FREY SECURES TOP SPOT IN THE JOCKEY STANDINGS WITH ONE WEEK TO GO
With one week left to go at the 2021 Golden Gate Fields Winter/Spring meet, jockey Kyle Frey has secured the jockey title.
Frey, 29, is close to completing a meet to remember. Heading into Thursday, the Bay Area native has won 108 races from 424 rides, with earnings of $2,123,680. Of course, those numbers will increase by the end of the week.
“It’s been a great meet. I want to thank all of the trainers, owners, grooms and exercise riders who have helped make this all possible,” said Frey. “I also want to thank my agent [Fernando “Shoes” Navarro] for doing such a great job, and Golden Gate Fields for putting on a great meet and handling COVID with such caution. [The management] did a great job getting us back to riding when it was difficult to do so.”
Frey won a trio of stakes on Gold Rush Weekend: the Golden Poppy Stakes with Altea, the Campanile aboard I’m So Anna, and the California Oaks on Pizazz. Riding Rombauer to victory in the 2021 El Camino Real Derby was also, not surprisingly, a highlight of Frey’s meet. Rombauer earned a free berth into the Preakness Stakes with the aforementioned win and wheeled back to score a first-place-finish in the Preakness for trainer Michael McCarthy and owner/breeders John and Diane Fradkin.
“It was cool [watching Rombauer win the Preakness],” said Frey. “Rombauer clearly rose to the occasion. I’m glad to have been a part of his success and getting him there. Michael [McCarthy] is a class act. What you see on camera is exactly what you get in real life. He’s easy to work for and a really nice guy.”
Rombauer is the second horse Frey has worked with who would later compete in a Triple Crown race. In 2018, Frey rode the Doug O’Neill trained Blended Citizen to wins in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks Stakes (you read that right) at Turfway and the Grade 3 Peter Pan at Belmont. Later in the year, Blended Citizen was one of nine others to finish behind Triple Crown winner Justify in the Belmont Stakes.
Frey’s agent, Fernando “Shoes” Navarro, called it “a dream come true” to win the jockey title with his rider. Navarro also represented Assael Espinoza at the Winter/Spring meet.
“There are a lot of people to thank for our success,” said Navarro. “All of the horses, owners trainers and their help. Kyle has ridden great all meet. He makes a difference on a horse. He can ride any type of horse-closers, speed horses, you name it. He gets horses to relax beautifully. He’s got the hands-it’s all in the hands-and he’s worked hard to get to this level of success. The whole meet has been awesome.
As an agent, your goal is always to be at the top of the standings with your riders,” continued Navarro. “We work hard every day. I want to thank my family, and specifically my dad for being my number one fan. They have all been extremely supportive on my journey as a jockey agent. My riders and I are a team. We’re Team Shoes baby!”
Navarro noted that throughout the summer, Frey would be traveling to Del Mar and Emerald Downs, as well as riding in Northern California.
“Summer is gonna be fun,” said Navarro. “He’ll ride at Pleasanton and Golden Gate, but he has some chances to win some nice races at other tracks too. We’ve got some calls on Opening Day at Del Mar, possibly all opening week. We’ll be traveling back and forth. Kyle has a couple of stakes mounts at Emerald on June 20 and if things go to plan, he’ll be at Emerald for the Longacres Mile [in August].”
WONG CONTINUES HIS SUCCESS IN THE TRAINING RANKS
Trainer Jonathan Wong is well ahead in the trainer standings and, for the fourth consecutive year, will win the training title at the Golden Gate Winter/Spring meet.
“All in all, I’m really fortunate that our owners stuck with us through COVID and were supportive of the stable,” said Wong. “I have to give a lot of thanks to our jockeys, who rode hard for me and my team all meet long, and our hard-trying horses of course. I’m also really thankful to [General Manager] David Duggan, [Assistant General Manager] William Rizzuto and everyone who worked hard to get us back up and running by January.”
With four more racing days to go, Wong has 73 wins from 270 starters, equating to a 27%-win percentage. His trainees have earned $1,380,392. When asked about highlights of his meet, Wong was quick to point out Gold Rush Weekend.
“Finishing 1-2 [with Stalking Shadow and Jimmy Irish] in the California Derby was awesome,” said Wong. “Running second with Keeper ofthe Stars in the [San Francisco] Mile was a thrill. That was a great weekend.”
Wong is set to have a split-string of horses in Northern and Southern California. Much of his high-quality stock, some 2-year-olds and “California-breds that fit conditions” will be spending their summer by the beach at Del Mar. He’ll have an equally large string in Northern California for Pleasanton and the summer meets at Golden Gate.
MATHIS SEEKING THIRD STRAIT ALBANY STAKES WIN WITH
Trainer Andy Mathis was presented the Albany Stakes trophy in 2019 and 2020 when his quick turf sprinter Mike’s Tiznow rocketed through five panels in both additions of the race. This year, Mikes Tiznow is not entered for a three-peat, but Mathis has a legit contender that could give him his third consecutive Albany Stakes win.
“It would be nice to win it three years in a row, but this is a different horse…different situation,” said Mathis.
Give Me the Lute, making his first start of 2021, was claimed by Mathis and owners Rod and Wendy Hogan for $80,000 in 2019. He has won three races and is stakes placed since the acquisition, and two of his three victories have come sprinting on turf. In fact, in one of those races he was coming off a layoff, broke the track record, and earned a 96 Beyer speed figure.
“He’s a horse that always looks good and always trains good,” said Mathis. “He’s a unique horse because he’s run well going 5 furlongs and run well going a mile and a sixteenth. I don’t recall training too many horses that can do that, especially at higher levels. This is a good starting spot for him [this year]. I’ve got plenty of 5-furlong works into him and he’s doing things the right way, so I think his fitness level is good.”
For jockey Irving Orozco, who will be aboard Saturday, the ride is expected to be uncomplicated.
“He’s a horse that you want to let him run out of the gate. You don’t want to grab him or send him hard [out of the gate],” said Mathis. “He naturally runs into the race. If he gets outsprinted and he’s sitting second or third, that’s not a problem. If he’s on the lead, that’s where he is.”
A handful of local entrants tackle Give Me the Lute in the Albany. Two of them are trained by Quinn Howey. 4-year-old gelding Bettor Trip Nick, a multiple stakes winner at Golden Gate, makes his second career start on turf. After a victory over talented sprinter Baja Sur two starts ago, Bettor Trip Nick returned to finish off the board in the Lost in the Fog Stakes on April 24. 6-year-old gelding Hong Kong Cowboy cuts back from a route to a sprint after off-the-board finishes against easier company.
“Bettor Trip Nick and Hong Kong Cowboy are both doing well,” said Howey. “Bettor Trip Nick ran on the turf once in a route race as a 3-year-old and he performed well. He’s a very versatile horse. He’s naturally fast but he does not need the lead. [Owner] Leon [Scott] wants to take a shot with Hong Kong Cowboy. He likes this turf course. Both horses are fit and as ready as they could be.”
Tom’s Surprise comes off a good-looking allowance win for trainer Jonathan Wong and bumps up in class for a crack at stakes company. A son of turf router Tom’s Tribute, Tom’s Surprise makes his career debut on grass in the Albany.
“We want to try him on grass, being by Tom’s Tribute, and he’s training really well,” said Wong.
Supplemental entrant Slam Dunk Sermon, who tries turf for the first time, and 2019 stakes winner Tap Back, moving from Santa Anita to the barn of D. Wayne Baker, complete the list of locals.
One entry that raises eyebrows of race watchers is Santa Anita shipper Brandothebartender, winner of the Sensational Star Stakes in March and the Crystal Water in April for California-breds. Brandothebartender is trained by Craig Dollase and looks to extend his win-streak to three. Exhalting, exiting the Baffle Stakes for 3-year-olds, tackles older stakes foes in the Albany. Exhalting raced under the care of Jonathan Wong last fall and won three races in a row in Northern California. He returns for Southern California conditioner Doug O’Neill.
The Albany Stakes goes as the ninth of 10 races on Saturday afternoon. First post on Saturday is 12:45 PM.
Race 9: the $50,000 Albany Stakes (5 furlongs on turf for 3-year-olds and upward)
#1 Bettor Trip Nick (Jockey Kyle Frey, Trainer Quinn Howey)
#2 Give Me the Lute (Irving Orozco, Andy Mathis)
#3 Brandothebartender (Assael Espinoza, Craig Dollase)
#4 Slam Dunk Sermon (Frank Alvarado, Steve Specht)
#5 Exhalting (Catalino Martinez, Doug O’Neill)
#6 Tap Back (Silvio Amador, D. Wayne Baker)
#7 Tom’s Surprise (William Antongeorgi III, Jonathan Wong)
#8 Hong Kong Cowboy (Jose Rodriguez, Quinn Howey)
MANDATORY PAYOUTS ON CLOSING DAY SUNDAY, 33k PICK 6 JACKPOT CARRY OVER INTO THURSDAY’S CARD
Closing day of the 2021 Winter/Spring meet at Golden Gate Fields is this Sunday, June 13. With that, there will be mandatory payouts in the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager, the Rolling Super High Five and both Pick 5 wagers.
The Golden Pick Six, a 20-cent bet, features the last six races on each card. Heading into this Thursday’s card, $33,975 is carried over into the Jackpot pool.
The Rolling Super High Five wager will have a mandatory payout in the nightcap on Sunday, assuming there are 7 or more starters in the race. The Rolling Super High Five, or the “pentafecta” wager, is hit when winning horseplayers correctly tab the first five finishers in a race.
The Early Pick 5, a low 14% takeout bet, covers the first five races each day. The Late Pick 5 sequence consists of the last five races every day.
At the time of this writing, first post on Sunday is to be determined. Track officials project 10 to 11 races on the Closing Day program.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
Friday
Race 2: May Song (New trainer Salvador Naranjo…new owner Silvia Soto and Gracia Naranjo)
Race 2: Palm D’Oro (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Saturday
Race 2: Zelaia (Victor Trujillo…Fred Montini and Victor Trujillo)
Race 6: Trina (Andy Mathis…William Branch, Richard Catone, Jim Crews and James Green)
Sunday
Race 1: Grinningeartoear (Manny Badilla…Martin Bach)
Race 1: Queen Helene (Jack Steiner…Remmah Racing Inc.)
Race 2: T Bones Trick (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables, Hon Cheung Kum & Hsiu Mei Tsai)
Race 5: Elusive Love (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 7: Moonlight Blue (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stable)
Race 9: Night Gig (Pablo De Jesus…Tim Bankers)
FINISH LINES: 2020 Rolling Green Stakes and Joseph T. Grace Stakes winner Camino Del Paraiso is back on the work tab. The 8-year-old gelding drilled 3F furlongs in 39 seconds. Said trainer O.J. Jauregui: “He went nice and easy. We’re going to ease him back into things. Once he’s ready, we’ll look for a spot”…Multiple Golden Gate Fields stakes winner Baja Sur is set to race in the Budweiser Stakes at Emerald Downs next Thursday for trainer Blaine Wright. Wright will also send out multiple Golden Gate winner Coco Bee that same afternoon in the Hastings Stakes for filly and mare sprinters. Trainer Dan Markle is also represented in the Hastings with another Golden Gate shipper, Ima Happy Cat…A good number of Golden Gate horses will be competing at Del Mar this summer. Some (but not limited to) trainers who are projected to send horses south to compete: Quinn Howey, Tim McCanna, Bill McLean, Ed Moger Jr, Isidro Tamayo, Jonathan Wong…Good luck to all this summer; we’ll see you back at Golden Gate in late July!