MISS UNION SEEKS TO DUPLICATE CAREER BEST EFFORT ON APRIL 1 IN FRIDAY ALLOWANCE
The co-featured event on a nine-race card this Friday at Golden Gate is a first level allowance sprint for 3-year-old filles. Eight sophomore fillies entered to run in the five-furlong turf sprint, though one defection has already been confirmed. Trainer Steve Sherman relayed Thursday morning that Zuboshi, who drew the inside post position, is set to scratch.
One entrant definite to run-barring unforeseen circumstances-is 3-year-old filly Miss Union. The California-bred daughter of Unionize kicked off her career on July 30, entered for a $12,500 claiming tag that day. Sent off at 9-1 odds in a field of six, she stalked the pace early on before drawing away from her competition late, winning the contest by almost four lengths.
Nine races later…and here we are today. Miss Union now sports 4 wins, 2 seconds and 3 third place finishes from 10 lifetime starts. Among her quartet of victories are a pair of first level allowance wins.
She has been an admirable item for the Isidro Tamayo barn, to say the least.
“She’s been a pleasant surprise,” said Tamayo. “She started her career for twelve-five and ever since then has been improving all the time. She doesn’t really do anything wrong, but she’s never been a filly that wows you that much in the mornings. She’s small [in frame] but tries hard.”
Miss Union’s confidence is likely sky-high. She exits a first level allowance race on April 1 in which she sat well off a slow pace and flew home down the lane in the latter stages, outfinishing runner up finisher and Washington State stakes winner Slack Tide. Earlier in her career, Miss Union was keen to race on the lead. Now, says Tamayo, she has learned to relax and run on in the final quarter mile.
“After about her fourth race, she was getting really aggressive in her gallops,” said Tamayo. “In her races, she just wanted to run as fast as she could the whole way. We’ve worked with her on settling down and she’s figured it out.”
Tamayo expects Miss Union to receive a good trip if she breaks well on Friday
“She doesn’t need the lead now,” said Tamayo. “Going 5 furlongs, you don’t want to be too far out of it. She has tactical speed.”
Miss Union will need to duplicate her last race to win against the salty bunch assembled on Friday. Slack Tide, who won the Angie C. Stakes at Emerald Downs as a 2-year-old, was valiant in defeat when finished a half-length behind Miss Union on the first of the month. Making the third start in her current form cycle for trainer Blaine Wright, she may be primed for her very best effort.
Dulce Emma looks to rebound after a fourth-place finish as the 4-5 favorite on April 1. That afternoon, she finished two lengths behind Miss Union. Earlier in the year, Dulce Emma won a maiden special weight race and repeated with a decisive win against first level allowance company. Jesus Ramos gives the call to regular rider Pedro Terrero.
Tamara Mine was a convincing winner of a maiden special weight on February 12 and returned as the favorite at this level, finishing behind Dulce Emma and Miss Union that day. She takes a month and half freshener and picks up the services of jockey Catalino Martinez for her fourth lifetime start.
Amaaza is an intriguing wild card player for trainer Ed Moger Jr. A debut winner as the favorite on March 27, the California-bred by Stanford sports a quick five-furlong drill in 59.80 seconds while prepping for her first career race against winners. Iconic Sky is another maiden victor, last seen finishing ahead of next out winner Jays Angel on March 19. Trainer Andy Mathis employs jockey Assael Espinoza to ride. Mathis and Espinoza have teamed up to strike at a 30% win-clip together.
Starter allowance runner up finisher Lovely Colleen rounds out the field. Conditioned by leading trainer Jonathan Wong, Lovely Colleen will be ridden by Kevin Orozco for the first time.
First post on Friday is 1:15 PM PT.
Race 8 on Friday (First level allowance for 3-year-old fillies at 5 furlongs on turf)
#1 Zuboshi (Jockey Frank Alvarado…Trainer Steve Sherman…morning line odds of 7-2)
#2 Slack Tide (Evin Roman…Blaine Wright…5-1)
#3 Amaaza (Silvio Amador…Ed Moger Jr…6-1)
#4 Iconic Sky (Assael Espinoza…Andy Mathis…10-1)
#5 Lovely Colleen (Kevin Orozco…Jonathan Wong…8-1)
#6 Tamara Mine (Catalino Martinez…Steve Specht…6-1)
#7 Miss Union (William Antongeorgi III…Isidro Tamayo…4-1)
#8 Dulce Emma (Pedro Terrero…Jesus Ramos…9-2)
ECLIPSE AWARD WINNER JESSICA PYFER RIDES AT GOLDEN GATE ON FRIDAY
Southern California based jockey Jessica Pyfer, known for her disciplined work ethic and upbeat attitude, ships her tack north on Friday to guide 5-year-old Brittle and Yoo in the sixth race, a first level allowance for filly and mare routers on Tapeta. This is Pyfer’s first career mount at Golden Gate Fields.
With regards to scheduling, it could not be a more ample time for Pyfer to work on her craft in a new environment; Santa Anita Park takes a week hiatus and is set to resume live racing next Saturday. With that, Golden Gate is the only daytime show in town throughout the Golden State this week.
“Santa Anita isn’t running this week, so I was available to come up [to Golden Gate],” said Pyfer. “The first time I rode away from home was in Saudi Arabia [in February for the International Jockeys Challenge]. This is my second out of town trip. I’m excited and looking forward to it.”
Listed at 7-2 on the morning line, Brittle and Yoo has been ridden by Pyfer in her last four races in Southern California. Two starts ago, Brittle and Yoo ran at Golden Gate and finished third with local rider Ruben Fuentes in the saddle.
“[Brittle and Yoo] is tactical,” said Pyfer. “I’ve worked with her for a while now-in races and in the mornings. She’s a pretty nice mare. I think she’ll run well.”
Jessica, the stepdaughter of top Southern California trainer Phil D’Amato, took out her jockey’s license in late 2020. The following year, Pyfer won 59 races from 557 mounts, amassing purse earnings of $2,857,333 while continuously cracking a top 10 spot in the rider standings at Del Mar, Los Alamitos and Santa Anita. Pyfer was voted the Eclipse Champion Apprentice Jockey of 2021. Pyfer, represented by Southern California agent Brandon O’Bryan since Day 1, was overjoyed to receive the award.
“Winning the Eclipse Award was something I was shooting for last year,” said Pyfer. “All year long, you have to work really hard. And when you’re doing well, in the back of your mind you know you’ve got a shot to win it. Once I won it, it took a while to sink in. It’s really an honor to win an award of that caliber.”
Pyfer relayed that, after Friday’s sixth race, racing fans will see her back in The Bay Area in no time. She is scheduled to return to Golden Gate next Saturday, Day 1 of the 2-day annual Gold Rush Weekend, which features six stakes races including the Grade 3 $250,000 San Francisco Mile.
Jessica’s mounts next week? Stay tuned.
FRANKLIN ONE STAR FACES NORTHERN CALIOFRNIA FOES IN SUNDAY ALLOWANCE
Southern California based trainer Doug O’Neill is sending five runners to compete at Golden Gate over the next three days. In the co-featured third race on Sunday, a 5-furlong turf dash for 3-year-olds, O’Neill campaigns 2-1 morning line favorite Franklin One Star.
A California-bred by Danzing Candy, Franklin One Star broke his maiden at first asking as a 2-year-old at Los Alamitos. Since then, he has lost four consecutive races against winners. Three of the four aforementioned starts came against California-bred company. In each race, the comment lines note that he encountered trouble during the race. Franklin One Star ran fifth in a field of nine against older horses in his most recent start. All things considered, Franklin One Star faces an easier field in Sunday’s third race than what he has seen in his past few starts at Santa Anita.
A quintet of local contenders looks to play spoiler for the out-of-town shipper. The second choice on the morning line is Artemus Gordon, who has won two races in a row for trainer Tim McCanna. A $1,000 sale purchase by Misremembered, Artemus Gordon won a maiden special weight two races ago and returned to beat starter allowance foes in his first race against winners. He tries turf for the first time on Sunday.
Trip to Spain suffered an unfortunate, traffic filled trip two starts ago before returning and placing third as the favorite against similar company. Another that makes his turf debut, the son of Stay Thirsty looks to put it all together in his third start off a layoff. In two races as a 2-year-old last year, Trip to Spain broke his maiden before running second in the Graduation Stakes for California-breds at Del Mar. Trainer Jamey Thomas has tasked jockey Evin Roman with working out a good trip from the inside post position.
Trainer Jonathan Wong saddles two entrants: Fascinated and Unreal. The former makes his first start as a gelding after a pair of off the board finishes at this level. The latter colt completed the trifecta in an April 8 race at the first level allowance condition, finishing ahead of Trip to Spain that day. Both Wong trainees are co-owned and bred by Jason Hall.
Recent winner Bandera Azteca completes the field. He has the most race experience in the field, with nine starts to his name. He is also the only entrant in the race with three career trips to the winner’s circle. He earned a career high speed figure-a figure high enough to compete with this field-when defeating $20,000 claimers just two weeks ago. Earlier in the year, he defeated an above average starter allowance group. Victor Trujillo trains and employs Pedro Terrero to ride for the first time.
Golden Gate has carded 9 races on Sunday. One day earlier, Golden Gate also runs a 9-race program. First post each day is 1:15 PM.
Race 3 on Sunday (First level allowance for 3-year-olds at 5 furlongs on turf)
#1 Trip to Spain (Jockey Evin Roman…Trainer Jamey Thomas…morning line odds of 9-2)
#2 Fascinated (Catalino Martinez…Jonathan Wong…8-1)
#3 Bandera Azteca (Pedro Terrero…Victor Trujillo…6-1)
#4 Franklin One Star (Armando Ayuso…Doug O’Neill…2-1)
#5 Unreal (William Antongeorgi III…Jonathan Wong…4-1)
#6 Artemus Gordon (Frank Alvarado…Tim McCanna…5-2)
NOMINATIONS CLOSE FOR GOLD RUSH WEEKEND STAKES THIS WEEK
Nominations for six stakes races on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 30 closed yesterday, April 22 at midnight. The stakes are:
- $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile (3-year-olds and up at one mile on turf)
- $100,000 California Derby (3-year-olds at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta)
- $75,000 California Oaks (3-year-old fillies at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta)
- $75,000 Camilla Urso (fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs on turf)
- $75,000 Golden Poppy (fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at one mile and a sixteenth on turf)
- $75,000 Lost in the Fog (3-year-olds and up at six furlongs on Tapeta)
Nominations for a pair of stakes races on Sunday, May 1 close today, April 22 at midnight. The two races:
- $75,000 Campanile (California-bred or sired 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf)
- $75,000 Silky Sullivan (California-bred or sired 3-year-olds at one mile on turf)
Horsemen who wish to nominate a horse (or horses) for the Sunday stakes races can contact the GGF racing office or stakes coordinator Lisa Jones at (626) 388-8062 (e-mail: lisnpac12@hotmail.com).
Folks who wish to attend the races on Gold Rush Weekend can visit Goldengatefields.com to purchase tickets. Fans can also visit our website for more information on Gold Rush Weekend, the marquee racing weekend of the year in Northern California!
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
FRIDAY
Race 1: Monstrodamous (New trainer Ed Moger Jr…new owner Bill Meikle)
Race 1: Sunset Dragunn (Gary Greiner…Renee Greiner)
Race 5: Can’thelpfallin (D. Wayne Baker…Richard Barton and Baker)
Race 5: Class Code (New Owner/Trainer Dan Franko)
Race 5: Mangotango (Blaine Wright…Ann Clark and Robert Clary)
Race 5: Summer Apparition (Reid France…Albert and Kathleen Mattivi LLC)
Race 6: Hot Rageous (Jonathan Wong…Michael Nentwig)
SATURDAY
Race 1: Salto de Tigre (Marcia Stortz…Stan Spano and Stortz)
Race 2: Magic Tiger (Jesus Ramos…Candelario Barragan)
Race 10: Bigfoot City (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 10: French Getaway (Owner/Trainer Miguel Ramirez)
SUNDAY
Race 3: Galan Gray (Owner/Trainer Dan Markle)
Race 7: Miracle in Motion (Jack Steiner…Randy Marriott and Steiner)
FINISH LINES: In the eighth race on Sunday, Great Britain bred 4-year-old filly Natural Colour makes her United States debut for trainer Manny Badilla and owners Ron Charles and Sam Gordon. This outfit has had much success purchasing European runners and winning with them at Golden Gate…Recent first level allowance victor Seattle Bold returns at the same condition in the marquee race of the day on Saturday, a 9-furlong event scheduled for turf…Also on Saturday, a trio of well-bred maidens compete in Race 9. $400,000 sale purchase Lasso Special makes his career debut for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Lasso Special is a half sibling to Grade I winner Declassify. Entered in the same race is the Doug O’Neill trained Bruin Magic, a $225,000 2-year-old in training purchase by Mastery. He is a half sibling to wickedly fast sprinter Nashville. Finally, A.P. Pharoah, by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, is a half sibling to Grade I winner Moreno…$7,771 is carried over into the Rolling Super High Five pool for Race 5 on Friday…Happy belated birthday to jockey agent Fernando “Shoes” Navarro, who celebrated his birthday on Wednesday…Happy birthday to Golden Gate Fields Team Member Amanda Howard, who celebrates her birthday later this week.