DR PESCADO TRIES WINNERS AFTER RUNAWAY MAIDEN WIN
2-year-old colt Dr Pescado turned heads and raised eyebrows with a smashing victory against maiden special weight foes on August 1. That afternoon, he went to the lead, opened up on the field turning for home and hit the wire over seven lengths ahead of the runner up finisher.
Fast forward to this Friday, when Dr Pescado faces winners for the first time in the feature race of the day, a first level allowance for 2-year-old colts and geldings. Trainer Felix Rondan is confident the California-bred son of Fullbridled can compete against the tougher company he is set to face.
“If he runs his race, I think he can win,” said Rondan. “He is training very good. I was not surprised he won [in his first start]. He has always trained like a nice horse and, still, he trains like a nice horse.”
Rondan purchased Dr Pescado for a mere $800 as a weanling and currently co-owns with longtime business partner Ruben Arechiga. Kevin Orozco, who was aboard for the maiden win, retains the mount and will guide Dr Pescado from post position 4.
“I bought him as a baby,” said Rondan. “I’ve had him for a while, and he has always looked like a good horse. I am very happy with how he is doing…and [Dr Pescado] is happy too.”
A quartet of rivals face Dr Pescado. The even money morning line favorite is Love’em N Leave’em, a Tommy Town homebred who easily defeated a large field of maidens on August 15. He earned a higher Beyer speed figure than Dr Pescado and is trained by leading conditioner Jonathan Wong.
Trainer Ed Moger Jr. saddles a pair of contenders who, unlike Dr Pescado and Love’em N Leave’em, have already defeated winners. Hijo Galante, a half-brother to multiple Golden Gate stakes winner Fast and Foxy, recently won a starter allowance race and stakes placed earlier this year in the Everett Nevin Stakes at Pleasanton. Love Candy, a grey-son of first-crop stallion Danzing Candy, was a debut winner for Moger in May and freshens up after a win at this level on August 8. Being a California-bred, he is eligible to win at this condition once more.
C’Mon Man rounds out the field. The son of Tourist was a no-show in his first career start at Del Mar but rebounded for a 5-1, two and a half length victory against maiden special weight company at Golden Gate last month. He draws the outside post in a field of five for trainer Bill McLean.
Race 3: First-level allowance for 2-year-olds (5.5 furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Hijo Galante (jockey William Antongeorgi III..Ed Moger Jr…morning line 9-2)
#2 Love’em N Leave’em (Armando Ayuso…Jonathan Wong…1-1)
#3 Love Candy (Francisco Duran…Ed Moger Jr…7-2)
#4 Dr Pescado (Kevin Orozco, Felix Rondan…5-1)
#5 C’Mon Man (Evin Roman…Bill McLean…6-1)
CAROLINA MIA READY FOR HER BEST IN SECOND START OFF LAYOFF
While speaking to Felix Rondan about Dr Pescado for Article #1 (see above), Rondan’s 4-year-old filly Carolina Mia was mentioned in the conversation. Carolina Mia, who has always been well regarded, is entered to run on Sunday in a first level allowance for filly and mare sprinters. A full field of twelve entered to compete in the day’s eighth event.
Carolina Mia was locking horns with solid competitors as a maiden last year. Eventually, she broke her maiden in her fourth lifetime start. After a runner up finish against allowance competition, she was given a year off from racing.
“She had a little problem with a tendon,” said Rondan. “She needed some time off. She went to the farm and got the time and rest she needed. We made sure she was 100% healthy before we brought her back [to the racetrack.].”
In her first start of 2021 three weeks ago, Carolina Mia sat off the speed before rallying for second, earning a career high Beyer speed figure (73). Second start off the vacation this Saturday, Rondan believes Carolina Mia will be at her best.
“She is doing really well,” said Rondan. “This time, going five and a half furlongs, I think she will run a really good race.”
Race 8: First-level allowance for fillies and mares 3-years-old & upward (5.5 furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Striking Sermon (Catalino Martinez…Steve Specht…20-1)
#2 Busy Paynter (Ruben Fuentes…Andy Mathis…15-1)
#3 Carolina Mia (Pedro Terrero…Felix Rondan…6-1)
#4 Black Drop (William Antongeorgi III…Isidro Tamayo…12-1)
#5 Empire House (Santos Rivera…Jonathan Wong…10-1)
#6 Toni Two Pocket (Francisco Duran…Ed Moger Jr…20-1)
#7 Focus First (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong…20-1)
#8 Trina (Assael Espinoza…Andy Mathis…3-1)
#9 Rebalation (Frank Alvarado…Tim McCanna…4-1)
#10 Miss Carousel (Armando Ayuso…Edward Freeman…9-2)
#11 Smiling Spirit (Francisco Monroy…Cliff DeLima…20-1)
#12 Hot Rageous (Irving Orozco…Peter Miller…5-1)
RUBEN FUENTES JOINS ROBUST JOCKEY COLONY
Golden Gate Fields welcomes jockey Ruben Fuentes to the riding colony. The 24-year-old journeyman is named to ride Busy Paynter for trainer Andy Mathis in the co-featured eighth race on Saturday and has picked up three additional mounts on Sunday. Fuentes will be represented by agent Ramon Silva.
Fuentes was last seen riding at the recently concluded Canterbury Park Spring/Summer meet in Minnesota. The native of Mexico City won 28 races there, including four stakes’, and was the regular jockey for one of the top sprinters at Canterbury, 6-year-old gelding and 669k earner Mr. Jagermeister. Fuentes has two brothers, Miguel Jr. and Luis, both who are jockeys and currently ride in New Mexico.
From 2017 to mid 2021, Fuentes enjoyed a riding stint in Southern California. While there, he competed at the highest level, winning the 2019 Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile with Ohio. He also guided Queen Bee to You to a pair of Grade 3 wins in the Bayakoa and La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita. Other Southern California stakes wins for Fuentes include the 2021 Siren Lure Stakes with Big Runnuer, the 2019 Speakeasy Stakes aboard El Tigre Terrible and the 2018 CTBA Stakes on Naughty Tiger.
The battle for leading jockey at the Golden Gate summer meet is certainly heating up. With two weeks left to go, Evin Roman holds a slender lead with 15 wins. Catalino Martinez has won 14 races and sits right on the tail of the leader. Armando Ayuso cracks the top 3 with 13 victories while Pedro Terrero and Assael Espinoza are tied for fourth with 12 wins apiece. All five are seemingly in with a chance to win the summer meet riding title. Coincidentally, two of the five riders mentioned (Roman and Espinoza) rode down south with Fuentes before moving up to Northern California in search of increased business opportunities.
MANY ANGLES TO CONSIDER IN SUNDAY’S NIGHTCAP
A field of ten is slated to route one-mile and a sixteenth on projected firm turf in Race 9 on Sunday, a first level allowance for 3-year-olds and upward. The field runs deep with legit players.
Loafers Boy is a gelding with career best form for trainer Leanna Ekstrom. The 5-year-old son of Coil was a runaway winner routing on turf two starts ago and repeated his effort with a half-length loss at this level behind the Richard Mandella trained Keystone Field. Freeport Joe and Enos Slaughter, who finished right behind Loafers Boy, are also entered in this race.
Trainer Michael McCarthy always boasts a healthy win percentage when shipping to Golden Gate Fields. In Sunday’s finale, McCarthy campaigns the Uncle Mo colt Uncle Addouma, who lost by a small margin (a length and a quarter) against strong allowance company at Del Mar. A repeat effort of his last start likely puts him in contention for the top prize. Another Southern California face, Sea of Liberty, makes his first start off a $32,000 claim for local trainer Jamey Thomas. The son of Boisterous has hit the board against high level claimers and California-bred allowance company in the past while in the barns of Southern California trainers John Sadler and Peter Miller.
I’mgonnabesomebody was the surprise of the summer at Del Mar. Sent off at 56-1 in a starter allowance race on closing week, the Bill McLean trainee went to the lead, set fast fractions, and held off all challengers for the massive upset score. He makes his turf debut on Sunday while taking a hike up in class.
Barbaroni is one of two entrants for leading trainer Jonathan Wong. Barbaroni hasn’t been seen in over a year; his last afternoon appearance resulted in an off-the-board finish at this condition. His two-back effort was impressive, winning a maiden special weight by double digit lengths. Wong’s other entrant, Bronze Warrior, makes his first start for the barn after running third in a claiming race last month.
Holy Ghost, making his second start off a lengthy vacation for top jockey/trainer combo Frank Alvarado and Steve Specht, may be able to take a step forward after a fourth-place finish behind salty company over this turf course last month. Gallant Warren, a California-bred allowance winner over Tapeta in April, has finished off the board in his last four races at this open-condition and will need to improve off recent form.
First post each live racing day this week is 1:45 PM PT. For more info on all things Golden Gate, please visit Goldengatefields.com
Race 9: First-level allowance for 3-years-old & upward (8.5 furlongs on turf)
#1 Barbaroni (Ruben Fuentes…Jonathan Wong)
#2 Loafers Boy (Armando Ayuso…Leanna Ekstrom)
#3 Gallant Warren (Francisco Monroy…Tim Bellasis)
#4 Uncle Addouma (William Antongeorgi III…Michael McCarthy)
#5 Enos Slaughter (Pedro Terrero…Marcelino Trujillo)
#6 Bronze Warrior (Catalino Martinez…Jonathan Wong)
#7 Holy Ghost (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht)
#8 I’mgonnabesomebody (Santos Rivera…Bill McLean)
#9 Sea of Liberty (Evin Roman…Jamey Thomas)
#10 Freeport Joe (Assael Espinoza…Gloria Haley)
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
Friday
Race 1: Well Done Sally (New trainer Marcia Stortz…new owner Marcia Stortz)
Race 3: Circulodeganadoras (Isidro Tamayo…Lourdes Ochoa and Rafael Sanchez)
Race 3: Ramoncita Light (Gary Greiner…Renee Greiner)
Race 8: Antarctic (Blaine Wright…Blaine D. Wright Racing Stable LLC)
Saturday
Race 6: Tamarando’s Mine (Jonathan Wong…Steve Hagen)
Race 9: Pour on the Cole (Victor Trujillo…Lester Hunsucker)
Sunday
Race 1: Tough to Catch (Pablo De Jesus…Cindy Winschell)
Race 6: Counting Cards (Isidro Tamayo…Robert Fernandez and John Tipton)
Race 9: Barbiere (Jonathan Wong…Alydom Racing LLC and Matthew Gutierrez)
Race 9: Coolcross (Victor Trujillo….Isidro Ruvalcaba and Victor Trujillo)
FINISH LINES: Race 6 on Saturday is a fun one. Hard tryer War Games bumps up to the second level allowance condition and is tabbed as the 9-5 morning line favorite. The lineup of contenders facing him: speedster Let’s Rejoyce, the Isidro Tamayo trained pair of El Chavo Del Ocho and Union Dance, Southern California shipper Mister Bold, stakes placed gelding Top Harbor, and comebacker Lymebird…This year, 5-year-old gelding Papa’s Golden Boy was the top sprinter in the Pacific Northwest for trainer Vince Gibson, winning the most coveted sprint stakes at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington over the summer. On Thursday morning, Papa’s Golden Boy arrived at Jack Steiner’s barn and will be stabled here in Northern California for the foreseeable future…Golden Gate was well represented at the world-renowned Keeneland September Yearling Sale this week in Lexington, Kentucky. Trainers Reid France, Tim McCanna, Bill McLean, and Jamey Thomas all purchased yearlings at the sale…Owner/bloodstock agent Jason Hall, who has campaigned horses with Jonathan Wong and Jamey Thomas in recent years, is also purchasing horses at Keeneland. So is Alistair Roden, who works closely with trainer Blaine Wright…Also at Keeneland, owner Tommy Town Thoroughbreds purchased five yearlings, including a $280,000 filly by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Another Tommy Town purchase, a filly by Violence out of Grade 3 winner Customer Base, dropped the hammer at $260,000…Happy birthday to Golden Gate Fields stall manager Carrie Fawcett, who celebrates her birthday on Monday…$20,739 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six on Friday while a Super High Five carryover into Friday sits at $1,865…Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager is Race 2 from Golden Gate on Friday. The Stronach 5 is an industry low 12% takeout bet, a $1 minimum wager and is hosted by the Maryland Jockey Club every Friday.