BLACKADDER EARNS AUTOMATIC PREAKNESS BIRTH WITH EL CAMINO REAL DERBY VICTORY
3-year-old colt Blackadder punched his ticket to the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, with a victory in last Saturday’s El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate. Ridden to victory by Edwin Maldonado, Blackadder defeated 3-5 race favorite MacKinnon by a neck.
Since 2018, the El Camino Real Derby has offered the winner-if Triple Crown nominated-an automatic, free berth into the Preakness Stakes. Both Golden Gate Fields and Pimlico Racecourse, where the Preakness is run, is owned by 1/ST Racing. Last year, El Camino Real Derby winner Rombauer won the El Camino Real Derby and, two races later, scored a “mild upset” victory over Kentucky Derby first place finisher Medina Spirit in the Preakness. This year’s Preakness is slated for Saturday, May 21.
Blackadder is trained by Bob Baffert, who picked up his third career El Camino Real Derby win. He also won the 1996 edition with Cavonnier and the 2019 running with Azul Coast. Winning jockey Edwin Maldonado made the trip North to ride Blackadder.
“[Baffert] told me that if I’m going to win, I’m gonna have to earn it because [Blackadder] is a bit lazy,” said Maldonado. “I wanted to be behind because there were three sprinters stretching out. I knew the pace would be fast, so I wanted to stay inside and then swing out when we got to the stretch. [Turning for home], there were too many horses outside of me, so I had to wait. I was able to get through an opening, and [Blackadder] got it done.”
As a yearling in 2020, Blackadder was purchased for a whopping $620,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale. The son of Quality Road is owned by the large partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan, Golconda Stable and Siena Farm.
Less than 24 hours after the El Camino Real Derby win, Tom Ryan from SF Racing reported that Blackadder “ate up and jogged up in great shape” on Sunday morning. Blackadder shipped back to Baffert’s Santa Anita string earlier this week and will be trained there in preparation for his next start, which is yet to be determined.
The Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free also reported that El Camino Real Derby runner up MacKinnon, a multiple stakes winner last year and third place finisher in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf, will freshen up 30 days on a farm before returning to the track with a summer/fall campaign in turf races.
STAKES WINNER BETTOR TRIP NICK WHEELS BACK QUICKLY IN EL DORADO SHOOTER STAKES
Multiple Golden Gate Fields stakes winner Bettor Trip Nick is the headliner in the signature race of the week this Saturday, the $75,000 El Dorado Shooter Stakes at 6 furlongs on Tapeta. The race is restricted to California-bred or sired horses who are 4-year-olds and upward. Bettor Trip Nick, who won the Golden Nugget and Gold Rush Stakes in 2019, returns to the races in just 13 days after a powerful effort against second level allowance company.
In his most recent afternoon appearance on February 6, Bettor Trip Nick was making his first start off a 7-month vacation. That day, he established a clear lead and proceeded to win the race by a comfortable 2-length margin. After analyzing how Bettor Trip Nick came out of his race and the El Dorado Shooter nominations list, trainer Jonathan Wong decided to enter the son of Boat Trip in Saturday’s stake.
“I just hope he doesn’t ‘bounce’ off his last race,” said Wong. “He’s coming back quickly. He ran really well the other day.
“There was no pressure to run him [in the El Dorado Shooter] if he wasn’t ready,” continued Wong. “He came out of his last race in really good shape. He’s cleaned up his feed tub every day and has plenty of energy. I nominated [to the El Dorado Shooter] and looked at what other horses might run in the race. I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of speed and he does his best when he’s on the lead, so we’re giving it a go.”
Among his main competitors is In Our A, who cuts back from a route to a sprint after a pair of close finishes behind Grade 3 winner Freeport Joe while voyaging two turns. The son of Idiot Proof went off favored in his last sprint start three races ago, the Oakland Stakes against open company, and only lost by a length and a half after badly missing the break and racing wide on the course. In Our A competed in the 2021 El Dorado Shooter, run in October last year, and suffered a nose loss at the hands of classy colt Top Harbor.
A legit wild-card possibility is Psycho Dar, who bumps up in class and makes his Northern California stakes debut in the El Dorado Shooter. The Sammy Calvario trainee was claimed for $25,000 three starts ago and has since wracked off a pair of runaway first-level allowance wins. His last out Beyer speed figure (91) was not only a career best effort, but a best last-out speed figure out of any horse entered in Saturday’s field.
Trainer Victor Trujillo entered a trio in the El Dorado Shooter: Cool Mountain Lad, who lost by 2 lengths to Bettor Trip Nick on February 6, first level allowance winner R M C Hook’em and Square Deal. Square Deal was entered in an easier spot on Sunday and will likely scratch from this stake.
Two Southern California invaders round out the field. I Stand Taller (trained by Doug O’Neill) and Riding With Dino (Bob Hess Jr.) completed the exacta in an October 9 race against California-bred allowance competition at Santa Anita and face off against the Northern California contenders. I Stand Taller has failed to hit the board in three starts since while Riding With Dino has been much more consistent, winning a California-bred allowance race in January and, most recently, running third against open-company allowance foes.
The El Dorado Shooter goes as the eighth race on a 9-race Saturday card at Golden Gate. First post is 12:45 PM PT.
Race 8 on Saturday: the $75,000 El Dorado Shooter Stakes (For California-bred or sired 4-year-olds & upward at six furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Cool Mountain Lad (Jockey Pedro Terrero…trainer Victor Trujillo…morning line odds of 10-1)
#2 Psycho Dar (Armando Ayuso…Sammy Calvario…5-2)
#3 In Our A (Cristobal Herrera…Ellen Jackson…7-2)
#4 Riding With Dino (Assael Espinoza…Bob Hess Jr…6-1)
#5 Square Deal (Santos Rivera…Victor Trujillo …20-1)
#6 R M C Hook’em (Ruben Fuentes…Victor Trujillo…15-1)
#7 I’ll Stand Taller (Irving Orozco…Doug O’Neill…10-1)
#8 Bettor Trip Nick (Brayan Pena…Jonathan Wong…2-1)
BRAZENLY GETS BRAZEN IN BIGGEST UPSET OF THE WINTER/SPRING MEET
The biggest upset we’ve seen so far this Winter/Spring meet came in the fifth race last Saturday when 4-year-old gelding Brazenly posted a 72-1 upset, beating a half dozen first-level allowance foes. Owned and bred by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Shapiro, Brazenly returned $147.90 to win, $29.40 to place and $11.20 to show.
Guided to victory by Ruben Fuentes, Brazenly went to the lead from the start, set soft fractions of 24.73, 49.45 and 1:13.56 before turning away a challenge from Black Caspian, who sat on Brazenly’s tail for the first three quarters of the race and went searching for the lead at the top of the stretch. Brazenly hit the wire three-quarters of a length ahead, holding off a late challenge from oncoming runner-up finisher Rocks and Salt. Brazenly is conditioned by Jedd Josephson, who was pleasantly surprised with the result.
“Yeah, I’m a little surprised,” said Josephson immediately following the race. “We wanted to go early and get out in front. It was the plan, and it worked. [Brazenly] is just kinda green. He’s just catching on right now. In his last few races, he’d make a run and then back up in the turn, and then he’d come back. Today was the first time he put it all together.”
With Sunday’s victory, Brazenly picked up his second consecutive win. He failed to win his first three career starts sprinting, but since stretching out to a route of ground, now boasts a perfect 2 for 2 record at route distances. If all goes well, Brazenly will likely race in a second level allowance condition next.
HIGHLAND GHOST GETS BACK ON TRACK IN FRIDAY SPRINT
Trainer O.J Jauregui was “taking a shot” with 3-year-old Highland Ghost in the California Derby on January 15 at Santa Anita. It was his third start in five weeks and, in his two prior races in that form cycle, he put together a pair of solid efforts sprinting. The California Derby was a mile and a sixteenth route race.
With world-renowned jockey Flavien Prat in the saddle, Highland Ghost dueled alongside heavy favorite Straight Up G in the first three quarters of the race. Highland Ghost eventually faded to last while Straight Up G got run down late by race winner Fast Draw Munnings. Clearly, the speed duel was not ideal for either horse.
“I made an error in running him in that race,” said Jauregui. “I didn’t get the greatest [trip] in the world-I would’ve liked to have seen him laying second or third-but other than that, I was still in the wrong race.”
Since the trip to Santa Anita, Highland Ghost freshens up, posts three strong workouts and is entered in the featured eighth race this Friday, a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds. He also gets back to what he does best: sprinting.
“I thought for a minute he was going to be a better router because his brother and sister routed, and [his sire] Shaman Ghost was a router,” said Jauregui. “But he has the body of a sprinter. I still think he can handle routing, but we’re going to go back to sprinting for now. I think we’re on the right track again.”
Highland Ghost’s last two sprint efforts were admirable. Three starts ago, he lost by a nose after dueling on the lead to Love’em N Leave’em, who is also entered in Friday’s seventh race. Two starts back, Highland Ghost was sent off at an overlay price of 12-1 and scored a decisive victory, winning the contest by 2 lengths while geared down in the final strides. That day, he stalked the pace and ran by the leader in midstretch. Local rider Billy Antongeorgi III was aboard for both races and retains the mount in the Friday feature.
“I’m going to leave [tactics] up to Billy,” Jauregui. “I don’t want him to be too far out of it, but he definitely doesn’t need the lead. He’s going to be in contention.”
Highland Ghost’s main competition is Tizlightning, a California-bred son of Stanford who sports an unblemished 3 for 3 record for trainer Steve Miyadi. After breaking his maiden for a California-bred maiden $50,000 claiming condition, Tizlightning won a pair of starter allowance/optional claiming races at Del Mar and Santa Anita. In his last start, he unofficially hit the wire second, but was moved up to first via disqualification after the stewards determined he was cost the opportunity of a better placing when unofficial winner Con On the Run floated out Tizlightning in midstretch.
9 races comprise the Friday program at Golden Gate Fields. Keep in mind that first post is a little earlier than usual: 12:15 PM.
8th race on Friday (Allowance for 3-year-olds at five and one-half furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Fascinated (Jockey Brayan Pena…trainer Jonathan Wong…morning line odds of 8-1)
#2 Bandera Azteca (Pedro Terrero…Victor Trujillo…10-1)
#3 Love’em N Leave’em (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong…5-1)
#4 Highland Ghost (William Antongeorgi III…O.J. Jauregui…5-2)
#5 Tizlightning (Armando Ayuso…Steve Miyadi…9-5)
#6 Tolonisito (Irving Orozco…Jesus Ramos…12-1)
#7 Mob Boss (Assael Espinoza…Jeff Bonde…4-1)
IMPORTANT RACING DATES UPDATE
Racing fans and horseplayers are reminded that Golden Gate Fields offers a four-day racing week this week: we will have our usual Friday, Saturday and Sunday race cards, along with a special Presidents Day Monday program. First post on Friday is 12:15 PM while Saturday, Sunday and Monday offer a first post time of 12:45 PM.
Earlier in the week, racing officials announced a a slight adjustment in race days on the first weekend of March. Golden Gate will conduct live racing Friday, March 4, Sunday, March 6, and Monday, March 7. Saturday, March 5 (Santa Anita Handicap Day at Santa Anita) will be a dark day at Golden Gate, though the facility will be open for local horseplayers to attend simulcast wagering on the third floor.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
Friday
Race 1: Blueberry Eyes (New trainer Jonathan Wong…New owner(s) Madden Racing, MVJET Stables and Rockstar Racing Stable)
Race 1: Carasynthia (Tim Bellasis…Bellasis, Donna Smartt and Cassandra Tschanz)
Race 1: Sacred Beauty (Victor Trujillo…Jose Parades and Isidro Rubalcava)
Race 6: Amber Louise (Andy Mathis…Donna-Kay Martin)
Race 6: Noble Contessa (D. Wayne Baker…Richard Barton)
Race 7: Push Through (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 8 Seaside Dancer (D. Wayne Baker…Richard Barton)
Saturday
Race 1: Egomania (Owner/Trainer Leobardo Rivera)
Race 3: Back Ring Luck (Librado Barocio…Mia Familia Racing Stable)
Sunday
Race 1: Bernalinho (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 2: Miss Lady Ann (Aggie Ordonez…Rancho San Miguel and William T. Clark)
FINISH LINES: Pike Place Dancer Stakes winner Vaping Angel is entered in the co-featured seventh race on Sunday, a first level allowance for 3-year-old fillies at one mile. Among her main challengers is maiden winner Music Festival and Alesha, who comes off a runner up finish behind stakes placed Sen Sen at this level two weeks ago…The Golden Pick Six jackpot carryover has increased to $80,865 heading into Friday’s card…Leg C (the third leg) of the Stronach 5 this week goes as Race 3 on Friday at Golden Gate… Happy birthday to jockey Julien Couton and trainers Sammy Calvario and Tirso Rivera, both who celebrate their birthday’s this week.