to compete in this spot.
Trainer Manny Badilla tightens the girth on a pair of Oakland Stakes runners: J C’s Nightcap and Midnight Ming. J C’s Nightcap, a 4-year-old Texas bred gelding, finished behind Zia Park Sprint winner Anyportinastorm two starts ago when racing on this Tapeta surface. His last start, an off-the-board finish, came on turf. Midnight Ming won an allowance race earlier this month and wheels back in three weeks for this stakes try.
Sir Vronski is a win machine. The 7-year-old is 10 for 13 on the Golden Gate Fields Tapeta and has won 8 of 15 races when traveling the distance of six furlongs. Touched By Autism, who ran fourth to Berkeley Handicap contender Gabo’s Macondo in the mile and an eighth Bulldog Stakes, cuts back in distance for a try at a sprint stakes win, while Sunset Dragunn completes the field, having finished well behind Touched by Autism in his past two starts. That said, both runs were on dirt and he gets back to his preferred surface, Tapeta, a surface that all four of Sunset Dragunn’s lifetime wins have come over.
Post time for the Oakland Stakes is 3:45 PM PT. Here is the field, starting with the inside post position: Touched by Autism (J. Hernandez, M. Stortz), Sunset Dragunn (F. Duran, T. Rivera), Awesome Anywhere (F. Alvarado, J. Hollendorfer), Mah Gellin (C. Martinez, B. Wright), Annie’s Candy (A. Cedillo, J. Hollendorfer), Midnight Ming (W. Antongeorgi III, M. Badilla), J C’s Nightcap (A. Sanguinetti, M. Badilla), Sir Vronski (A. Gomez, Q. Howey).
LARGE FIELD GOES FOR THE GOLD IN THE BERKELEY HANDICAP
12 of the 17 nominations for the $100,000 Grade 3 Berkley Handicap have opted to run in the race, which is the feature event of the fall meet at Golden Gate. The Berkeley, to be run at a mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta, goes as Race 9 on Saturday. Post time is 4:45 PM.
Leading the cast of characters is defending champion Editore. Paulo Lobo trains and Brice Blanc, who put up a flawless ride aboard Editore in last year’s Berkeley, is back in the irons for this year’s edition. Another Southern California shipper, Flamboyant, won the Grade 3 $200,000 San Francisco Mile last spring on turf and is also shipping in to compete in this spot for trainer Paddy Gallagher. Julien Couton, who rode Flamboyant in the ‘Mile, retains the mount.
Other stakes winners signed include Bulldog Stakes victor Gabo’s Macondo and old-pro G.G. Ryder, who won the San Francisco Mile in 2015 and has rounded back into good form since taking a vacation this summer. More Power To Him, from the Faith Taylor barn, ran second in the Bulldog and will try to turn the tables on Gabo’s Macondo in this spot.
Bella Luma is an interesting item for the Berkeley; the chestnut filly by Ministers Wild Cat faces boys in this spot. She is no slouch, though; the Ed Moger Jr. trainee won the Golden Poppy Stakes on turf last spring and most recently defeated a salty group of filly and mare allowance foes over this Tapeta surface on September 23.
Camino Del Paraiso freshens up after a poor showing in the Rolling Green Stakes behind Grade 2 winner Alert Bay at the summer meet. The hard knocking California bred gelding ran third behind Editore in this race last year and won a second level allowance race by 4 lengths in April, which was his last start over the Tapeta surface. Mithqaal, who ran second in the Rolling Green, freshens up and makes his first start over a synthetic surface since April.
Humboldt County marathon winner Engram, impressive allowance winner Fawree, recent third place allowance finisher Montu and likely pacesetter Black Tie Event complete the field.
The 2018 Berkeley Field from the inside post position: Bella Luma (C. Martinez, E. Moger Jr.), Black Tie Event (H. Martinez, A. Stabile), Montu (A. Solis, I. Tamayo), More Power to Him (A. Gomez, F. Taylor), G. G. Ryder (J. Hernandez, J. Hollendorfer), Fawree (A. Gryder, A. Mathis), Flamboyant (J. Couton, P. Gallagher), Mithqaal (W. Antongeorgi III, J. Wong), Editore (B. Blanc, P. Lobo), Engram (F. Monroy, Q. Miller), Gabo’s Macondo (A. Cedillo, J. Wong), Camino Del Paraiso (R. Gonzalez, O.J. Jauregui).
WINNING BEYER SPEED FIGURES
Thursday
Race 1: Frisky Fox-44
Race 2: Lindas Black Comet-52
Race 3: Fiesty Coach-51
Race 4: Flashy Hero-68
Race 5: Song of Thorns-59
Race 6: Just Hit Play-58
Race 7: Adroit-57
Sunday
Race 1: Woodford Surprise-50
Race 2: Lady Chrome-84
Race 3: Hollywood Hills-54
Race 4: Mayor Cobb-54
Race 5: Xerneas-58
Race 6: Berryessa-74
Race 7: Detangler-68
Race 8: Rose Princess-68
Race 9: Bombardeo-67
FINISH LINES: William Antongeorgi III maintains a five-win lead in the jockey standings over Abel Cedillo…Jonathan Wong sits atop the trainer standings with 18 victories, eight more than Jerry Hollendorfer…Owner Cindy Desimone reported on her Facebook page this weekend that 2015 Oakland Stakes winner Star Student is doing very well and recovering after bouts with colic and laminitis earlier in the year…The Golden Pick Six jackpot pool has climbed to $58,216 heading into Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day card…Remember, we have EARLY FIRST POST TIMES on Thursday and Friday. The first race on Thanksgiving Day Thursday is scheduled to go off at 11:15 AM while the first race on Friday will be run at 12:15 PM…Golden Gate Fields would like to wish all horsemen, fans, horseplayers, and backside and frontside personnel a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!