ALBANY, Calif. (November 25, 2017) Editore and jockey Brice Blanc sat in midfield before powering away from their competition down the stretch to win The Berkeley Handicap for older colts and geldings. The Berkeley, a Grade 3 event with a $100,000 purse, is the premier race of the Golden Gate Fields Fall Meet.
“I knew he had a nice turn of foot and he’s been finishing like a freight train in the mornings,” said Blanc. “I was very confident in him coming into this race. He’s being doing everything right in the mornings and he has been improving. When I asked him to go down the lane today, the race was over. He ran great.”
Editore, a 5-year-old gelding by Redattore, is trained at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California by trainer Paulo Lobo. The Brazilian bred last raced at Santa Anita on October 15 and won a second level allowance race on turf. This was his first start over a synthetic surface.
“The way he travels, I thought he would handle the Tapeta,” said Blanc. “You never know until the horses step foot on it but he’s a beautiful mover and very athletic; he has a lot of power.”
Force, the winner of The Rolling Green Stakes on turf last summer, went off as the 2-1 favorite for trainer John Martin and jockey Juan Hernandez. Heading into this race, the son of Raven’s Pass was a perfect 2 for 2 on the Golden Gate Fields Tapeta. He sat off the pace early on before running on strongly down the lane to snatch second.
“He tried the best he could,” said Juan. “He’s an honest horse. I wish I could have saved a little more ground on the far turn but I did not get that chance. I had to make my move outside. When I asked him to go, he went but the winner is a nice horse. We were second best today.”
Hard Aces, a Grade I winner racing in The Berkeley for Southern California connections Hronis Racing, trainer John Sadler and jockey Kyle Frey, sat at the back of the pack and stayed towards the rear throughout. Frey noted that the 7-year-old might not have cared for the Tapeta surface.
“He didn’t seem to be kicking it in like he had in past starts on the dirt,” reported Frey. “I don’t think he liked the Tapeta. Even up the backstretch, we were at the back but we really weren’t that far behind. The field was pretty bunched up. He just wasn’t able to make up much ground over this track.”
Camino Del Paraiso, who broke from post position fourteen, ran a gallant race in third while Seattle Serenade, winner of the Bulldog Stakes at Fresno last month, finished fourth. Editore stopped the clock for a mile and a sixteenth in 1:43.37 seconds.
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