AFTER 1,500 CAREER WINS, ANTONGEORGI CONTINUES TO ENJOY THE RIDE
Last Saturday afternoon, jockey William Antongeorgi III picked up career victory 1,500 aboard the Jonathan Wong trained Reiwa in Race 9, a first level allowance race. Days removed from the milestone win, Antongeorgi was still smiling.
“I think that any rider that reaches 1,000 [wins], it shows they put a lot of time and effort into the sport,” said Antongeorgi. “If you can reach 1,000 wins, it means you’ve been dedicated. For me, every other notch above that is something you should be proud of. You have to put in a lot of hard work day in and day out, year after year. Horse racing can be a tough game sometimes-there are a lot of ups and downs being a jockey-but you have to keep showing up and giving it your best.”
Antongeorgi, who has been a mainstay in Bay Area racing for the past decade, has won most of his races in Northern California. After Race 9 on Saturday, Antongeorgi’s wife Jenn presented him with a plaque. Following the third race on Sunday, a celebratory winner’s circle ceremony for Antongeorgi was filled with fellow riders, trainers, racing officials, owners and Golden Gate Fields management.
“I was really grateful that Golden Gate did that,” said Antongeorgi. “My wife went out of her way to make me feel special [with the plaque], so that was really neat. She’s always been a very big supporter of mine…ever since we met.”
Through trials, turbulations and successes, Antongeorgi looks back and not only appreciates the people and horses who have supported him along the way, but the process in which those victories have cone to fruition. Throughout his career, Antongeorgi has prided himself in working hard to always improve his craft, and he believes milestone victories are a symbol of continued advancement and dedication.
“To me, what has made me a good rider and what has made a lot of guys good riders is the repetition,” said Antongeorgi. “You have to learn every day. Every race is different, and every horse is different, and you have to learn how to deal with that every day. You’ve gotta be able to react when something doesn’t go as planned. That comes back to experience and being out there and riding, and knowing that if Plan A doesn’t work or even Plan B or C, then you gotta go to Plan D. Every race is different, and every experience is important. You always want to keep getting better. It’s always a learning process.”
Time has flown by for Antongeorgi. For now, he says, he’ll take it day by day and enjoy the sweet moments as they come.
“You know how they say, ‘life goes by quick?’ I look back and it feels like I was just an 18-year-old bugboy back at Hollywood Park. It feels like that was just the other day. Now I’m 34 and I’ve won 1,500 races. It’s crazy.”
MCCANNA HAS A WEEK TO REMEMBER
This past racing week, trainer Tim McCanna won with 7 of his 11 starters. Not too shabby. The hot streak included a trio of wins from three of McCanna’s stable stars: multiple stakes winner Top Harbor, classy sprinter Rebalation and impressive first-time starter Unraptured.
3-year-old colt Top Harbor scored his second career stakes victory in Sunday’s feature race, the $75,000 El Dorado Shooter Stakes for California-bred or sired sprinters. Ridden by Frank Alvarado, Top Harbor sat off the speed, railed on the inside down the stretch and edged out runner up finisher In Our A to win the six-furlong contest by a slender nose.
“I thought we got nipped at the wire,” said McCanna. “My wife Jan said, ‘Keep your head up. He ran a great race.’ Then the photo [finish] result came up and what do you know…he got the bob. He ran hard. He was tired after the race, but he came out of it well and ate up his dinner.”
Three races later, Top Harbor’s older sister Rebalation defeated nine other allowance runners in a dazzling display. Sent off as the 9-5 post time favorite, Rebalation sat off the pace before producing a strong kick in the final furlong and drawing away for a two-length score.
“She’s a neat mare,” said McCanna. “We’ve had to stop on her a couple times, but the owners have been patient. She tries hard for us every race.”
Unraptured, a new name to the Northern California racing circuit, was well regarded heading into his career debut on Friday. Off at odds of 2-5, Unraptured sat towards the back of the field early, made a big move on the far turn to challenge the leaders at the top of the stretch and powered away from his company, winning by three and a half lengths while geared down in the final stages.
“We’ve always thought highly of [Unraptured],” said McCanna. “I thought he’d show more speed in the beginning of the race but coming out of the gate, another horse came out on him, and he had to take up a little bit. We’ve worked him behind horses in the mornings and he’s been real push button. He’s a nice horse.”
A Florida-bred son of Uncaptured, Unraptured was purchased for $70,000 at the 2021 OBS 2-year-old in training sale last April. Unraptured is a half sibling to Grade I placed and Grade 3 winner Jalen Journey, an earner of $503,674. Another sibling, Derek Adrian, was a Grade I winner in South America and finished his 2-year-old season a perfect 7 for 7. Derek Adrian won 12 of 16 lifetime starts.
McCanna, who won one race on Saturday and three on Friday and Sunday, is having a terrific 2021. From 301 starters, McCanna has won 67 races, equating to a 22%-win percentage. His trainees have hit the board in 53% of their starts.
McCanna admits he was not totally surprised that many his entrants put up strong showings last week. That said, he has been in horse racing long enough to understand that hard work, smooth trips, and luck are all factors in getting to the winner’s circle.
“I thought we had a lot of live horses last week, but I always think we’re live,” chuckled McCanna. “Sometimes you think you are going to have a good week and you lay a goose egg. Luckily, a lot of things went our way this time. It was a fun week, that’s for sure.”
CAMINO DEL PARAISO STILL GOING STRONG AT AGE 8
Three-time Golden Gate Fields stakes winner Camino Del Paraiso seeks a fourth consecutive Northern California stakes trophy in the signature race on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, the $50,000 Joseph T. Grace at one mile and a sixteenth on turf.
Camino Del Paraiso enters Saturday’s feature having just run against grade 2 company at Santa Anita, finishing an off-the-board in the John Henry Turf Championship. The class relief to this ungraded stake will surely be to his benefit. Trained by O.J. Jauregui, Camino Del Paraiso passed the $500,000 career earnings mark two-starts ago when defeating stakes foes in the 2021 Rolling Green Stakes on September 6. Last year, Camino Del Paraiso won the Joseph T. Grace and the Rolling Green.
A host of pursuers are ready to take on Camino Del Paraiso. Among them are Harmon and Mecklenburg, the third and fourth place finishers in the 2021 Rolling Green. Honos Man has better-than-ever form under the care of Quinn Howey and gets back to turf after a second-place finish in the Bulldog Stakes on dirt at Fresno behind the classy Zestful. Union Dance, a multiple allowance winner at Golden Gate, finished off the board in the Bulldog Stakes and looks to rebound.
I’mgonnabesomebody has won two races in a row-a starter allowance at Del Mar and a first level allowance on the turf at Golden Gate-and makes his stakes debut with an improving pattern for trainer Bill McLean. Wine and Whisky has also won two races in a row recently, both at the first-level allowance condition, and bumps up in class. Chief Jackson wheels back in two weeks after a fast starter allowance win, rounding out the field of local contenders.
The lone Southern California shipper in the race is the Dave Hoffmans trained Big Fish. The California-bred makes his third start off a layoff, having finished off the board in two starts in Southern California so far this year.
Post time on Saturday, an 11-race program, is 11:10 AM. Along with grandstand admission and our usual ticketing options, Golden Gate’s turf club will be hosting a VIP Breeders Cup Watch Party. For more information and to purchase tickets to the party, please visit Goldengatefields.com
Race 11: 2021 Joseph T. Grace Stakes (One-mile and a sixteenth on turf)
#1 Union Dance (12-1 morning line, Jockey Evin Roman…trainer Isidro Tamayo)
#2 Camino Del Paraiso (1-1, Catalino Martinez…O.J. Jauregui)
#3 Loafers Boy (15-1, Pedro Terrero…Leanna Ekstrom)
#4 Big Fish (12-1, Irving Orozco…David Hofmans)
#5 Harmon (4-1, Frank Alvarado, Monty Meier)
#6 Mecklenburg (5-1, Ruben Fuentes…Steve Sherman)
#7 Chief Jackson (15-1, William Antongeorgi III…D. Wayne Baker)
#8 Wine and Whisky (20-1, Cristobal Herrera…Felix Rondan)
#9 I’mgonnabesomebody (10-1, Santos Rivera…Bill McLean)
PLENTY OF GOLDEN GATE INFLUENCE ON BOTH BREEDERS CUP CARDS AT DEL MAR
Several stakes races on the Breeders Cup Friday and Saturday programs feature horses that ship in from Golden Gate, or at the very least have competed here in prior starts. Here’s a look at some of our “hometown heroes”:
Friday
Race 2 (Qatar Mile for 2 YO’s on turf): #1 Astronomer broke his maiden at Golden Gate Fields for trainer Simon Callaghan on October 2, winning by about five lengths that day. World renowned rider Ryan Moore takes the call on the son of Air Force Blue. #9 Boise was an impressive debut winner sprinting on the turf in late September. He now tries routing and stakes company for the first time. Trainer Jonathan Wong employs the services of top North American jockey Jose Ortiz to ride.
Race 3 (Golden State Juvenile Fillies for 2 YO Cal-bred or sired fillies): #7 Vronsky Feint cuts back from a route to this 7-furlong sprint after a gutsy victory over maiden special weight turf foes on October 1. Classy rider Luis Saez will be in the saddle for trainer Ed Moger Jr. Breaking right outside of Vronsky Feint is #8 Rose Maddox, who won on debut at GGF on September 11. Most recently, the Steve Miyadi trainee tried routing at Santa Anita and came up a neck short of a second career win.
Race 5 (Golden State Juvenile for 2 YO Cal-bred or sired horses): Three Golden Gate contenders are part of a large 13 horse field. #7 Lmlooknformischief enters off a sharp maiden win last month for trainer Faith Taylor. Two starts ago, Lmlookinformischief was beaten as the favorite by #13 Bandera Azteca, who was a late supplement into this stake by trainer Victor Trujillo. The classiest of the Golden Gate shippers is allowance winner #8 Love Candy, conditioned by Ed Moger Jr. He one of three entrants that have already defeated winners, having won a Golden Gate allowance race in August.
Saturday
Race 2 (Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes): All American Stakes second and third place finishers #3 Cupid’s Claws and #5 Zestful are entered in this mile and five eighths marathon. Peter Miller trains both geldings and has picked up a pair of out-of-state riders for the assignments: Luis Saez rides Cupid’s Claws and Florent Geroux will navigate Zestful. Jonthan Wong entered recent Golden Gate winner Mad Grace but noted earlier this week he may scratch in favor of an easier spot.
Race 5 (Breeders Cup Turf Sprint): #4 Lieutenant Dan has won three races in a row this year-all turf sprints-and faces his toughest test yet in this 5-furlong dash. Regular rider Geovanni Franco retains the mount for trainer Steve Miyadi. In March of 2019, Lieutenant Dan was an impressive allowance winner at Golden Gate and ran third that same year in the one-mile Silky Sullivan Stakes.
Race 6 (Breeders Cup Dirt Mile): #6 Restrainedvengence won the All-American Stakes at Golden Gate in 2020. His most recent Northern California appearance was almost 7 months ago, when the Val Brinkerhoff trainee completed the trifecta in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile. Edwin Maldonado is slated to ride.
Race 12 (Breeders Cup Classic): #7 Stilleto Boy was purchased by trainer Ed Moger Jr. and his brother Steve after an open-length victory in the Iowa Derby over the spring. Most recently, the son of Shackleford finished second behind #8 Medina Spirit in the Awesome Again Stakes under Kent Desormeaux, who will get a leg back up for the marquee race on Breeders Cup week.
BREEDERS CUP CLASSIC PICKS
Who is going to win America’s richest race? Golden Gate Fields personnel weigh in on their 2021 Breeders Cup Classic selections.
-Billy Antongeorgi III (jockey):Essential Quality “He’s a fighter. He’s proven he can get the job done.”
–Bill Delia (trainer): Hot Rod Charlie “I watched him work the other day and he worked dynamite.”
-Matt Dinerman (track announcer): Essential Quality “The pace is going to be fast. Essential Quality will come running and I’m thinking he grinds it out.”
–David Duggan (General Manager/Vice President of GGF): Essential Quality “He’s all class.”
-Assael Espinoza (jockey): Knicks Go “He’s got a lot of speed. Having speed on Del Mar’s dirt track is important because it holds there.”
-Reid France (trainer): Essential Quality “He’s done nothing wrong. With a better trip in the Kentucky Derby, he’d be undefeated, and I think he’s still peaking.”
-Ruben Fuentes (jockey): Knicks Go “He’s coming into the race in top form. He also has a high cruising speed which is great for the mile and a quarter, and he’s got a very patient rider [Joel Rosario] who knows Del Mar well.”
-O.J. Jauregui (trainer): Max Player “I believe there will be a hot pace, so someone a little off the pace could get it done.”
–Lisa Jones (Racing Official): Hot Rod Charlie “Rooting for my friend [trainer] Doug O’Neill. The support he has shown me and Golden Gate Fields is very special. He is one of the best!”
–Patrick Mackey (Director of Racing/Racing Secretary): Knicks Go “He has edge over many of these in the experience category and will be awfully tough to catch as he most certainly should be in front.”
-Steve Martinelli (morning line maker, racing official): Stilleto Boy “There’s a lot of speed in the race and I think Stilleto Boy is getting better and better each start. He’s a live longshot.”
-Tim McCanna (trainer) Knicks Go “He’s been doing things really easy.”
-Bill McLean (trainer): Knicks Go “Speed is so good at Del Mar. He’s fast.”
-Jacqui Navarre (trainer): Hot Rod Charlie “His numbers are trending up. Sentimentally, I would love to see Moger [Stilleto Boy] get them all!”
-Fernando “Shoes” Navarro (jockey agent): Essential Quality “I think Knicks Go is the best horse, but Essential Quality is probably gonna get the trip.”
–Aggie Ordonez (trainer): Hot Rod Charlie “It’s that time of year when good 3-year-olds mature and take a step forward to be on par with the older horses. I think he’ll run down Knick Go in the final sixteenth.”
-Irving Orozco (jockey): Essential Quality “I think Knicks Go is the one to beat, but the pace could get hot and it might set up for Essential Quality. I’m also happy to see Ed Moger Jr.’s horse competing in such a prestigious race. I’ll be rooting for him.”
William Rizzuto (Assistant General Manager of GGF): Essential Quality “The Classic seems to have a lot of speed. I believe Essential Quality will get a nice stalking trip.
Jerry Stone (Racing Official): Art Collector “Bill Mott rarely ships to the West unless he’s confident, price will be good, and he’s convinced Mike Smith to take the mount!”
-Isidro Tamayo (trainer): Medina Spirit “He won with his ears pricked last time. Bob Baffert has these horses ready to go on big days like this.”
-Tina Walker Bryant (racing official): Hot Rod Charlie “He’s a good-looking horse and I really like Doug O’Neill. Him and his team are all class!”
-Jonathan Wong (trainer): Art Collector “He’s really sharp right now. I’m looking for a horse off the fast pace.”
BAY AREA MEDIA LEGEND SAM SPEAR PASSES AWAY AT AGE 72
Golden Gate Fields is saddened to learn of the passing of Bay Area media legend Sam Spear following a lengthy illness. Spear, born November 3, 1948, in Oakland and raised in Alameda, was a lifelong horse racing fan. After graduating from St. Joseph’s Alameda and San Francisco State, he quickly became a major fixture at thoroughbred racetracks throughout Northern California.
Sam was employed in the racing industry for over four decades. He served as media relations director at Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows, assisting media personnel, horsemen, front side staff, owners, breeders, horseplayers, and fans. Sam thoroughly enjoyed helping others and was devoted to creating the best possible experience for those he encountered on and off the track. His affable personality quickly made him a “fan favorite” amongst fans and horsemen, and he was often seen chatting it up with turf club patrons and railbirds alike.
One would be hard pressed to find an individual who did more to promote Northern California racing than Sam Spear. Sam starred in a popular replay show on KTSF-Channel 26 that began in 1978 and ran until 2017. He also hosted “At the Track with Sam Spear,” a weekly radio program every Sunday morning that attracted a large following of listeners and some of racing’s biggest names as guests on the show. Spear had contacts with every newspaper and news station in the Bay Area, and successfully promoted horse racing through these channels.
Sam was described as a “human encyclopedia” for all things horse racing and Bay Area Sports-Giants, A’s, 49ers, Raiders, Warriors and more. His uncanny ability to remember specific races, names, dates, and statistics was second to none. Sam was a natural storyteller and enjoyed sharing memories from the past using humor, wit, and charm. Spear was also a big supporter of the younger generations and a mentor to many journalists, television/radio personalities and race callers who have gone on to be very successful in their respective fields of work.
The Golden Fields racing community will never forget Sam Spear and the countless contributions he made to Northern California horse racing and the community at large. From all of us at Golden Gate Fields, we extend our deepest condolences to Sam’s family and friends.
FINISH LINES: First post at Golden Gate Fields on Friday afternoon is 12:08 PM while first post on Saturday is 11:10 AM. In additional to playing all races from Golden Gate, fans can also watch and wager on all the races on the Breeders Cup Friday and Saturday cards from Del Mar…5-year-old mare Dynasty of Her Own is a perfect 8 for 8 on the Tapeta after a gate-to-wire score against allowance sprinters in Sunday’s ninth race. Congratulations to owner Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, trainer Jonathan Wong and jockey Evin Roman…$2,477 is carried over into the Rolling Super High Five pool for the next race on Friday in which the aforementioned wager is offered…Happy birthday to trainer O.J. Jauregui and jockeys Santos Rivera and Frank Alvarado, all who celebrate birthdays in the next seven days.