Thursday, January 4, 2018
WONG WINS FOUR RACES ON MONDAY
New Year’s Day could not have gone much better for trainer Jonathan Wong. On Monday, the 29-year-old horseman scored victories with all four of his entrants on the first race card of 2018.
Wong started off his day with a victory from Hill Croome, who tallied his first career win when defeating five other maiden claimers in the Monday opener. Two races later, Mugaritz went straight to the lead and took a quintet of rival’s gate to wire in an allowance race for newly turned 3-year-old’s. Tammy’s Window carried the Wong barn’s winning momentum into Race 4, when the Southern California shipper easily defeated six other rivals in a starter allowance race on turf. She was making her first start for The Wong shedrow since moving up to Northern California from trainer Doug O’Neill’s stable last month. To put the icing on the cake for an already successful day, 7-year-old gelding Tribal Again won Race 7, a five and a half furlong sprint for lower level claimers. Three of the four Jonathan Wong winners went off favored, the lone runner not fitting into that category being Mugaritz, who went off as the second choice in his respective race.
“I thought all four could win,” said Wong. “I have really great help in the barn. We have good grooms who work hard and good owners who let me run the horses in the right spots. All of that helps.”
Jonathan has had much success since forming his own stable in 2015. Heading into Friday’s card, the San Francisco native has won 198 races from 697 starters in his young training career; that equates to a very high 29% win percentage. Before going out on his own, Wong worked as an assistant for trainer John Martin.
Wong has more than just winning races to look forward to in 2018; he and his fiancé, fellow horsewoman Meagan Davenport, will welcome their first child, a baby boy, into the world in May.
“I’m super excited. I can’t wait for him to get here,” said Jonathan. “If I lose at the races but go home to a healthy, happy family, that’s all that matters to me now.”
APPRENTICE LUCAS GUTIERREZ LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT AT GOLDEN GATE
Apprentice Lucas Gutierrez picked up his first win of the Winter/Spring meet last Monday aboard Hill Croome, a 3-year-old gelding who won a $5,000 maiden claiming sprint on Monday.
“He’s eager to get better and listens,” said jockey agent Ron Freitas, who represents the 20-year-old native of France. “Lucas is quiet and even keel but he is receptive to constructive criticism and wants to learn.”
Before joining The Bay Area jockey colony, Gutierrez worked horses in Southern California for trainer Phil D’Amato. He learned to ride in France, where his family currently resides. Early in 2017, Lucas rode at Golden Gate Fields and won six races at the bayside track, but had to move back to France for the remainder of the year to finalize his work visa.
“I noticed the last three weeks he was here last year, he looked good on a horse and had been progressing,” said Freitas. “I remember he rode a really smart race for Rene Amescua one day, breaking from the one hole, getting the horse out of the gate well and finishing strong on the horse. The next day he rode one for [Bill] Morey and rode another good race. I could see he was developing.”
“When I took Ricky [Gonzalez]’s book when he was an apprentice, I saw he was improving and getting better. With Lucas, I see the same thing,” continued Freitas. “He is still getting better. He’s got a lot of upside.”
“Oakland Ron” Freitas reports that Gutierrez has been working horses for top trainers like Bill Delia, John Martin, Andy Mathis, Jonathan Wong and Blaine Wright.
“He is working horses for good barns and eventually he will get his shot,” said Freitas. “There is room for a good apprentice rider [at Golden Gate Fields] and I think he can have a lot of success here.”
FINISH LINES: Jockeys Abel Cedillo and Aaron Gryder each won six races last week, propelling both riders to the top of the jockey standings after Week 1. William Antongeorgi III also had a solid week, winning five races, while Frank Alvarado, Rocco Bowen and Juan Hernandez picked up four victories apiece…Krsto Skye, winner of The Albany Stakes in June, finished eighth in The Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita Park on Monday and came out of the race in good shape, according to trainer Ari Herbertson…Congratulations goes out to Miss America Stakes winner Kathy’s Song and her connections. The daughter of Candy Ride finished third in Santa Anita’s feature race last Saturday, The Grade 1 $300,000 American Oaks, for owners Abbondanza Racing, Premier Racing Club, Jerry McClanahan and trainer Richard Baltas…City Plan, winner of The Gold Rush Stakes on December 2, drew post 7 of 7 in The Grade 3 $100,000 Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita this Saturday. Tyler Connor, who rode the son of Street Sense to victory in The Gold Rush, retains the mount for trainer Eoin Harty…Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap winner Editore will also be competing in a stakes race this Saturday at Santa Anita. The Paulo Lobo trainee drew post 2 of 10 in The Grade 2 $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes for older horses going a mile and an eighth on the turf…Steph Being Steph, winner of The Golden Gate Debutante on November 24, makes her first start since the aforementioned stakes triumph this Saturday. The 3-year-old filly by Majestic Warrior will compete against eight other fillies in The Grade 3 $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes at 7 furlongs.
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