ANOTHERTWISTAFATE PROVES HE HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO COMPETE WITH TOP 3-YEAR-OLDS

El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate finished a head behind the Todd Pletcher trained Cutting Humor in a thrilling edition of the $800,000 Sunland Derby on Sunday at Sunland Park. Anothertwistafate earned 20 more Kentucky Derby points for his runner-up finish and exited the race in good shape, according to trainer Blaine Wright.

“He ran super,” said Wright on Wednesday morning. “He came out of [the race] with a clean bill of health. He has shown good energy since.”

Although Wright was very confident that Anothertwistafate could handle dirt and was not a “need-the-lead” type before the Sunland Derby, it was obviously a relief to see him show new dimensions in a race.

“I thought [jockey] Juan [Hernandez] did everything he could,” said Wright. “We discussed before the race that there was a good amount of speed signed on. I told Juan to sit just off the pace if a couple of horses decided to go out and set fast fractions, which they did, and our horse relaxed right behind them. I thought John Velazquez on [Cutting Humor] rode an outstanding race. He’s in the Hall of Fame for a reason.”

“Down the stretch, [Anothertwistafate] got down to business and went after the winner. He made up ground and finished strong. He handled the dirt no problem and was able to stalk the pace and run on. He didn’t quit when he was challenged on Sunday.”

Anothertwistafate currently sits in twelfth, with 30 points, on the Kentucky Derby Points Leaderboard. With nine Kentucky Derby points/prep races still to come, whether Anothertwistafate has an adequate amount of points to earn a spot in the ‘Derby starting gate remains questionable.

“Now our goal is to run in the Kentucky Derby,” said Wright. “We’ll wait and see. We may have to run in another Kentucky Derby points race if we want to secure a starting spot. We’ll wait a couple of weeks, see how the point’s leaderboard looks and go from there. If he has enough points to run in the Kentucky Derby after all these prep races are finished, then we’ll go straight to the ‘Derby.”

Also on Sunday, Wright saddled Anyportinastorm to a third place finish in the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes going six and a half furlongs. All Out Blitz, a Southern California invader from the Simon Callaghan barn, won the race by a half-length. Anyportinastorm finished a head behind the second place finisher. It was his first start since a flashy win in the Zia Park Sprint on November 21.

“[Anyportinastorm] was tired after the race but he was coming off a layoff and going six and a half furlongs, it’s a real battle, especially off a break,” said Wright. “He came out of the race well, though. He ran a really good race.”

Wright indicated that the $75,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes on April 27 could be next for the son of City Zip, but the connections were leaving their options open.

Going back to Anothertwistafate, Wright had one more thing to say.

“This isn’t about me,” Wright said. “This is about representing Golden Gate. This is about representing Washington State and Emerald Downs, where I’m from, and Hastings Racecourse in Canada, where [owner] Peter Redekop is from and also races horses. We want to make our home tracks and their communities proud.”

And that they have.

OROZCO BACK IN THE SADDLE; FIRST RIDE RESULTS IN A WINNER

On the morning of October 27, 2018, jockey Irving Orozco arose from his bed like any other morning. Little did he know, this was a day that would be engraved in his memory forever.

Fast forward to the afternoon of the 27th, when Irving was aboard maiden filly Pamplemiss in a maiden-claiming sprint. Approaching the quarter pole of the five and a half furlong contest, Orozco’s filly clipped heels and stumbled. Orozco went tumbling to the ground and was clipped by an oncoming horse. Although Pamplemiss emerged from the incident unscathed, 25-year-old Orozco suffered internal injuries as a result of the fall and was put to the sidelines for five months.

“It was a life changing experience,” said Orozco. “I feel really thankful and blessed that I was able to heal properly. I put a lot of time and effort into developing a healthy lifestyle, like eating right and exercising. I wanted to make sure I was 100% before coming back, though, and I feel great now.”

Fast forward to last Sunday. An upbeat and physically fit Orozco rode 3-year-old filly Kynance in his first mount back since the hiatus and was rewarded with a runaway victory aboard the Manny Badilla trainee. Kynance, making her career debut in the United States since being purchased in Europe by her current connections, sat off the pace before rallying on strongly to win the maiden event by 2 lengths.

“Words could not describe such an amazing moment,” said Orozco, when asked to reflect on the Sunday victory. “I definitely held back some tears…but they were happy tears. It was incredible.”

For Orozco, the future brings much excitement.

“I am beyond grateful to be back riding horses,” said Orozco. “I feel great. In fact, I feel even healthier now than I ever have. I can’t wait to make the most out of the opportunities presented to me. I’ve already gotten a lot of support from horsemen and I can’t thank them enough for giving me a shot now that I’m back riding.”

FINISH LINES: Santa Anita resumes live racing this Friday. On Saturday, “The Great Race Place” features five stakes races, led by the Grade I Beholder Mile for fillies and mares and the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile for older turf stars…Gulfstream Park runs a whopping seven stakes’ on their Saturday card, headlined by the Grade I Florida Derby for 3-year-olds…Slated for the Gulfstream Park Friday program: the Grade 3 Appleton Stakes, a grass race for turf milers. The top three finishers in the Appleton receive a free nomination to the $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on Saturday, April 27…Happy birthday to jockey Ferrin Peterson and trainer Leobardo Rivera, both whom celebrate birthday’s this week…A carryover in the Golden Pick Six jackpot pool has climbed to $126,654 heading into Thursday’s card…Leg D of the Stronach 5 wager is Friday’s fifth race at Golden Gate….The inaugural Gold Rush Weekend, scheduled for Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, features eight stakes races and a number of fun events for on-track fans. You can follow @GoldRushWeekend on Twitter, a new account that will be posting regularly on news, updates and all things Gold Rush Weekend…Speaking of Gold Rush Weekend, Champion Irish trainer Dermot Weld is finalizing his plans to run 2 starters on the aforementioned weekend. Weld is regarded as one of the top Irish trainers of all time and has an eye-popping resume, which includes four Irish Guineas’ victories, two Melbourne Cup wins and seven Irish St. Leger triumphs…Well-known English trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam has confirmed 7-year-old Circus Couture for the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile. Circus Couture has already raced once in America, having competed in last year’s Grade I Arlington Million….A detailed-story on all European invaders will be available in a future edition of the News and Notes.

Due to the need for an abundance of caution, a series of enhanced protocols have been instituted for monitoring the horse population and ensuring a safe return to racing.

Workouts

The added association veterinarian oversight during morning training and works will continue.

The enhanced work monitoring that requires notification of intent to work will also continue. Internal reviews of past performance data, and all available information from the horses slated to work are used to identify individuals worthy of further scrutiny. The association veterinarian or their designate then works with all parties to determine if the horse is approved to work, or whether another course of action is required.

Entries

Santa Anita and Golden Gate are instituting similar enhanced monitoring for entries. Similar to workouts, the tracks will endeavour to identify horses requiring additional scrutiny by the association veterinarian or their designate following the taking of entries.

Santa Anita and Golden Gate have also increased the security and surveillance times for horses entered, from 24 hours to 48 hours. This applies to Santa Anita, Golden Gate, San Luis Rey Downs as well as Los Alamitos. Out of state horses are required to be on the grounds 48 hours in advance. Signage identifying subject horses and the enhanced security will apply at all locations.

Racing Medication

The attached (Click Here) medication program summary by The Stronach Group for Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields is predicated on the CHRB Board adopting Santa Anita’s request for the setting the conditions of their races under CHRB 1581 and the suspension of authorization for non-steroidal and corticosteroids medications under 1844.   If adopted, these provisions will apply to all horses racing at Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita for the duration of their current meets.

Santa Anita and Golden Gate have similarly adopted conditions for entry with regards to Lasix. Trainers, owners and the practicing veterinarian will still be required to consult with the third-party Lasix veterinarian to determine the appropriate dosage of Lasix for each horse, however the permitted amount of Lasix will be a maximum of 250 mg (5cc’s) of furosemide by IV injection. Enhanced monitoring will accompany this change.

 

 

WRIGHT SENDS OUT ANOTHERTWISTAFATE, ANYPORTINASTORM AT SUNLAND ON SUNDAY

This Sunday, March 24, trainer Blaine Wright runs a pair of stakes caliber colts at Sunland Park in New Mexico: El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate and Zia Park Sprint champion Anyportinastorm. Anothertwistafate races in the Grade 3 $800,000 Sunland Derby going a mile and an eighth while Anyportinastorm sprints six and a half furlongs in the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial for older one-turn horses. Both colts are owned by Peter Redekop and were purchased by Redekop’s racing manager and bloodstock agent Alistair Rhoden.

“Both horses shipped into Sunland today and traveled well,” reported Wright. “They’re in their stalls happy and healthy.”

Many eyes will be glued to Anothertwistafate, who wowed racing fans all over the country with a 7 length, dominant victory in the El Camino Real Derby on February 16. Anothertwistafate earned 10 Kentucky Points for his El Camino’ victory and seeks to earn additional points in the Sunland Derby, which offers 50 points to the winner, 20 to the second place finisher, 10 to the equine who crosses the wire third and 5 to whomever runs fourth.

“[Anothertwistafate] is doing well,” said Wright. “We’ve weighed him every week since the El Camino Real Derby and he’s actually gained some weight since that race. His works have been solid and he continues to do things the right way.”

“We’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves,” continued Wright, when asked about what it was like for him to have a horse on the Kentucky Derby trail. “We’ve been taking it race by race. Right now we are solely focused on giving [Anothertwistafate] every chance to run his very best at Sunland. We’ll learn a lot about him in this race.”

Anothertwistafate is 3-1 on the morning line and drew post position 2 in a field of 10. The rail runner, Mucho Gusto, is the 8-5 morning line favorite. Trained by Bob Baffert, the $625,000 sale purchase ran second in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Derby as a 2-year-old and most recently won the Grade 3 Robert Lewis at Santa Anita on February 2. Joe Talamo rides Mucho Gusto while Juan Hernandez retains the mount on Anothertwistafate.

One race before the Sunland Derby, Anyportinastorm makes his 2019 debut in the Bill Thomas Memorial. Anyportinastorm was last seen defeating Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 placed sprinter Stallwalkin’ Dude in the Zia Park Sprint on Thanksgiving week. Before his first graded stakes victory at Zia Park, Anyportinastorm hit-the-board in 2 stakes races at Golden Gate.

“Anyportinastorm has always been a really nice horse,” reflected Wright. “We were tickled by his effort at Zia; he ran a great race. After he won [the Zia Park Sprint], there weren’t many races for him to run in so we decided to give him 30 days off. He’s worked well for his comeback and we’re really excited to see what he can do this year.”

Wright indicated that a start in the 2019 Lost in the Fog Stakes was a possibility if Anyportinastorm remained on a regular schedule after Sunday’s Bill Thomas Memorial. The Lost in the Fog, slated for Saturday, April 27, is part of the inaugural Gold Rush Weekend, which features a half dozen stakes events on Saturday and a duo of California-bred stakes the following afternoon.

GOOD QUALITY RACES HIGHLIGHT THIS WEEK’S RACING FESTIVITIES AT GOLDEN GATE

A number of high quality races fill this week of live thoroughbred action, especially on Friday afternoon. Race 5 this Friday, which is Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager, attracts a field of nine allowance sprinters. The morning line favorite is Goren, who was the runner up in an allowance race three weeks ago. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and owned by Larry Best’s OXO Equine LLC, the $1.1 million sale purchase beat four horses in the aforementioned allowance that enters right back in this spot. Also slated to compete in Leg E of the Stronach 5 is Manteray Island. The Doug O’Neill trainee broke his maiden at Golden Gate last month and has an impeccable female family. In fact, his third dam is champion racemare Personal Ensign. Before the start of his racing career, he was purchased by John Magnier for a whopping $1.4 million.

Race 4 on Friday is a salty third level allowance race, with a half dozen older runners set to tussle six furlongs. GGF second level allowance winner Summersimage is the 9-5 morning line favorite, but he faces some awfully good customers that figure to make him work hard if he is to win the race. Among his main competitors is Daddysprize, who makes his 4-year-old debut for trainer Tim McCanna. The son of Scat Daddy was last seen running second in the Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar over the summer. Southern California stakes performers Tough Sunday and Grecian Fire comprise a quarter of the field while Whatwasithinking, an Emerald Downs stakes winner, comes off a layoff and starts his 2019 in this talent-filled race. Stakes placed Sunsett Dragunn rounds out the list of six

Race 7 on Friday is another allowance sprint, this event for 3-year-old fillies. The one to beat appears to be Sneaking Out, who broke her maiden in a California-bred maiden special weight race by over 10 lengths at Del Mar in November and makes her first start since then for Jerry Hollendorfer and owner KMN Racing. Stakes performers Cozze Kid and Stealthediamonds are other major players in the race. Cozze Kid was a 2-length allowance victor on March 1 while Stealthediamonds, also trained by Hollendorfer and owned by KMN Racing, hasn’t raced seen since a third place finish in the Golden Gate Debutante as a 2-year-old last fall.

Saturday’s card is equally as interesting. A pair of allowance events highlights the program and a maiden special weight event for 3-year-old fillies, Race 6, begins the Late Pick 4, with over 175k projected to be bet into that pool on Saturday. Over 200k is projected for the Late Pick 4 on Sunday.

FINISH LINES: A number of Southern California trainers are sending horses from their strings to compete at Golden Gate Fields this week. Among the list of trainers are Richard Baltas, Eoin Harty, Anna Meah, Kristin Mulhall and Doug O’Neill. Southern California jockeys Rafael Bejarano and Flavien Prat are also named on horses while Heriberto Figueroa, Ruben Fuentes and Jorge Velez, all whom have ridden races at GGF for the past 8 racing days, will be back for another week…Happy belated birthday to jockey Franklin Ceballos…Happy birthday to “Billy the Kid”, William Antongeorgi III, who turns one-year-older on Saturday… Coachwhip, a Calumet Farm homebred who began her career at Golden Gate Fields in 2017, will compete on Saturday in the $75,000 New Orleans Ladies Stakes at The Fair Grounds. The Fair Grounds runs a 13 race card on Saturday, highlighted by the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby for 3-year-olds…The Stronach 5 pool is, once again, guaranteed at 100k. The first leg of the wager this week is Race 8 at Laurel Park, with a scheduled post time of 4:43 PM ET/1:43 PM PT.

JOCKEY CATALINO MARTINEZ PICKS UP CAREER WIN 1,000

Journeyman Catalino Martinez scored his 1,000^th career victory as a jockey when 4-year-old filly Barbello won the Saturday opener for maiden claimers. Martinez, who has ridden in the Bay Area for over a decade, was quick to praise his supporters following the milestone win.

“It felt great,” said Martinez. “At the 3/16ths pole I knew I was the winner. There have been a lot of people who have supported me throughout my career and I want to thank all of them. I feel very blessed.”

After the tradional winners circle photo, Martinez was drenched with champagne and water by fellow riders, and was soaking wet while being interviewed by TVG’s Joaquin Jaime.

“That was fun,” said Martinez. “We have a good group of riders here.”

Catalino has ridden in races since 2004. Some of his recent stakes successes include victories with Bella Luma and Fast and Foxy. Bella Luma won the Golden Poppy Stakes with Martinez aboard last year while Fast and Foxy was victorious in multiple stakes’ at Golden Gate and earned the status as the top female sprinter in Northern California from 2016 to 2017.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RIDERS FLOCK TO GOLDEN GATE FOR TWO WEEKS

With Santa Anita taking a 2-week hiatus from live racing, Golden Gate Fields has seen a number of Southern California riders ship their tacks north to ride in races.

Apprentices Heriberto Figueroa and Jorge Velez, both represented by agent Nelson Arroyo, rode in a number of races last week and are slated to compete in more races over the next four live racing days. 19-year-old Figueroa, along with Geovanni Franco and Mike Smith, are all currently tied for third in the Santa Anita jockey standings with 23 wins apiece.

“Both of my riders are very talented young men,” said Arroyo. “They both have the physical, raw talent-I have no doubt about that. They work hard and are good listeners. They take in advice and absorb it. They want to get better. They are also very kind, genuine young men, and down-to-earth…easy to talk to. They are very likeable.”

“Trainer Bill E. Morey had some mounts for Heriberto and Jorge up here and we were very excited for that opportunity,” continued Arroyo. “We’ve picked up some other business from other trainers along the way. Hopefully, when we go back down to Santa Anita and Del Mar and trainers from Northern California run horses there, they will consider my riders for their horses. In the meantime, it’s great to be here at Golden Gate. Golden Gate is a lovely racetrack and the people here have been good to us.”

Ruben Fuentes, another Southern California rider, is on the same schedule as the two aforementioned apprentices. Most of his mounts have come from Southern California trainers Jeff Bonde and Alfredo Marquez.

“Jeff Bonde asked if we could come up here and ride in some races for him,” said jockey agent Saul Marquez, who represents Fuentes. “We’ve very happy to be here at Golden Gate for a couple of weeks.”

“Ruben is a really talented up-and-comer,” said Marquez. “He has an ‘A+’ work ethic. He works as hard as anyone. He is always eager to wake up early, go work for trainers in the mornings and improve his craft whenever he gets a leg up on a horse. He wants to be the best rider he can be and he is only getting better. I’m excited to see his future. I think he Is just going to continue to progress.”

Fuentes has won 11 races from 84 mounts at the current Santa Anita meeting and picked up his first Southern California graded stakes victory in January with Escape Clause in the Grade 3 La Canada. Fuentes also guided Ohio to a second place finish in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes last month.

Veteran rider Aaron Gryder, a winner of over 3,800 races including the 2009 Dubai World Cup with Well Armed, rode in 3 races last week and is slated to ride in more races this week. Gryder rode at Golden Gate Fields in 2018 and, although currently competing at the Santa Anita Winter/Spring meet, has set up shop at racetracks all over the world since beginning his riding career in 1987.

Another notable is Tyler Baze, who flies up Friday to ride Meal Ticket for trainer Matt Chew in Race 4. Meal Ticket, a 5-year-old mare making her 2019 debut, has beaten salty allowance company in Southern California and most recently ran fourth in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes at Del Mar.

GOLDEN GATE FIELDS TO OFFER LEGS C AND E OF STRONACH 5 WAGER THIS WEEK

The 100k guaranteed Stronach 5 wager, a $1 minimum bet with an industry low 12% takeout, features two Golden Gate races in the sequence this week. Race 5, a one-mile and a sixteenth maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies, drew a group of 11 and goes as Leg C (the third leg) of the Stronach 5. Race 6, a starter allowance with ten 3-year-olds entered to sprint six furlongs, is Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5.

The first leg goes as Race 9 at Laurel Park, which is the “host track” for the Stronach 5 every week. Leg B is Race 9 at Gulfstream Park while Leg D is Race 10 at Gulfstream.

FINISH LINES: El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate continued his path to the March 24 Sunland Derby with a workout on Sunday. Timed in 1:01 flat, the drill was the fourth fastest of 67 recorded works at the 5 furlong distance. “He went beautiful,” said trainer Blaine Wright…Jerry Hollendorfer saddles Galilean and Gunmetal Grey in two separate divisions of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park this Saturday. Galilean races in Division 1 and faces Los Alamitos Futurity winner Improbable while Gunmetal Grey will go up against Breeders Cup Juvenile winner Game Winner in Division 2…Leading rider Abel Cedillo has a 69-52 lead over Juan Hernandez in the jockey standings while Jonathan Wong has a massive lead in the trainers standings with 50 trips. to the winners circle at the current meeting. The second place trainers, William E. Morey and Jerry Hollendorfer, have recorded 16 wins each…Regardless of the time change early Sunday morning, please note that first post remains at 12:45 PM PT…The Golden Pick Six Jackpot pool has climbed to over 38k heading into Thursday’s card… Golden Gate was lucky enough to have TVG on-site for live coverage of our races last week, and we are very pleased and excited to host them this week too. Joaquin Jaime will, once again, be back reporting throughout the racing week, and he’ll be joined over the weekend by Todd Schrupp, Simon Bray and Rich Perloff.

COZZE KID: A SMALL FILLY WITH A BIG HEART

The Jamie Thomas trained Cozze Kid stamped herself as a filly to watch out for in coming starts after a decisive allowance win last weekend. The 3-year-old daughter of Shanghai Kid made her first start off a 7-month layoff in last Friday’s fourth race, a six furlong sprint for allowance caliber 3-year-old fillies, and stalked the pace before drawing off to win the contest by 2 and a half lengths.

“She was training well heading into the race,” said Thomas. “She likes this track.”

Cozze Kid has always been well regarded. Although purchased for the bargain price of just $4,500 as a yearling, it was clear early on that the California-bred filly had ability.

“She was training really well before her first race,” remembered Thomas. “We bought her at the sale for an affordable price. She was well put together but just small. And she’s still small. But she can run.”

In her first start last May, she went off as the 2-1 second choice in a maiden special weight for 2-year-olds going four and a half furlongs. She demolished the competition, going straight to the lead and never looking back after that. The winning margin was 8 and ¾ lengths.

Following her dominant maiden victory, Cozze Kid finished off-the-board in two runs against stakes company. Thomas opted to give his filly time off after the undesirable finishes, and she was sent to the farm for a vacation.

“She had some baby problems; sore shins,” said Thomas. “So we turned her out for a while. She came back to the track really happy and healthy.”

Thomas, who co-owns Cozze Kid along with James Marsden, Myles McMahon and Rudy Roman, relayed that there are many different options for their filly moving forward.

“I think [Cozze Kid] can route,” said Thomas. “She is out of a Cozzene mare so that says turf. Obviously she’s got speed. We’ve got a lot of options.  We’re excited to see how she does.”

LAST 2 LEGS OF THE STRONACH 5 WAGER GO THROUGH GOLDEN GATE

Legs D and E of the Stronach 5 wager this Friday go as Golden Gate’s fifth and sixth races, respectively. Race 5 features a competitive group of 10 older filly and mare allowance runners routing one mile. Race 6, the last leg of the Stronach 5, is a route event for 3-year-olds.

The Stronach 5 offers a $100,000 guaranteed pool this week. 8 races comprise the Friday program at Golden Gate.

FINISH LINES: On Saturday morning, 3-year-old colt Anothertwistafate logged his first morning workout since a runway victory in the El Camino Real Derby last month. The Blaine Wright trainee drilled a half-mile in 49.40 seconds. “He went good,” said jockey Juan Hernandez, who was aboard for the breeze…Speaking of Juan Hernandez, he celebrates his birthday this week, as does with GGF marketing manager Ryan Hilton…American Pastime, fourth place finisher in the 2017 Breeders Cup Sprint, is currently under the care of Bob Hess Sr. at Golden Gate Fields. Previously trained by Bob Hess Jr., the 5-year-old gelding was last seen finishing off-the-board in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar last July…Golden Gate Fields welcomes TVG’s Scott Hazelton, Joaquin Jaime and Anna James as guests this racing week. Hazelton will be on-air, broadcasting live from GGF on Thursday. Jaime will take over the duties Friday through Sunday. James, a “jack of all traits” behind the scenes, will be filming the coverage…Jockey Abel Cedillo has a 64-47 win lead over Juan Hernandez in the jockey standings while Jonathan Wong possesses a commanding 44-16 lead over Jerry Hollendorfer in the trainer standings…Southern California jockeys Heriberto Figueroa, Ruben Fuentes (listed as an alternate) Aaron Gryder and apprentice Jorge Velez all have at least one mount on the Saturday card…10 races will be run on Saturday, one more than the usual 9.

EL CAMINO REAL DERBY WINNER ANOTHERTWISTAFATE TO THE SUNLAND DERBY ON MARCH 24

Trainer Blaine Wright reported earlier this week that Anothertwistafate, a 7-length winner of the 2019 El Camino Real Derby, will make his next start in the $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 24 at Sunland Park. The Sunland Derby, a mile an eighth dirt race, offers 50 Kentucky Derby points to the winner, 20 points to the second place finisher, 10 points to the third place finisher and 5 points to the fourth place finisher.

“After weighing all the options, we thought the timing of the Sunland Derby was perfect,” said Wright on Wednesday morning.

Anothertwistafate gained 10 points to the Kentucky Derby with the El Camino Real Derby victory. He also secured a free berth into the Preakness, with the El Camino Real Derby giving away the aforementioned incentive for the first time in the race’s 38-year history.

“We are on the Kentucky Derby trail now,” said Wright. “If he runs well at Sunland, we’ll proceed to the [Kentucky] Derby. If he does not make the Kentucky Derby, it will give us ample time to get him back home [to Golden Gate Fields], run him in the California Derby [on April 27 at Golden Gate], and give him that race as a prep for the Preakness.”

Anothertwistafate earned a 94 Beyer speed figure when finishing seven lengths ahead of the Bob Baffert trained Kingly and the Jerry Hollendorfer trainee More Ice in the mile and an eighth El Camino Real Derby on February 16. As of Wednesday morning, Wright reported that his star 3-year-old colt is very healthy.

“[Anothertwistafate] came out of the [El Camino Real Derby] good,” said Wright. “We weighed him the other day and he’s actually gained a few pounds. He’s eating well. He’s doing well. We’re happy.”

HIGH PRICED GOREN, SPEEDY MIKE’S TIZNOW CLASH IN FEATURE RACE ON FRIDAY

A salty group of 12 will contest the distance of six furlongs in Friday’s fifth race, a first level allowance for older male sprinters. The fifth race is also Leg D (the second to last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager on Friday afternoon.

Among the major players is Goren, a $1.1 million sale purchase by owner Larry Best, who races as OXO Equine LLC. Goren was last seen running third in an allowance race at Santa Anita and makes his Northern California debut in this spot. Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer trains and leading jockey Abel Cedillo rides for the first time.

Another sprinter figuring to get support in the wagering is Mike’s Tiznow, a front-running grey son of Slew’s Tiznow who most recently ran second to win machine Sir Vronski on January 18. Andy Mathis conditions and Ricky Gonzalez retains the mount. Other contenders in Race 5 on Friday include the John Martin trained pair of Sequentially and American Currency, and multiple allowance placed gelding Tomahawk Tuesday from the Cliff DeLima barn.

Post time for the feature event on Friday: approximately 3:00 PM PT.

Another notable race on Friday is Race 4, for 3-year-old fillies sprinting six furlongs. The morning line favorite is La Aguililla, who finished second to Grade 2 placed Tomlin in the Golden Gate Debutante last year. Other major players include allowance winner Empressive Cat, impressive maiden winner Cozze Kid and English Royality, who looks for her sixth win in a row.

9 RACES ON SATURDAY CARD INCLUDE A PAIR OF ALLOWANCE FIELDS

9 races are scheduled for the Saturday card, led by a duo of allowance races and a maiden contest.

The feature race on the card goes as Race 8, a first level allowance for older male routers, while the fifth race is a six furlong allowance sprint for 3-year-old males. The seventh race, a maiden event for 3-year-old fillies, drew a field of seven and features the debut of first time starters for top trainers Tim McCanna and Blaine Wright. Also in the race is six figure sale purchase Ballazano for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and the Angelo Tekos trainee Smiling Sunset, a well-regarded racer that is a half sibling to graded stakes performer and 891k earner Miss Sunset.

As a side note, Gulfstream Park showcases 9 stakes races on a large 14-race program this Saturday, led by the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes for 3-year-olds. Golden Gate Fields’ gates open at 10:00 AM for simulcasting, where fans can watch and wager on Gulfstream’s card as well as other major racetracks such as Aqueduct, Laurel Park and Santa Anita. First post at Golden Gate Fields is approximately 12:45 PM PT.

FINISH LINES: No change with regards to the leading jockey and trainer: Abel Cedillo has the most wins out of any jockey at the current meeting while Jonathan Wong continues to lead in the trainer standings…Trainer Steve Sherman won with Wasco and C C the Bartender on Sunday afternoon. Both Sherman trainees are chestnut colored equines that sport flashy, white blazes. The Sherman family are no strangers to flashy chestnuts; Steve’s father Art Sherman trained 2-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, another chestnut with a big, white blaze…Richiesinthehouse, a dominant synthetic sprinter under the care of trainer Larry Rivelli, runs in Race 3 on Friday. He is projected to go off at very low odds. Also entered in the race are stakes performers Camino Del Paraiso and Vronilla Parfait, allowance caliber mare Claudia Mae and Ferndale Marathon winner Engram…After a stint in Southern California, 3-year-old gelding Choo Choo is back in the Bay Area for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. The Calumet Farm homebred won the California Derby in 2017 and worked five furlongs on Wednesday morning…Other new additions to the Northern California Hollendorfer string: stakes performer Grecian Fire and Sneaking Out, a 3-year-old California-bred filly who was last seen breaking her maiden at Del Mar on September 2 by over 10 lengths. Both aforementioned horses worked a half mile Wednesday morning…Golden Gate Fields is excited to have Gulfstream Park racing analyst Jason Blewitt on site for Gold Rush Weekend on April 27 and 28. Gold Rush Weekend features 8 stakes races, headlined by the $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, and a number of on-track events for patrons…Happy birthday to ex-jockey Chad Schvaneveldt, who celebrates his 55^th birthday on Monday.

ANOTHERTWISTAFATE ON KENTUCKY DERBY TRAIL AFTER EL CAMINO REAL DERBY WIN

The well-regarded, local colt Anothertwistafate punched himself a ticket to the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, with a gate to wire score in last Saturday’s El Camino Real Derby for 3-year-olds. The son of Scat Daddy set the pace before disposing of his rivals in upper stretch, dashing down the lane in a final furlong timed in 12 seconds while completing the 9-panel contest in 1:50.38. He earned a 94 Beyer speed figure for his effort.

With the victory, Anothertwistafate not only received a free Preakness Berth, but 10 Kentucky Derby points. Trainer Blaine Wright indicated that he would discuss Anothertwistafate’s next race with his owner, Peter Redekop, in the next week or so. His next race is not definite. What is definite, according to Wright, is that Anothertwistafate is on the Kentucky Derby trail, and he will be given a shot to prove he has what it takes to compete against the best 3-year-olds on the first Saturday in May.

“I’m just in awe of [Anothertwistafate] right now,” said Wright immediately following the El Camino Real. “There’s a lot of stuff in front of us. We’ll sit down and talk about what races to consider.”

Anothertwistafate has run four times, with three races resulting in impressive wins on the Golden Gate Tapeta. His lone career loss came in his career debut at Santa Anita in November, sprinting six furlongs on dirt. In a previous News and Notes interview with Wright, he indicated that Anothertwistafate’s first race should be a toss out.

“I probably should have never run him in that race,” admitted Wright in January. “It was a mistake on my part. I blame myself for that loss. [Jockey] Juan [Hernandez] came back after the race and said [Anothertwistafate] hated the dirt in his face. But if you watch the replay, Juan was able to get him in the clear down the stretch and once he did, he made up a good amount of ground, and the gallop out was terrific.”

There are questions as to whether Anothertwistafate will handle the dirt as well as he has handled the Tapeta. He possesses a turf pedigree: by Scat Daddy out a half-sister to a French Oaks/Grade I winner on turf. Keep this in mind, though: Scat Daddy was a dirt horse himself, and he produced 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.

Potential next starts for Anothertwistafate? His connections could run him in The Jeff Ruby Steaks (previously known as The Spiral) at Turfway on March 9 over their synthetic surface, but he is not nominated, so they’ll have to supplement him into the race if they decide to run there. Not only that in mind, but the race comes up pretty quickly after a huge effort in the El Camino Real Derby. Anothertwistafate may just wait until the Santa Anita Derby and take on the big dogs down South, or even run in the Sunland Derby on March 24 at Sunland Park, a race that has a large $800,000 purse with 50 Kentucky Derby points to the winner, but typically does not attract the top 3-year-olds in the U.S.

There is no doubt that Anothertwistafate oozes talent. Whether he can compete against the very best 3-year-olds remains to be seen, but he will get his shot in the coming months. And one thing is for sure: every racing fan and horsemen will be watching their local 3-year-old represent Golden Gate Fields as he looks to become another Scat Daddy prodigy to make some noise in various graded stakes races all over the country.

GGF EARLY PICK 5/STRONACH 5 CARRYOVERS SPARK INTEREST FOR HORSEPLAYERS THIS FRIDAY

Two noteworthy carryovers in the Golden Gate Fields Early Pick 5 and the Stronach 5 will keep horseplayers busy on Friday afternoon.

Friday’s Golden Gate Fields Early Pick 5, a 50 cent minimum bet with a low 14% takeout every day, has a carryover of over $46,000. The sequence, Races 1-5, is a competitive one, and track officials are expected the pool of new money to grow to at least a quarter of a million dollars: $250,000. Post time for the first race on Friday, and the first leg of the Early Pick 5, is approximately 12:45 PM PT/3:45 PM ET.

The Stronach 5, a $1 minimum bet with a low 12% takeout, features a carryover of over $169,000. A large amount of new money is expected to be bet into the pool, with track officials projecting that figure to be somewhere close to $500,000. Leg A (the first leg) goes as Race 9 at Laurel Park, with post time slated for 4:35 p.m.ET/1:35 p.m./PT. Leg D (the second to last leg) is Golden Gate Fields’ fifth race, a 12-horse maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies going 5 furlongs.

FINISH LINES: Although jockey Juan Hernandez had a sensational four days last week, journeyman Abel Cedillo continues to lead the way in the jockey standings…Jonathan Wong holds a large-sized lead in the trainer standings….Trainer William E. Morey reports that multiple Golden Gate winner and Grade I placed filly Ollie’s Candy is doing very well and getting back into training. The daughter of Candy Ride has not run since the summertime…5 furlong turf specialist Bay Muzik, arguably the best grass sprinter located in Northern California, worked a half mile in 49 seconds flat for trainer Ari Herbertson on Saturday morning. The 5-year-old gelding could make a trip to Keeneland in April, according to owner Scott Herbertson…Happy birthday to jockey Julien Couton, who celebrates another birthday this Saturday.

By Matt Dinerman (Track Announcer and Racing Analyst)

Race 7 on Saturday: the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby for 3-year-olds going one mile and an eighth on Tapeta

Approximate Post Time: 3:54 PM Pacific Time

The El Camino Real Derby, for the first time, offers the winner a “free berth” into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points are also awarded to the first place finisher of this event.

With both aforementioned incentives up for grabs, the 2019 ‘Derby has attracted a large field of 13. Good stuff! It should be a terrific race, and we’ve got some pretty talented sophomores signed on that might make some noise in bigger stakes’ later on down the road.

Let’s analyze each entrant in the 2019 El Camino Real Derby…and hopefully pick the winner at the end.

#1 Angelo’s Pride is a starter allowance winner that faces legit stakes horses in this spot. Improvement is needed for him to be competitive.

#2 King of Speed has done his best work on grass; his resume sports a pair of 2-year-old stakes wins on Southern California turf. Usually, turf horses transfer their good form to synthetic surfaces, so there is reason to believe this guy will enjoy running on the Golden Gate Tapeta. He ended his 2018 with two poor efforts against Grade I company. That said, both races were spots in which he was ambitiously placed. Two starts ago, he faced tough company in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf. His most recent afternoon appearance, in the Los Alamitos Futurity, was a race in which he ran on his least preferred surface (dirt) and finished well behind Baffert monsters Improbable and Mucho Gusto. King of Speed is freshened up now, drops in class and gets to a surface that he should be effective over. He merits respect.

#3 Data Hawk was well beaten when finishing third behind #4 Anothertwistafate in a January 4 allowance. He was supplemented into this stake for $2,000 by the connections; maybe they think he is ready to run a career best effort. That said, he would need to run a lot faster than he has been to hit the board.

Top local contender #4 Anothertwistafate was well regarded long before his first career start. In two Golden Gate route races, the son of Scat Daddy has blown the doors off his competition while winning with the greatest of ease. His gallop outs have been strong, suggesting that he will be okay with the added distance he will tackle on Saturday, and his effortless victories suggest that it is time for this guy to face legit stakes horses. He has natural early speed; expect him to be up close to the pace. In his most recent start, he dealt with intense pace pressure before shaking off his rivals. I think he could be the real deal; dangerous.

#5 The Creep is one of two entrants conditioned by trainer Doug O’Neill. Last year, this gelding hit the board in the Gold Rush Stakes on the GGF main track, so we know he can be effective on the Tapeta. His most recent afternoon appearance, though, was disappointing: he ran fifth in a field of six. The competition definitely does not get any easier in this spot. Playing against.

The second O’Neill trainee, #6 Weekly Call, went to the lead at big odds (35-1) in his last start before getting nipped for second at the wire by #7 Eagle Song. He might be one of the horses to press #4 Anothertwistafate on the lead. A decent horse, but others look more intriguing.

#7 Eagle Song is the “wise guy” horse. He began his career in Ireland, where he was born, raised and began his racing career. After a pair of 7-furlong wins on synthetic surfaces in Ireland, his current owners purchased him for a good chunk of change ($215,510). His most recent start was terrific, finishing full of run in a mile turf allowance at Santa Anita. That day, he finished ahead of #5 The Creep and #6 Weekly Call. He ran like a horse that should have no problem going a little bit further and he’s projected to get a good, stalking trip. Plenty of things to like about this one.

#8 Rey Coliman finished 5 lengths behind #4 Anothertwistafate in a January 4 allowance race. He needs to make up quite a few lengths to win this race. Passing.

#9 Kingly is a sibling to 4-time Grade 2 winner Mohaymen and 2013 Breeders Cup Juvenile champ New Years Day. Trained by Bob Baffert, the royally bred son of Tapit ships up North and makes his third career start after a pair of non-stakes runs. He broke his maiden impressively in his debut sprinting and most recently ran second behind well-regarded Richard Mandella sophomore Extra Hope in an allowance race. There is no doubt he possesses raw talent, but when you watch his replays you can’t help but notice he’s a bit green and, clearly, is still learning how things work.

#10 Knight’s Cross broke his maiden for a tag down South two starts ago and came up a nose short in his first race against winners, a starter allowance event last month. He’s been improving gradually for a good horseman in trainer Keith Desormeaux, but a career best effort is needed for this dude to take home the gold medal.

#11 Royal Insider has failed to be competitive in four straight maiden races. If he can’t get close to beating maiden company, how is he going to finish ahead of legit stakes horses? Major form reversal is needed.

#12 More Ice is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who has won the El Camino Real Derby a record six times. This chestnut colt makes his three-year-old debut while freshening up after a third place finish in the Eddie Logan Stakes on turf last December. Like quite a few others in here, this guy enjoys the grass, so there’s hope his solid turf form will transfer to the Golden Gate main track. He has a pair of workouts over the Tapeta leading up to this run, including a sharp 7-furlong stamina-building drill in which he easily disposed of a work partner. Note he finished 10 lengths behind #2 King of Speed three starts ago, but all signs indicate More Ice is a much better horse now. Mark down as a legit contender.

#13 Mayor Cobb is trained by Jonathan Wong, the leading trainer at Golden Gate. Wong won 8 races in two days last week; in other words, if you bet this horse, at least you know he’s coming from a white-hot barn. This gelding doesn’t have the class others do; he most recently defeated #1 Angelo’s Pride in a one-mile starter allowance race. He runs like a horse that wants more distance and gets an added furlong to work with this time, but whether he has the class to beat the best signed on here is a major question mark. I’m siding with others.

My Thoughts:

Giving the nod to #4 Anothertwistafate, whom I think has the ability to beat this field. Expect him to go to the lead and set moderate, but not fast fractions. As mentioned in the article, if he has pace pressure, I’m not too concerned. He has a burst of speed to kick away from his competition down the stretch and hold off the on-coming closers.

#7 Eagle’s Song is a legit threat in my book and we’ll make him the second pick. Look for him to be running on down the lane.

#12 More Ice is the third pick. I’m not worried about the post position. Why? Well, he has almost a quarter mile before he hits the first turn. Ground loss may be imminent anyway, but I like that he’ll be in the clear. Synthetic surface races are run like turf races, so I project the pack will start to bunch up on the far turn and or upper stretch. He’ll be able to make his move away from all the traffic. He has class, good form heading into 2019 and a trainer that knows what type of horse it takes to win this race.

#9 Kingly is probably a pretty decent horse, but I’ll try to beat him on the win end. He was all out to hold second last time out and note he’s still learning things: he runs with his head cocked at times and has some improving to do before he runs like a seasoned racehorse.

A deep and competitive field of 13 sophomores has signed on to compete in the 38th running of the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby, to be contested at a mile and one eighth on synthetic Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.  In addition to a check for $60,000, the El Camino Real winner will, for the first time, receive a free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Grade1, $1.5-million Preakness Stakes on May 18, as well as 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Heading the field is Bob Baffert-trained Kingly.  Based at Santa Anita, this royally bred colt by Tapit is out of the Dixie Union mare Justwhistledixie and is thus a full brother to four-time Grade 2 winner Mohaymen and a half sibling to Grade 1 stakes winner New Year’s Day.

An impressive first-out maiden winner sprinting at Del Mar last December, Kingly, in his second career start, was second as the 8-5 favorite going a flat mile behind the highly regarded Extra Hope at Santa Anita on Jan. 31.  Southern California jockey Evin Roman will ride Kingly for the first time on Saturday.

The most noteworthy Northern California runner is Anothertwistafate, a son of Scat Daddy trained by Blaine Wright and ridden by top Northern California jockey Juan Hernandez.  Anothertwistafate has rattled off two decisive, fast-timed route wins against easier company and makes his stakes debut in this spot.  Other local contenders include stakes-placed Mayor Cobb, supplemental entrant Data Hawk, multiple NorCal winner Angelo’s Pride and Rey Coliman, who finished second behind Anothertwistafate in a Jan. 4 allowance.

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who has won the El Camino Real Derby a record six times, will send out More Ice, a chestnut colt by More Than Ready, on Saturday.  Out of the Tapit mare Cool and Ice, More Ice was most recently third going a mile on turf in Santa Anita’s Eddie Logan Stakes Dec. 28 and has two main track works at Golden Gate leading into what will be his 3-year-old debut.

Currently atop the Santa Anita trainer standings, two-time Kentucky Derby winner and 2016 El Camino Real Derby winning trainer Doug O’Neill will saddle a pair of horses in Saturday’s renewal, The Creep and Weekly Call, both of whom were stakes placed as juveniles.

Other out-of-town shippers include Jeff Bonde-trained stakes winning King of Speed, Keith Desormeaux’s Knight’s Cross, Mark Glatt’s Eagle Song and the Eoin Harty-conditioned Royal Insider.

With first post time at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday set at 12:45 p.m. PT, the El Camino Real Derby has been carded as the seventh race on a nine-race program.

Approximate post time for the Derby is at 3:45 p.m. PT. For additional information, please visit goldengatefields.com or call (510) 559-7300.