Golden Gate Fields Stable Notes
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
A HALF DOZEN TO COMPETE IN THE GOLDEN NUGGET STAKES
Six 2-year-old colts and geldings have entered to run in the first juvenile stakes race of the meet, The $50,000 Golden Nugget Stakes. The half dozen runners will sprint six furlongs on Tapeta.
Leading the Northern California 2-year-old contingent is Intimidate, a colt from the Bob Hess barn who comes off a gutsy allowance win three weeks ago. The second place finisher in that allowance race, Lucky Romano, came back to run third in a Cal-bred stake on The Breeders Cup undercard at Del Mar last week. Abel Cedillo has ridden Intimidate in both career races and retains the mount.
Runaway Ghost, one of two Southern California shippers, is an interesting item from The Mike Machowsky barn. The son of Ghostzapper won a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita on June 10, but has not been seen since then, and makes his first start in five months while shipping to Golden Gate Fields for his debut in the Bay Area. Serengetti, the second place finisher in the race that Runaway Ghost won, came back to break his maiden by 11 lengths for trainer Bob Baffert. Aaron Gryder picks up the mount on Runaway Ghost this Saturday.
The other Southern California entrant signed on is the Jeff Bonde trained Soul of Discretion. Since breaking his maiden by double digit lengths at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, the Kentucky bred colt has finished off the board in two consecutive stakes races. Jockey Frank Alvarado rides for the first time.
The Golden Nugget will go as Race 7 on the 9-race card this Saturday. First post on Saturday is 12:45 PM PT and the Golden Nugget will go off at approximately 3:45 PM PT.
FINISH LINES: Two horses represented Golden Gate Fields in a pair of Breeders’ Cup undercard races at Del Mar last week. Noble Nick, trained by Ari Herbertson, ran fourth in The Marathon Stakes on Friday while Lucky Romano, conditioned by Andy Mathis, finished third in The Golden State Juvenile on Saturday. Each horse came out of their respective races in good order, according to both trainers…Congrats to Northern California horseman Jerry Hollendorfer, who won The Breeders Cup Dirt Mile on Friday with 14-1 shot Battle of Midway. Flavien Prat rode the three-year-old colt to victory for owners Don Alberto Stable and WinStar Farm…Jockey Kevin Orozco shipped his tack to Portland Meadows on Tuesday and proceeded to win five races on the ten-race card. The Victorville native rides at Golden Gate Fields Thursday through Sunday and will travel to Portland to compete on Monday’s and Tuesday’s each week…Coachwhip recorded her first morning workout since an ultra-impressive maiden victory on October 21. The daughter of 11-time Group 1 winner So You Think worked a half mile on Saturday in 50 and 1/5 seconds for trainer Jedd Josephson…Nominations for the Oakland Stakes close Thursday, November 9. Stakes winners Quick and Silver, Star Student and Mach One Rules are three equines expected to lead the nominations list…Frank Alvarado holds the lead in the jockey standings with 15 wins while Jonathan Wong leads the trainer standings with 9 victories. Juan Hernandez is two wins behind Alvarado in the jockey standings with 13 trips to the winner’s circle. Tim McCanna and William Morey are tied for second in the trainer standings with 6 wins apiece…The Pick 6 Jackpot carryover has grown to $27,605 heading into Thursday’s card while $4,817 has been carried over in the Super High Five wager, which is offered during the last race each day…A “Celebration of Life” memorial service for longtime Golden Gate Fields bartender CiCi Naboisek will be held at 10:30 AM Thursday morning in the Paddock Pub (Lower A Deck Grandstand). CiCi was a beloved member of the community who will be greatly missed.
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