BULLETPROOF ONE RETURNS IN THURSDAY FEATURE
Multiple stakes winner Bulletproof One is back in the Bay Area and faces 3-year-old male counterparts in the feature race on Thursday afternoon, a 5-and-a-half-furlong allowance sprint on Tapeta.
Bulletproof One was the first 2-year-old winner at Golden Gate Fields in 2019. Off at odds of 3-5, the California-bred daughter of Idiot Proof went to the lead and never looked back, winning the 4-and-a-half-furlong contest by eight convincing lengths for trainer Ellen Jackson. She repeated against males in the Everett Nevin Stakes on dirt in lifetime start number two, scoring by 9 lengths while finishing ahead as a gate to wire winner. After the two breathtaking victories, she was privately purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, and Cecil Barber and moved to the barn of Southern California conditioner Peter Miller.
For the Miller stable, she was victorious in the CTBA Stakes at Del Mar by open lengths in lifetime start number, tallying her third career win from three starts. Since then, however, she has lost five straight races, including last time out when favored in the $75,000 Baffle Stakes on turf at Santa Anita. She takes a drop-down in class and is likely to go off favored again on Thursday.
Five locals sign up to compete against Bulletproof One. Three of those horses (Foreign Protocol, Little Cents and Smileforme) have already won at this allowance condition while Admirably has hit the board twice at this level. Jive Talkin, a recent victor against maiden special weight company, breaks from the rail post position and faces winners for the first time.
First post time on the 7-race card is 12:45 PM. This featured allowance for 3-year-olds goes as Race 6.
ARCH PRINCE LOOKS LIKE THE ONE TO BEAT IN MARQUEE RACE ON FRIDAY
To date, old pro Arch Prince has thoroughly enjoyed 2020. From 3 lifetime starts so far this year, the Sammy Calvario trained 6-year-old gelding has won 2 races-both at the second level allowance condition-with his lone loss resulting in a fourth-place finish behind next out Grade 2 placed racer Camino Del Paraiso. This Friday, Arch Prince goes for his third victory in a row in the fourth race, a second-level allowance for older colts and geldings routing one mile and a sixteenth.
One interesting contender to challenge Arch Prince comes in the form of Kiwi’s Dream, a Victor Trujillo trainee who wheels back in just two weeks after a four-place finish sprinting at Santa Anita. That afternoon, he ran against a salty group of allowance foes. He makes his career debut going two turns in this spot and gets the services of leading Golden Gate jockey Juan Hernandez.
Mithqaal makes his second start off a seven-and-a-half-month layoff for leading trainer Jonathan Wong after a fifth-place finish to kick off his 2020. The son of Speightstown finished three lengths behind Arch Prince in his last afternoon appearance and will need to run faster to make an impact on the likely favorite late. That said, the Wong Stable has been on fire as of late and is not to be dismissed in any race these days.
Cupid’s Claws and More Power to Him, both who have settled for minor awards behind Arch Prince in their last two starts, rounds out the quintet.
In other Friday news, the fifth race, a first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies, attracts the likes of Southern California maiden special weight winner She’s So Special and romping two-back allowance winner I’m A Rockette. Both figures to get the most play in the six-furlong affair and goes as the first leg of the Late Pick 4.
EL CAMINO REAL DERBY PARTICIPANTS BACK AT IT ON SATURDAY
10 races kick off at 12:45 PM on Saturday afternoon, with the co-feature going as Race 8: a first-level allowance race for 3-year-olds traveling one-mile. Ajourneytofreedom, Final Final, Mysterious Stones, and Wine and Whisky, all participants in last month’s El Camino Real Derby, throw their hat in the ring and face new a quarter of new shooters to the route condition: Awesome Summer, Cajun Bettor, Call Me Peppy and Prince de Prince.
Wine and Whisky finished fourth in the El Camino Real Derby and has run two bang-up races since removing blinkers for trainer Felix Rondan. Ajourneytofreedom, the half-sibling to 2019 El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate, suffered traffic issues in the 2020 edition of the El Camino Real’ and could run a winning race with a better trip this time. Mysterious Stones performed poorly in the El Camino Real Derby but beat Ajourneytofreedom two races ago at this condition. Final Final, in the meantime, has finished well behind in his last two starts and will need to improve to pick up the top prize on Saturday.
Awesome Summer may be the colt with the most appeal who enters the race as a new participant to the first level allowance route level for 3-year-olds. The son of Vronsky has always been well regarded and was a super impressive one-mile maiden special weight winner on March 7. The Bob Hess Sr. trainee has worked once since the maiden breaker and retains the services of Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.
Another race that catches the eye on Saturday is Race 10, the second leg of the Golden Hour Double. In the full field of 10, Southern California shippers Liberal and Cono travel North for trainers Paddy Gallagher and Michael McCarthy and will likely get bet. Although the former has not raced since a visually impressive maiden win over this track in May, he is a first-time gelding from an outfit that succeeds when shipping runners to Golden Gate. The latter, a recent runner up finished behind sharpie Ernie Banks, won at this level over this track three races ago.
A number of local entrants hold home-field advantage in Race 10. One interesting entry is 2019 Alcatraz Stakes winner Tortosa, in for a $25,000 tag for trainer Jose Bautista. The son of Cape Blanco has not been seen since a fourth-place finish at the second-level allowance condition in November.
CLAIMS
The following is a list of claims for last week:
Thursday
Race 4: Arno’s Mane Man (trainer Blaine Wright, owners Blaine Wright Racing Stable LLC & August Serena)
Race 5: Papaya (trainer Ed Moger Jr., owner Steve Moger)
Race 7: Tim’s Buddy (trainer Marcia Stortz, owner Gustavo Adolfo Tirado)
Friday
Race 7: Mahi Mahi (trainer Isidro Tamayo, owner Jessica Reyes)
Saturday
Race 8: Indian Zip (trainer Sammy Calvario, owner Mary Tucker)
Sunday
Race 2: Regal Lady (new trainer Jacqui Navarre, new owner Scott Herbertson)
FINISH LINES: PLEASE NOTE: POST TIME FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON IS 1:15 PM…First-out Golden Gate Fields maiden special weight winner Sherilinda has moved to the barn of George Papaprodromou and will race in Saturday’s China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita routing two turns on the turf. Previously, Sherilinda was conditioned by Quinn Howey…2019 San Francisco Mile runner up River Boyne, 2019 California Derby winner Kingly and Berkeley Handicap second-place finisher Ohio all compete in Saturday’s Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita on Saturday…2019 Lost in the Fog Stakes winner Anyportinastorm returned to the work tab on March 1, drilling 3 furlongs in 37.40 seconds for trainer Blaine Wright…$172,859 has been carried over into Thursday’s Golden Pick Six Jackpot wager. We also have a Super High Five carryover on Thursday of $9,570…Leg D of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 at Golden Gate on Friday…The Golden Hour Double, a Daily Double wager combining Santa Anita’s last race with the Golden Gate nightcap, was a smashing success, seeing six-figure pools in both days’ wager. The Golden Hour Double, a $5 minimum bet and a 15% takeout wager, returns this Friday-Sunday…Happy birthday to jockey Juan Hernandez, trainer Frank Lucarelli, GGF TV producer Frank Matthews, and GGF Marketing Manager Ryan Hilton, all who celebrate birthdays within the next seven days.