JOSEPH T. GRACE STAKES SHOWCASES THE BEST OLDER ROUTERS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
An intriguing field of nine is entered to compete in the feature race of the week, the $50,000 Joseph T. Grace Stakes on turf for 3-year-olds and upward. The mile and a sixteenth contest is the marquee grass race at the current Golden Gate Fields Fall meet and goes as the seventh of eight races on this Saturday’s card.
The headliner is none other than Camino Del Paraiso, who was last seen winning the September 7 Rolling Green Stakes for trainer O.J. Jauregui. The California-bred son of Suances is a multiple graded stakes-placed gelding that has earned $440,092 throughout his six-year career. This will be his fourteenth-lifetime start. Catalino Martinez, who navigated Camino Del Paraiso to victory in the Rolling Green, rides back on Saturday.
Give Me the Lute, claimed by trainer Andy Mathis and owners Rod and Wendy Hogan for $80,000 last year, is a son of Boisterous who broke the Golden Gate track record sprinting five furlongs on turf in June. He enters this stake off a decisive second-level allowance victory routing and will be ridden by Irving Orozco, who was aboard for his most recent victory. Fuente, who ran second to Give Me the Lute in the aforesaid second-level allowance, is also entered in the Joseph T. Grace. Fuente picks up the services of jockey Erick Lopez.
Defending champion Mugaritz makes his first start of 2020 in the Joseph T. Grace for trainer Jonathan Wong. He won the 2019 Berkeley Handicap over the local strip last year and also scored a dominant victory on dirt in the 2019 Bulldog Handicap at Fresno. Evin Roman rides for the first time. Navy Armed Guard, in the meantime, broke the track record going one mile on Tapeta in September and returns to turf for trainer Quinn Howey. The son of Midshipman finished third behind Camino Del Paraiso in the Rolling Green two months ago with Frank Alvarado, who retains the mount on Saturday.
Two Southern California shippers blend into the mix. Love and Peace, a filly facing males in the Rolling Green, comes off a gate to wire victory against other females at a second-level allowance condition. Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale and local rider William Antongeorgi III team up with the French-bred daughter of Linngari, The Black Album, a Peter Miller trainee who ran off the board in the Rolling Green and most recently finished fifth in Santa Anita’s Lure Stakes on October 25, also makes the trip north and will be ridden by Kyle Frey.
Stakes placed Builder and allowance winner Lookin for Revenge rounds out the field. Please note that post time on Thursday and Sunday remains at 12:45 PM PT. However, our Friday and Saturday programs have a later first post of 1:15 PM PT.
Race 8 on Saturday: $50,000 Rolling Green Stakes (one mile and a sixteenth on turf)
#1 Give Me the Lute (Jockey Irving Orozco, Andy Mathis)
#2 Fuente (Erick Lopez, Manny Badilla)
#3 Camino Del Paraiso (Catalino Martinez, O.J Jauregui)
#4 Lookin For Revenge (Santos Rivera, Brendan Galvin)
#5 The Black Album (Kyle Frey, Peter Miller)
#6 Love and Peace (William Antongeorgi, Neil Drysdale)
#7 Builder (Silvio Amador, Ed Moger Jr,)
#8 Mugaritz (Evin Roman, Jonathan Wong)
#9 Navy Armed Guard (Frank Alvarado, Quinn Howey)
NEVER BE ENOUGH SCORES IN KATHRYN CROSBY STAKES AT DEL MAR
5-year-old mare Never Be Enough won her third race in a row for trainer Manny Badilla in Saturday’s feature race at Del Mar, the Kathryn Crosby Stakes for older filly and mare routers at one mile on turf. Navigated by Southern California pilot Tiago Pereira, Never Be Enough sat in midfield for the majority of the race before displaying a sharp acceleration down the stretch. She hit the wire a length in front of runner up finisher Colonial Creed and paid $14.80 to win.
“She ran awesome,” said Badilla on Wednesday. “We’re proud of her. [Jockey] Tiago Pereira gave her a great ride. She returned to the barn [at Golden Gate] this morning and looks great. We’ll take her back to the track tomorrow morning.”
This is the second year in a row in which Northern California shippers have taken home the gold prize in the Kathryn Crosby. Last year, Wicked Old Fashion posted a 32-1 shocker for trainer Victor Trujillo and jockey Evin Roman.
Never Be Enough has won four of six races for Badilla and owners Ron Charles and Sam Gordon since being purchased by the aforementioned connections in late January from Europe. Her last two wins before the Kathryn Crosby Stakes triumph came at Golden Gate in a pair of allowance races run over the main track Tapeta.
“She’s a real nice mare,” said Badilla. “We went to Southern California for this last race because once she was able to beat [multiple stakes winning stablemate] Sloane Garden [in her last start at Golden Gate], we knew she was in great form.”
Badilla proudly displayed a Del Mar condition book when asked on where Never Be Enough would run next. He pointed to the stakes schedule.
“We’re pointing to the Red Carpet Handicap in three weeks,” said Badilla. “We’re sending her back down south for her next race. She’ll be going a mile and three eighths next time.
The Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap, at the aforementioned 13-furlong distance, has a purse of $100,000. For fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward, the Red Carpet will be run on Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 26.
PIKE PLACE DANCER WINNER I’M SO ANNA POSSIBLE FOR GRADE I STARLET
Local filly I’m So Anna fended off all challenges to the win the $75,000 Pike Place Dancer Stakes last Saturday at Golden Gate Fields. Trained by Steve Sherman, I’m So Anna went to the lead, set moderate fractions up front and held off late rallies from Southern California shippers Consternation and Sweetest Angel to win the mile turf contest by a narrow margin.
Shortly after the race, Sherman indicated to the Daily Racing Form’s Chuck Dybdal that the Grade I Starlet Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on dirt could be next for the California-bred daughter of Fast Anna, who was bred by owners KMN Racing.
“She ran so well when she broke her maiden, I’d like to see her run there again,” Sherman told Dybdal. “She’s been a joy to train. She has a great temperament and never gives up even when she’s lost.”
In the aforesaid quote, Sherman was referring to I’m So Anna’s maiden victory in July when defeating a large field of California-breds over the Los Alamitos dirt. The Starlet, run at Los Alamitos on December 5, would be a major steppingstone for Fast Anna. That said, a win or even a top three placing in a Grade I race is lucrative for any filly or mare, especially once they retire to broodmare status after their racing careers.
BAJA SUR ROMPS IN EL DORADO SHOOTER STAKES
Trainer Blaine Wright couldn’t have been more pleased with how Baja Sur ran in Sunday’s feature race at Golden Gate, the $75,000 El Dorado Shooter Stakes. Sent off as the 4-5 favorite under jockey Catalino Martinez, the Washington-bred son of Smiling Tiger sat fourth in the early stages before producing a strong rally down the stretch, hitting the wire four lengths ahead of
runner up Bettor Trip Nick and third place finisher Ultimate Bango.
“He ran great,” said Wright after the races on Sunday night. “He had a rough trip in his last start [at Santa Anita] and might have been able to win that day. He’s a super nice horse and it’s great to see him back in winning form.”
Wright, who trains Baja Sur for owners John and Janene Maryanski and Gerald Schneider, mentioned that the Oakland Stakes on November 21 is a “possible” next race for his star sprinter. If Baja Sur were to compete in the Oakland, it would also likely be his last race this year, said Wright.
“He came out of the El Dorado Shooter in good shape,” said Blaine. “He’ll return to the track on Thursday, we’ll see how he trains and go from there. He’s been in training pretty much all year round, so if we run in the Oakland we’ll give him a break after that.”
CLAIMS REPORT
Thursday
Race 5: Duchamp (new trainer Dan Markle…new owners Peerenboom-Bowyer Racing Stables LLC)
Friday
Race 3: Trina (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Saturday
Race 6: Spanish Hombre (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 7: Felony One (Isidro Tamayo…Joel Gonzalez)
Race 7: Zelaia (Isidro Tamayo…Sergio Salguero)
Sunday
Race 1: Final Demand (Rene Amescua…Kelly Stable and Brent Stapley)
Race 5: Coil to Strike (Marcia Stortz…Anabella Perozo and Gustavo Adolfo Tirado)
Race 9: Perfect Come Back (Jonathan Wong…MVJET Stables)
FINISH LINES: Trainer Victor Trujillo won four races last week, including with all three of his starters on Friday…2-year-old filly Sandy Sunshine broke her maiden in Race 2 on Saturday. Sandy Sunshine was bred by the University of Kentucky and was foaled by none other than Golden Gate Fields veterinarian Casille Batten. Small world!…This Friday at Del Mar, recent Golden Gate maiden winner Starlight Stroll and the filly who ran second in that race, Okoye, are entered to run in the 7-furlong $150,000 Golden State Juvenile Filles. The race is for California bred or California sired 2-year-old fillies…On Saturday at Del Mar, Golden Gate winners Tacoflavoredkisses and Doc Adams are entered to compete in the $150,000 Golden State Juvenile for 2-year-old colts and geldings…Trainer Jonathan Wong will officially saddle his first Breeders Cup starter this Saturday. Windy City Red, who broke his maiden at Golden Gate Fields in September, drew post position number 2 of 14 in Friday’s $1,000,000 Juvenile Turf Sprint at five and a half furlongs on turf. Post time for the Juvenile Turf Sprint is 2:30 p.m ET/11:30 p.m. PT. Jose Valdivia Jr. rides the son of Chitu, who has been installed at 30-1 on the morning line…Ex Golden Gate Fields racer Cupid’s Claws won the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at one mile and a half on dirt earlier this fall and returns on the Breeders Cup Friday Keeneland card in the $150,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at 13 furlongs. Flavien Prat rides for trainer Craig Dollase…Good luck to jockey Ferrin Peterson, who began her career at Golden Gate Fields and had a sensational summer at Monmouth Park in New Jersey. Ferrin and her agent, legendary jockey Julie Krone, are moving to Aqueduct in Queens, New York for the winter…$11,286 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Thursday…Leg C (the third leg) of the Stronach 5 wager this Friday goes as Race 1 at Golden Gate…Happy birthday to jockeys Frank Alvarado and Santos Rivera and trainer O.J. Jauregui, all who turn a year older this week.