FORT MCHENRY MAKES GOLDEN GATE DEBUT THIS THURSDAY
Horse racing fans around the globe will be hard-pressed to find another horse running on Thursday that is as royally bred as Fort McHenry.
Fort McHenry, by top North American stallion Tapit, is out of the broodmare Love the Chase, who produced 2-time Horse of the Year California Chrome. Fort McHenry was purchased as a yearling for $1,100,000 and broke his maiden in lifetime start number two while racing under the care of leading East Coast conditioner Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream Park. After multiple disappointing efforts on the East Coast, Fort McHenry was privately purchased by Purple Rein Racing and sent to the barn of current trainer Doug O’Neill, who resides in Southern California.
In his first start for Team O’Neill, Fort McHenry lost by a large margin-29 length to be exact-in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita earlier this month. He gets significant class relief in the Golden Gate featured sixth race, a starter allowance event, and is listed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
Formidable synthetic local colts and geldings look to put a stern test to the well-bred Fort McHenry. Among the main contenders: starter allowance winners Bottle of Smoke (trained by O.J. Jauregui) and Megameister (Jonathan Wong), and Mahi Mahi, making his first start off the claim for trainer Isidro Tamayo.
Post time on a 7-race card this Thursday is 12:45 PM PT. The 2nd race on Thursday begins the 20-cent Golden Pick Six jackpot wager, which features a jackpot carryover of $315,457.
BULLETPROOF ONE WHEELS BACK QUICKLY IN SEARCH OF A SECOND BAY AREA ALLOWANCE TRIUMPH
The last race on Golden Gate Fields’ 8-race program this Friday is also the feature race on the program: an allowance optional claimer for 3-year-old fillies sprinting five and one-half furlongs on the Tapeta.
Bulletproof One was an easy winner at this condition on March 5, defeating five other runners by 5 lengths while earning an 86 Beyer speed figure in the process. Although she faces 8 rivals this time around, she doesn’t necessarily face a tougher field. Morning line oddsmaker Steve Martinelli reflected how strongly she is likely to be supported in the wagering, setting the California-bred daughter of Idiot Proof at even money.
Bulletproof One sports an impressive resume; after a pair of runaway wins to kick off her career in Northern California for trainer Ellen Jackson, she was privately purchased by owners Gary and Cecil Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Wachtel Stable, and immediately moved to the Southern California string of Peter Miller.
As a 2-year-old for Miller, Bulletproof One was victorious in the CTBA Stakes at Del Mar. After a runaway win in the CTBA, she finished as the runner up in the Speakeasy Stakes on turf against males and the California Cup Oaks routing on grass. After a fourth-place finish against boys in the Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita, she was shipped to Golden Gate for a “confidence booster” in her most recent afternoon appearance (as mentioned in paragraph two.) Ricky Gonzalez was aboard for her last win and retains the mount on Friday.
The second-morning line favorite in Friday’s nightcap, 7-2 shot Cakewalk, makes her 3-year-old debut for trainer Blaine Wright and is worthy of a second look. A $110,000 sale purchase as a youngster, the daughter of Majesticperfection finished second behind eventual stake winner Been Studying Her in a maiden race at Pleasanton before returning to break her maiden in an Emerald Downs stakes race: the Barbara Shinpoch Stakes. Cakewalk posts a series of sharp drills leading up to her return to the races, with leading jockey Juan Hernandez set to ride for Wright.
Post time on Friday is 1:15 PM PT.
FINISH LINES: Juan Hernandez and Jonathan Wong continue to lead in the jockey and trainer standings, respectively…Happy birthday to trainers Leobardo Rivera and Genaro Vallejo, both who celebrate birthdays within the next seven days…Also, happy belated birthday to jockeys William Antongeorgi III, Franklin Ceballos, and Juan Hernandez.