NEW WINNER’S CIRCLE & INCREASE IN PURSES AMONG IMPROVEMENTS HEADING INTO SUMMER MEET
A new winner’s circle has been built and purses have been raised in an effort to enhance Golden Gate Fields and start up a continuous pattern of improvement over time at the bayside racetrack.
All claiming races (including maiden claimers) in which horses are in for 16k tag or less have been bumped up by $2,000, as have starter allowance purses, which also sees an increase of $2,000.
The new winner’s circle, featuring new landscaping and a platform where the winning connections can pose for a picture, freshens up the experience of winning a race for all parties involved with a winning racehorse. The owner/trainer lounge on the first floor has also been renovated for horseman who would like to relax during the races and social media usage will be amped up in an effort to market to fans and horseplayers all over the world. Fans can follow @ggpublicity on Twitter for all horse related news and @GGFracing for updates on events and everything else going on at Golden Gate. Golden Gate also runs an Instagram and Facebook page, which will be used more this meet than ever before.
For horseplayers, a guaranteed pool of $50,000 will be offered in the 50 Cent Late Pick 5 every Sunday afternoon. The 50 Cent Early Pick 5, which involves the first five races on each card, features a low 14% takeout. The 20 Cent Golden Pick Six Jackpot wager will begin anew starting tomorrow while the $1 Rolling Super High Five bet is back on the wagering menu for the second meet in a row.
Golden Gate will offer a handful of Saturday events this meet, including a Burgers and Brew Fest on September 1 and a Rose Wine Festival on September 8. For more info and tickets for those events, go to Goldengatefields.com.
“We want to enhance the Golden Gate experience for everyone,” said Vice President and General Manager David Duggan. “Our staff and horsemen are working extremely hard every day. Our dedicated horseplayers and fans, both on and off track, should be served the best possible product and we will continue to preach that as we work on making this product great for them.”
HORSES TO WATCH
Here is a list of trainers and their “horses to watch” for the 2018 summer meet, which runs through Sunday, September 31.
Manny Badilla- Longtime Northern California trainer Manny Badilla is pleased with the progress of 4-year-old gelding Uncle Hal, who has won three races in a row including an allowance event on August 3 at Santa Rosa. “He has always had a lot of talent but now he’s going really well,” said Badilla. “We’re looking forward to running him this meet.”
D. Wayne Baker- Plate Side, a full brother to recent Del Mar allowance winner Eddie Haskell, is slated to compete this weekend and is a horse Baker feels can run a big race in his first start of the meet.
Bob Hess Sr.- King Glorious Stakes winner Intimidate and allowance winner Impecunious are both in training, doing well and expected to run at the summer meet, according to trainer Bob Hess Sr. One 2-year-old that Hess feels can do some good work in the future is You Don’t Own Me, a chestnut gelding by Lucky Pulpit who ran second in his career debut in a maiden special weight race at Santa Rosa.
Jerry Hollendorfer– Assistant trainer Juan Arriaga reports 2-year-olds River of Doubt and Stealthediamonds are two youngsters to keep an eye on, while hard knocking-older horse G.G. Ryder and stakes performer Eccentric Spinster are also possible starters for the summer meet.
O.J. Jauregui– Trainer O.J. Jauregui stated that Earnest, a $120,000 sale purchase by Quality Road, has plenty of room to improve after a better than looked fourth place finish in his career debut at Santa Rosa.
Sergio Ledezma- Inquisition, an unraced 2-year-old gelding by Blame, and Pato, also an unraced sophomore (by Afleet Alex), are two 2-year-olds who have been working for trainer Sergio Ledezma and are expected to make their career debuts at some point soon. “Both of them can run a little bit,” said Ledezma. Among Ledezma’s older horses to watch: allowance-caliber colt Skidoo and well bred 3-year-old filly Shasta Star. “Shasta Star has run well in all three of her races but just hasn’t won yet. She’ll get that picture taken soon.”
Mike Lenzini- The Lenzini barn is high on 2-year-old Gobsmack, a Vronsky colt that has shown plenty of talent in the mornings and is slated to make his career debut this meet. “He’s a runner,” said Lenzini. “We’re excited about him.”
Frank Lucarelli– Assistant trainer Edgar Blanco is eager to run 3-year-old maiden Chieftain’s Lad, a gelding who Blanco believes will pick up his first win very soon. Dancing Harbor, a recent maiden special weight winner at Sacramento, is another equine who Blanco emphasized is improving with experience.
Duane Offield- 2-year-old filly Sinawava ran fifth in her career debut at Santa Rosa and may take a step forward in upcoming starts, reports trainer Duane Offield. Offield also noted that 5 furlong turf specialist Brite Echo is doing well and is expected to make a couple of starts within the next six weeks.
Andy Psarras- “I’m excited to run all of them.” Good answer!
Steve Sherman– The son of 2015 Kentucky Derby winning trainer Art Sherman is excited about 2-year-old filly Gotta B Kitten Me, a daughter of Lucky Pulpit who recently broke her maiden in lifetime start number two at Santa Rosa. “I’m eager to see how she does against winners,” said Sherman Wednesday morning.
Faith Taylor- Trainer Faith Taylor says a duo of 2-year-olds are worthy of making this watch list: Rob’s Got Game, a maiden by Slew’s Tiznow, and Tap It Champ, a Cal-bred son of Champ Pegasus that broke his maiden at first asking in a maiden special weight at Santa Rosa. “Rob’s Got Game can run but he’s still green and learning,” said Taylor. “Tap It Champ has always shown us that he had talent and he ran really well the other day. We like him a lot.” Taylor also mentioned that More Power to Him, second in the Joseph T. Grace Handicap earlier this month, came out of the race in good shape and will compete at the summer meet if all goes to plan.
Jonathan Wong- The 2018 Winter/Spring meet leading trainer has an arsenal of runners ready to compete. Among his charge are a duo of geldings that made trips to the winner’s circle at Del Mar this summer: Bold Fantasy and Kochees. “Both horses are doing really well,” said Wong. “If there is a spot here at Golden Gate to run them then we’ll run them here.” Bold Fantasy was a dominant winner of an allowance optional claiming race on July 28 while Kochees won a salty 32k claimer that same day.