STAKES WINNER BEEN STUDYING HER RETURNS IN SATURDAY FEATURE
Multiple stakes winner Been Studying Her makes her 4-year-old debut in Saturday’s marquee race, Race 8, a first level allowance for filly and mare sprinters at six furlongs. Been Studying Her also makes her first start for Northern California conditioner Steve Sherman, who has been happy with his filly’s progression leading up to this run.
“She took the rest of the year off after the summer meet at Del Mar,” said Sherman. “It was nothing major. She was just getting a little body sore and needed some time to freshen up. She’s getting over the Tapeta well in her workouts and I think she’ll be fit enough to run well off the break. She is eligible for this condition, so this is a perfect starting point for her. She’s very healthy and happy.”
Been Studying Her, who won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies on Breeders Cup Friday 2019, is out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Maddie’s Odyssey. This makes her a half-sibling to 2019 Grade 3 All American Stakes winner Grecian Fire and Grade 2 winner Sneaking Out. Both aforementioned siblings have won on the Golden Gate Tapeta main track.
Another new shooter to the Golden Gate first level allowance condition is Sheza Girly Girl, moving back to the barn of trainer Angelo Tekos Jr. A newly turned 4-year-old filly by Richard’s Kid, she began her racing career under the care of Tekos Jr. and, as a 2-year-old, won a California-bred maiden special weight at Golden Gate. She was soon moved to the stable of Steve Knapp in Southern California and won a pair of California-bred allowance races there. Although her recent form is poor, Tekos feels this is the right spot for her to bounce back.
“Recently she ran in a couple of stakes races and those [races] came up tough,” said Tekos. “I’m really happy with how she’s training over this [Tapeta] track. I hope we get some pace to run at in this race because she likes to sit off and make a run.”
Continued Tekos, “She’s eligible for this first level [allowance] condition. It’s a logical spot for her. The class relief should do her good. Been Studying Her is a nice filly and she’s the one to beat, no doubt, but if there’s a time to try and beat her it’s probably now when she’s coming off a layoff.”
First post for a 9-race card this Saturday is 12:45 PM. Please note that on Sunday, first post will be earlier than usual, 11:45 AM, to accommodate all who wish to watch “The Big Game” later in the afternoon and into the evening.
HECK YEAH IN HAS FOUND HIS NICHE IN THE ROUTE GAME
Trainer Steve Sherman was delighted to see Golden Gate shipper Heck Yeah perform as well as he did in the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic for California-breds at Santa Anita on January 16. Sent off at odds of 21-1, the son of Grade I winner Acclamation sat off the pace before producing an eye-catching move turning for home. He battled for the victory for the length of the lane but was eventually outfinished by the winner, North County Guy. Heck Yeah lost no admirers in defeat.
“He ran great,” reflected Sherman. “I was proud of him. He faced a good field that day and ran his heart out. I couldn’t have asked him to try any harder.”
Heck Yeah began his career with trainer Bob Baffert and won three stakes, all against California-breds, as a younger horse. He displayed poor form in 2019 and 2020 and was eventually turned-out last February for some much-needed farm time. From there, it was decided that he would be transferred to Sherman’s stable at Golden Gate Fields with the hopes that he would regain winning form against easier company.
Returning to the races last summer, Heck Yeah ran poorly in a pair of sprint efforts for Sherman. When Sherman opted to route him in his third start off the layoff, Heck Yeah looked like a different-and much improved-racehorse. That day, he sat off a fast pace, overtook the early leader turning for home, and won the race easily while earning an 86 Beyer speed figure. In his next start, he won again, earning another 86 Beyer. In the Unusual Heat Turf Classic, Heck Yeah was given a career high 96 Beyer.
“Sometimes horses get older and they change,” said Sherman. “He used to be able to sprint just fine. He could sprint and route. Now, for whatever reason, he’s telling us routing is what he wants to do. We’ll keep him going two turns.”
Heck Yeah has resumed light training at Golden Gate since the Santa Anita second-place finish and may return to the work tab this weekend, according to Sherman.
NOMINATIONS FOR 2021 EL CAMINO REAL DERBY CLOSE THURSDAY
The deadline for horsemen to nominate their contenders to one of the most prestigious races every year in Northern California, the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby, is Thursday at midnight. The 2021 edition of the El Camino Real Derby, a one mile and an eighth race for 3-year-olds on Tapeta, will be run next Saturday, February 13.
The El Camino Real Derby is an intriguing race for any horse on the Triple Crown trail. Not only does the winner receive 10 Kentucky Derby points, but they also pick up an all-expenses-paid, free berth into the Preakness Stakes. In order for a horse to receive the latter incentive, however, they must be triple crown nominated.
Major El Camino Real Derby news broke last Saturday when Rombauer, who finished second in the 2020 Grade I American Pharoah Stakes in September at Santa Anita, was listed as “likely” for the race. His owner, John Fradkin, took to Twitter last week to indicate that his star 3-year-old was being pointed for next Saturday’s feature. Michael McCarthy trains the son of Twirling Candy, whose lone win came last summer at Del Mar in a maiden race.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week, with new human connections listed.
Thursday
Race 2: Ben Wade (New trainer Isidro Tamayo…new owner Sergio A. Salguero)
Race 5: Hot Socks (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing, MJVET Stables, and Cynthia Kahuanui)
Friday
Race 1: Union Leader (Tirso Rivera…Beth Rivera)
Race 6: Galwalksintoabar (Jonathan Wong…Paul K. Girdner)
Saturday
Race 4: Kaline (Bill McLean…Fred Desimone, Gary Smith, and Bill McLean)
Race 4: My Sunshine (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing and Jose Valle)
Race 6: Awesome Amanda (Jonathan Wong…Terri Tucket)
Race 8: Discernment (Aggie Ordonez…McLean Racing Stables)
Sunday
Race 2: Baby Frankie (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing and Jose Valle)
Race 2: Megameister (Pablo De Jesus…Tim Bankers)
Race 3: Irish Declaration (Reid France…Goat Racing Stable LLC and Reid France)
FINISH LINES: After three weeks of live racing at the current meet, jockey Kyle Frey sits atop the jockey standings with 18 wins. Evin Roman holds second place with 14 victories while Catalino Martinez rounds out the top three spots with 12 trips to the winner’s circle…Trainer Steve Specht has won eight races, the most out of any trainer. Tied for second in the trainer standings are a trio of conditioners: Isidro Tamayo, Jonathan Wong and Blaine Wright, all with five wins apiece…Grade I winner Keeper Ofthe Stars, currently on the comeback trail for a 5-year-old season, worked a half-mile on Thursday morning for trainer Jonathan Wong. The daughter of Midnight Lute won the Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita last May, finished off the board twice in two subsequent starts, and was then given the rest of 2020 off…2020 All American Stakes winner Restrainedvengence makes his 2021 debut in the one-mile, Grade 3 $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes on turf at Santa Anita. Val Brinkerhoff employs jockey Ruben Fuentes for the ride…Happy birthday to trainer Jamey Thomas, who celebrates his birthday this week…Leg D (the second to last leg) of Friday’s Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 at Golden Gate…$29,520 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager heading into Thursday’s card.