GOLDEN STAR LADY BACK IN CALIFORNIA FOR SATURDAY FEATURE
Golden Star Lady, making her first start for Southern California conditioner Peter Miller, returns to California and faces a field of six local contenders in the featured seventh race on Saturday at Golden Gate: a first level allowance for fillies and mares at five and one-half furlongs on Tapeta.
A 4-year-old filly, Golden Star Lady is by Candy Ride, out of the Grade 3 placed mare Empressive Lady. She began her career in California in 2019 before moving to the East Coast the following year. In the barn of Wesley Ward, Golden Star Lady broke her maiden at Belterra Park in Ohio and won an allowance race at Mountaineer Racecourse. Most recently, she finished third in a second level allowance over Turfway Park’s synthetic surface.
The strongest Northern California contender may be Pentewan, making her first start off an 11-month layoff for trainer Manny Badilla. After being purchased in Europe by her current connections, the daughter of Havana Gold beat maiden special weight foes to kick off her United States career in February of 2020. In her next start less a month later, she completed the exacta in an allowance restricted to 3-year-old fillies, finishing behind lightning-quick stakes winner Bulletproof One. As a 4-year-old this Saturday, she’ll be trying her hand against older foes.
Hey Wilmaaa, also entering this race off a vacation, sports fast workouts leading up to her 2021 debut for trainer Jacqui Navarre. After finishing third to next out Santa Anita allowance winner Loud Loud Music, Hey Wilmaaa broke her maiden at Pleasanton on dirt. Shortly after earning the maiden diploma, she was given time off. The two aforementioned races are her only afternoon appearances to date.
Trainer Cliff DeLima saddle a pair of contenders in Perfect Stories and Smiling Spirit. Smiling Spirit easily defeated a group of maiden special weight foes on January 18 and faces winners. Perfect Stories was a maiden special weight winner in October but has since finished off-the-board in two starts at this first-level condition.
Recent Los Alamitos winner Ana Lisa and comebacker I’m A Rockette complete the lineup. Golden Gate offers a 9-race program this Saturday, with first post slated for 12:45 PM PT.
SEATTLE BOLD TRIES ROUTING, TURF IN SECOND LIFETIME START
Trainer Jamey Thomas entered 3-year-old California-bred colt Seattle Bold in the opener on Saturday at Santa Anita Park, a California-bred allowance race at one mile on grass. Umberto Rispoli has the riding engagement for Thomas and owner/breeder Myles McMahon.
Seattle Bold was an impressive maiden winner sprinting at Golden Gate on February 7, setting the pace before finishing the contest full of run, hitting the wire a length and a half in front of the runner up. He completed the final furlong in 12 seconds flat and earned a 62 Beyer speed figure for his effort.
“I knew [Seattle Bold] could run well sprinting, but I’ve always told the owner that I thought this horse would like running long,” Thomas told us in the February 10 edition of the News and Notes. “He wasn’t blowing [after his first race] at all. He wasn’t tired…Physically, he looks just like his [sire Bold Chieftain].”
Another Northern California horse competing at “The Great Race Place” on Saturday is Six Point Rack, conditioned by Aggie Ordonez and owned by McLean Racing Stables. Kent Desormeaux hops aboard the son of Lucky Pulpit in Race 4, a 10k claimer at one mile on dirt.
Santa Anita Park has a scheduled first post time of 12:30 PM PT on Saturday.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
Friday
Race 3: Of Good Report (New trainer Dan Markle…new owner Peerenboom-Boyer Stable LLC)
Saturday
Race 6: Truly Fabulous (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 9: Tink’s Twirl (Tim McCanna…Morning Line Racing LLC)
Sunday
Race 2: Spun Away (Tim Bellasis…Bellasis, O’Gorman, O’Gorman and Tschanz)
Race 6: Boyson (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing and Cynthia Kahuanui)
FINISH LINES: In the jockey standings, Kyle Frey has made the most trips to the winners circle out of any rider at the current meet with 31 wins. Evin Roman holds second place with 27 wins and Catalino Martinez completes the top 3 placings with 22 victories…In the trainer standings, Jonathan Wong sits atop the list with 15 wins at the current meet. Steve Specht is right behind with 13 wins while Isidro Tamayo checks in third with 10 first place finishes…$45,582 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Thursday…Race 3 on Friday is Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager…Happy birthday to trainer Sammy Calvario, who celebrates his 40th birthday next Monday.