Wednesday, May 2, 2018
GOLDEN GATE FIELDS HORSEMEN AND EMPLOYEES SHARE THEIR DERBY PICKS
We asked a number of Golden Gate Fields horsemen, racing office staff and frontside personnel who they like to win the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Here were their responses:
Jockey/Exercise Rider Chester Bonnet (Magnum Moon): “I know his gallop boy and he says the horse is coming into the race great.”
Racing office staff member Tina Bryant (Magnum Moon): “I pick whoever wins in Arkansas.”
Jockey Abel Cedillo (Magnum Moon): “I thought he looked really good in The Arkansas Derby and he hasn’t come close to getting beat.”
Trainer Bill Delia (Justify): “I think he’s a special horse.”
Stall manager Carrie Fawcett (Firenze Fire): “He’s #1!”
Track announcer Matt Dinerman (Audible): “Justify is the one to beat but I like Audible. He is very versatile, improving with every race and has something left in the tank at the end of his races.”
Trainer Sam DiLaura (Instilled Regard): “Justify ain’t gettin’ no 49 [half mile spilt] this time.”
Jockey agent Tom “Bomber” Doutrich (Audible): “I like his numbers.”
Golden Gate Fields General Manager David Duggan (Magnum Moon): “He’s a big, robust horse and I think he will deal with the hustle and bustle of the Derby better than the others.”
Jockey Pablo Flores (Justify): “I think he’s really good and I saw him working the other day and he worked easy.”
Assistant trainer Brendan Galvin (Mendelssohn): “Aidan O’Brien knows how to bring them over [to America] and win. He’s not bringing him over for the sunshine.”
Jockey Ricky Gonzalez (Mendelssohn): “I think Justify has the most raw talent but Mendelssohn has more experience and will get the right trip.”
Mutual Manager Doug Gooby (Bolt D’Oro and My Boy Jack): “I like Justify but I always try to beat the favorite. Bolt and ‘Jack are my two this year.”
Trainer Gloria Haley (Justify and Mendelssohn): “Both are by Scat Daddy.”
Director of Marketing Ryan Hilton (Justify): “It’s going to be hard to beat the favorite.”
Trainer Steve Howard (Magnum Moon): “I know Todd Pletcher likes him.”
Placing judge/racing office staff member Lisa Jones (Flameaway): “I haven’t looked at the PP’s yet but my dog [Lucy] woke up at 4 AM this morning so we’ll go with #4….Flameaway.”
Morning line maker Steve Martinelli (Justify): “The way he’s progressed has been very impressive and he’s got Bob Baffert on his side.”
Trainer Andy Mathis (Justify): “He seems like the most talented.”
Trainer Tim McCanna (Audible and My Boy Jack): “My exacta horses.”
Trainer Bill McClean (Mendelssohn): “He was really impressive in Dubai.”
Trainer Quentin B. Miller (Good Magic): “When he wants to run, he runs.”
Jockey agent Fernando “Shoes” Navarro (Mendelssohn): “His prep in Dubai was impressive.”
Jockey agent Roger Olguin (Bolt D’Oro): “I hope Victor [Espinoza] wins.”
Jockey Irving Orozco (Mendelssohn): “It’s hard to look away from his impressive win in The UAE Derby.”
Jockey agent Dennis Patterson (Good Magic): “Chad Brown says he’s coming into the race ready to run his very best and I believe him.”
Trainer Andy Psarras (Magnum Moon): “He’s got a pace to chase and he’s undefeated.”
Trainer Steve Sherman (Mendelssohn): “I just like him.”
Media legend Sam Spear (Mendelssohn): “He is royally bred and won very impressively at the Breeders Cup and in Dubai.”
Trainer Steve Specht (Justify): “He sure looks like the best horse to me.”
Trainer Anthony Stabile (Good Magic): “He beat the best 2-year-olds last year and I think he’s coming into the race perfect.”
Trainer Angelo Tekos Jr. (Hofburg): “I think he’s a really nice horse that has not peaked yet.”
Stronach Group Director of Food and Beverage Mark Ventresca (Bolt D’Oro): “It sounds Italiano.”
Trainer Jonathan Wong (Good Magic): “I picked him in The Breeders Cup Juvenile and I’m sticking with him.”
THREE GOLDEN GATE TRAINERS TO HAVE HORSES IN ON KENTUCKY DERBY WEEKEND AT CHURCHILL DOWNS
Northern California trainers Ari Herbertson, Jerry Hollendorfer and Blaine Wright saddle contenders in major stakes races at Churchill Downs this Friday and Saturday.
Blaine Wright has 4-year-old colt Riser slated to run in Friday’s Grade 3 $200,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint for older horses going five furlongs on the turf. The grey/roan son of Mizzen Mast won a pair of stakes races at Emerald Downs last summer and makes his 2018 debut in the ‘Turf Sprint. He is 20-1 on the morning line and will be ridden by jockey Aaron Gryder, who currently rides at Hastings Racecourse in Canada but spent his fall and winter at Golden Gate.
On Saturday, 26-year-old conditioner Ari Herbertson will tighten the girth on Pyscho Sister, who most recently won an allowance race on the Golden Gate Fields turf last month. The New-York bred will be facing 10 other fillies and mares in the Grade 2 $300,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile and was made 30-1 on the morning line by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Mike Battaglia. Breeders Cup Classic-winning jockey Florent Geroux picks up the mount for Team Herbertson.
Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is represented in the Kentucky Derby with Lecomte Stakes (G3) winner Instilled Regard, who recently ran third in the Santa Anita Derby behind 3-1 ‘Derby morning line favorite Justify and Bolt D’Oro. Drayden Van Dyke, who rode the colt to a second place finish in The Los Alamitos Futurity as a 2-year-old, will be in the saddle for his first ‘Derby ride. Instilled Regard drew post 15 of 20 and is 50-1 on the morning line.
FIRST POST TIME CHANGES TO 12:45 UNTIL THE REMAINDER OF THE MEET
With the exception of Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes days, first post at Golden Gate Fields will be at 12:45 PM Pacific Time, beginning this Thursday afternoon. On the aforementioned “Triple Crown Days,” post time will be one hour early at 11:45 AM.
As previously mentioned, Golden Gate will begin live racing this Saturday, Kentucky Derby Day, at 11:45 AM. Fans have a chance to take part in the annual ‘Derby Day Hat Contest, where patrons can show off their stylish Kentucky Derby hats and win cash vouchers for their creativity and style. Food and drink specials will be offered throughout the afternoon, multiple food trucks will be on hand to satisfy fans’ taste buds and local band “The Spirit of 29” will be performing to add to the festivities. Post time for the 2018 Kentucky Derby is 3:50 PM Pacific Standard Time. Horseplayers on-hand at Golden Gate can watch and wager on the entire Derby Day card from Churchill Downs, which features a plethora of graded stakes races, as well as the Kentucky Oaks card on Friday afternoon. 10 races are scheduled at Golden Gate on Derby Day, with the program featuring a trio of allowance races.
FINISH LINES: Abel Cedillo has pulled even with Billy Antongeorgi III in the jockey standings. Both journeyman riders sit atop the leaderboard with 63 wins apiece heading into the month of May…Jonathan Wong leads the way in the trainer standings with 38 wins, one more than Jerry Hollendorfer and two more than John Martin…Jockeys Francisco Duran and Irving Orozco are both okay after two separate incidents in races last week and will resume riding Thursday afternoon…Over $276,000 was bet into the Late Pick 5 pool on Sunday, which had a $28,000 carryover from Saturday…Heading into Thursday’s card, the Golden Pick Six jackpot pool sits at $11,774.