MOGER JR. STABLE STARS STILLETO BOY, CHASE THE CHAOS AND TARANTINO READY TO RACE ON BIG CAP DAY AT SANTA ANITA

Earlier this week, trainer Ed Moger Jr. watched the Bay Area rain fall at his Sunny Creek Farm in Galt, California. The good news is sunshine is expected later in the week, and Moger hopes the light will shine bright on his three stable stars come Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita.

On Saturday, Moger saddles El Camino Real Derby winner Chase the Chaos in the Grade II $400,000 San Felipe Stakes, Tarantino in a second level allowance, and Stilleto Boy in the $500,000 Grade I Santa Anita Handicap. All three horses will make the 8-hour van ride to Santa Anita on Thursday, with Moger at the steering wheel using his own trailer.

The first one to the plate will be Chase the Chaos, winning of the El Camino Real Derby on February 11 at Golden Gate. The son of Astern competes in Race 6 on Saturday at Santa Anita, the Grade II San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile and a sixteenth on dirt. The San Felipe awards 50 Kentucky Derby points to the winner, 20 points for second, 15 for third, 10 for fourth and 5 for fifth. With the El Camino Real Derby victory, Chase the Chaos earned 10 Kentucky Derby points and an all-expenses paid, free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness. Chase the Chaos has worked twice since the El Camino Real; a half mile drill on February 20 and a five-furlong work five mornings later.

“Chase the Chaos is doing really well,” said Moger Jr. “He just doesn’t have a bad day, that horse.

He came back to the barn [after the El Camino Real Derby] like he hadn’t even run. He wasn’t all out to win-I don’t think. [Jockey] Armando [Ayuso] only used the stick once.”

There are obstacles Chase the Chaos may have to overcome. In the San Felipe, he will be racing over a projected fast dirt track for the first time. His only run over a dirt track came in his career debut at Canterbury, though the surface was muddy due to overnight rain. He ended up running second that day. Chase the Chaos also draws the rail in a large ,11-horse field in the San Felipe; with his off-the-pace style, he will receive dirt kickback, something he does not encounter over Golden Gate’s Tapeta surface. Moger is not concerned.

“When he ran in the mud at Canterbury, he split horses and barreled right through it,” said Moger. “Things don’t really faze him. I don’t think the track will be a problem for him. It’s hard to win from too far off the lead at Santa Anita, but there’s a large field in this race, so I’m imaging he’ll get a pace to run at.”

5-year-old horse Tarantino faces a salty group of second level foes going a mile and an eighth on the turf in Race 7 on the Santa Anita Saturday card. A multiple Grade 3 placed router, Tarantino was last seen running poorly at this condition in a Tapeta event on January 14. Armando Ayuso, the regular rider for Chase the Chaos, also picks up the mount on Tarantino.

“He was training so well before the race,” said Moger. “He wasn’t supposed to run that bad. He’s better than that, for sure. I don’t know if he didn’t like the synthetic…I don’t know what happened. He’s training really well.”

 

The last race of the day, Race 12, is the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap for 4-year-olds and up at one mile and a quarter on dirt. Moger tightens the girth of Stilleto Boy, who comes off a third-place finish in the $3,000,000 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. Among the 10 competitors that the son of Shackleford faces is Defunded, a Bob Baffert trainee who placed second in the Pegasus, 2022 Big Cap runner up finisher Warrant, Grade I winner Proxy, and recent San Pasqual Stakes winner Newgrange.

“He’s just a good horse,” said Moger of Stilleto Boy. “He does everything you ask of him.”

In the Pegasus, Stilleto Boy was gunned out of the gate by jockey Mike Smith. He set the pace before relinquishing the lead to race winner Art Collector and missing second to Defunded. Stilleto Boy breaks from post four and will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.

“Going a mile and a quarter, sometimes horses aren’t sent as hard out of the gate,” said Moger. “There’s a quarter mile to the first turn in this race. We had to get out of the gate and get over at Gulfstream because it’s a quick run to the first turn there. We should be forwardly placed. I’d be happy to be on the lead but if someone wants to go real fast, we can stalk…that would be fine too. He always tries hard.”

If Moger Jr. were to win any of these races, we all know one thing. The Paddock Pub on Level 1 will be full of cheers and jubilation.

VINTAGE SWITCHES TRAINERS, FACES WINNERS IN FRIDAY FEATURE

Shortly after a gate to wire, two turn maiden special weight win on February 3, 3-year-old filly Vintage was moved to the barn of trainer O.J Jauregui by co-owners Jason Hall and Stephen Baker. Vintage, who has always been well regarded by her connections, went off as the favorite in her maiden victory.

“We’re still learning about her,” said Jauregui. “She’s had a couple works for us. She’s a good-looking filly and she travels well.”

Vintage faces proven winners on Friday afternoon in the signature race of the day, a first level allowance for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the Tapeta. This will be Vintage’s second career route try. Besides the maiden win, her only other lifetime start came in a sprint race on January 7 when finishing in midfield after a tardy break from the gate.

“I think she can rate if she needs to,” said Jauregui when asked about his new filly’s versatility. “She doesn’t overdo herself out there. She’s a pretty relaxed filly. I think you can pretty much do what you want with her, and she’ll do it.”

Vintage faces five other rivals in Friday’s seventh race. The likely post time favorite will be the Keith Desormeaux trained Naughty Lottie, dropping out of stakes company. The filly by Midnight Lute was last seen finishing two lengths behind the winner in the Sweet Life Stakes on turf at Santa Anita. Her lone career win came in a dirt sprint at Louisiana Downs. That day, she won by 15 lengths for trainer Keith Desormeaux, who still conditions.

Bourbon Glaze was a decisive claiming winner at the $12,500 level. After stalking a moderate pace, the daughter of Union Rags cruised to the lead and lengthened stride nicely, hitting the wire four lengths clear of the runner up finisher. She makes her first start off a claim for trainer Blaine Wright.

Smiling Lady is the only entrant in this field who has won at this level once before. On December 4, the Andy Mathis conditioned racer opened a big lead on the backstretch and kept rolling, finishing the race over four lengths ahead of the second-place finisher. She freshened up two and a half months for her next start, a race at this same condition in which she went to the lead early, set a wicked fast pace, and faded to the back of the pack in the final quarter mile. She looks to rebound and duplicate her December effort.

Like Vintage, Black Zabat has only routed once. Unlike the aforementioned runner, Black Zabat has not won at a two-turn distance. After maiden claiming and starter allowance wins sprinting, Black Zabat attempted to stalk the pace in her first career route try but had had enough by the far turn run. She seeks to improve with a route race under her belt.

Rounding out the field is the stretch-out sprinter Bob’s Vai, who won a starter allowance on January 29 and goes “long” for the first time on Friday for trainer Faith Taylor.

8 races make up the Friday program at Golden Gate. First post on Friday is 1:15 PM PT.

Race 7 on Friday (First level allowance for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the Tapeta)

#1 Bourbon Glaze (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…Trainer Blaine Wright…morning line odds of 6-1)

#2 Smiling Lady (Armando Ayuso…Andy Mathis…7-2)

#3 Bob’s Vai (Adrian Escobedo…Faith Taylor…8-1)

#4 Vintage (Evin Roman…O.J. Jauregui…9-2)

#5 Black Zabat (Alexander Chavez…Manny Badilla…8-1)

#6 Naughty Lottie (Assael Espinoza…Keith Desormeaux…6-5)

YARMARIE CORREA NEWEST ADDITION TO THE JOCKEY COLONY 

Fresh from Mahoning Valley Racecourse in Youngstown, Ohio, young Yarmarie Correa rode Zaragoza to a third-place finish in Race 4 on Saturday, her first ever ride at Golden Gate Fields. Correa is represented by Brent Harmon, who also hustles book for Alexander Chavez, currently third in the jockey standings. Correa is here to stay, says Harmon.

“It’s going to take some time,” said Harmon. “There are a lot of riders here, so there are a lot of people with established business. She’s working horses-she had eight workers on Sunday. That’s a good thing. I just need to get her out there and get her exposed to everybody. Plenty of trainers have shown interest just watching her videos.”

Correa is best known for being an Eclipse Awards finalist for top apprentice jockey in 2020. That year, she won the most races out of any apprentice rider in the country with 117 trips to the winner’s circle. She also won the riding title at Thistledown that same season. Her career stats read 241 lifetime wins with 242 second place finishes and 223 third place rides. Career earnings list $4,285,782.

“I like her attitude and her confidence,” said Harmon. “She’s very humble. She’s grateful to be in California. But she carries a lot of confidence. She doesn’t seem to be intimidated by anybody or anything. That’s what got my attention right out of the gate. When I met [Alexander] Chavez, he carried the same type of confidence.

She can ride,” concluded Harmon. “Her riding ability doesn’t concern me at all. She looks good on a horse and she’s strong. It’s just about getting her on good horses.”

A TRIO WHO EXITS EL CAMINO REAL DERBY RETURN IN ALLOWANCE ON SATURDAY 

Three runners who finished off the board in the El Camino Real Derby last month return on Saturday in the featured eighth race of the day, a first level allowance for 3-year-olds at one mile on the Tapeta. Facing easier company, each runner hopes to rebound off their efforts in the El Camino Real Derby.

Happy Does had won a pair of allowance races before a last place finish in the El Camino Real Derby. Two starts ago, he finished ahead of Mother’s Prayer and Sea Dog, both who are also entered in this Saturday’s eighth race. His best race, like the aforementioned first place finish, can win on Saturday.

In Honor of Autism was a no-show in the El Camino Real. One can be forgiving. He was making his first start going farther than 6 furlongs that day and, all things considered, was outclassed at off odds of 32-1. He may be able to improve in his second start going “long” and, like the others coming out of the El Camino Real, receives class relief against this easier group. Before the El Camino Real Derby, In Honor of Autism was a multiple starter allowance winner, indicating he has a chance to be legitimately competitive at the first level allowance condition.

Sea Dog ran better than the other two aforementioned foes in the El Camino Real, only finishing four lengths behind race winner Chase the Chaos. The O.J. Jauregui trainee earned a career high Beyer speed figure (76) for his El Camino Real Derby effort and continues to improve with race experience.

Others set to tackle the El Camino Real Derby three include Mother’s Prayer, who freshens up after a second place finish behind Happy Does on January 21. Two starts ago, the Steve Specht trainee finished ahead of O B’s in a January 6 starter allowance race. O B’s, sent off as the odds on 2-5 favorite that day, had just run third behind multiple stakes winner Passarando and eventual El Camino Real Derby winner Chase the Chaos in the Gold Rush Stakes. He “bounced” out of the Gold Rush effort, finishing third well behind Mother’s Prayer. He gets a couple months off and returns to the races with a steady series of morning drills on the worktab.

Maiden winners De La Luna and Trinidad complete the field. The former broke his maiden in a two-turn event on January 21. 19 days earlier, the son of Tiznow lost to Trinidad in a January 2 maiden special weight.  Trinidad has run once since the maiden breaker: an off the board finish sprinting. He gets back to the route game, something he has done his best work at, on Saturday.

Live racing on Saturday begins at 1:15 PM. 9 races comprise the overnight.

Race 7 on Friday (First level allowance for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the Tapeta)

#1 De La Luna (Jockey Kevin Radke…Trainer Quinn Howey…morning line odds of 7-2 )

#2 Trinidad (Silvio Amador…Roger Hanson…10-1)

#3 Mother’s Prayer (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht…5-2)

#4 Happy Does (Santos Rivera…Felix Rondan …9-2)

#5 In Honor of Autism (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong…5-1)

#6 Sea Dog (Francisco Monroy…O.J. Jauregui…6-1)

#7 O B’s (Irving Orozco…Bill McLean…6-1)

CLAIMS REPORT

Friday

Race 1: Many Markets (New Owner/Trainer Dan Franko)

Race 7: American Great (New trainer Monty Meier…New owner Michael Bean)

Race 8: C’Mon Man (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing)

Saturday

Race 1: Luck Is Golden (Monty Meier…Brown Cattle Co. and William Branch)

Sunday

Race 1: Grigoro (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing)

Race 1: Rose Princess (Ellen Jackson…Alberto Ruvalcaba)

Race 3: Seattle Bold (Steve Sherman…Jimmy Rex Robinson Family Trust, Randy Exelby, Tom Mayo, and Steve Sherman)

Race 4: Miss Arrowhead (Dan Franko…Carl Gregoire)

Race 5: Kitty’s Candy (O.J. Jauregui…Danny Eplin)

Race 5: Miracle in Motion (Blaine Wright…Tracy and Paula Henline)

Race 5: Tiger Queen (Steve Sherman…Zvika Akin and Sherman) 

FINISH LINES: 9 races complete our racing week on Sunday. First post is 12:45 PM…The marquee race of the day on Sunday is Race 8, a first level allowance for fillies and mares at 5.5 furlongs…Assael Espinoza continues to lead the way in the jockey standings while Jonathan Wong is also ahead in the trainer standings…Just over $41,000 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six Jackpot wager into Friday. The Rolling Super High Five wager also has a carryover of $1,883.

AMERICA GREAT MAKING UP LOST TIME, SEEKS THIRD CONSECUTIVE ALLOWANCE WIN ON FRIDAY 

There was always something attractive about now 8-year-old gelding America Great, a son of Ghostzapper out of the Dynaformer mare Formal Affair. As a yearling in 2016, America Great was purchased for a whopping $650,000 by owner Vern Dickman.

Dickman and trainer Jeff Bonde had to be patient. Very patient. Several unspecified hiccups resulted in the connections putting a hold on America Great’s racing career. After a long, multi-year journey to the races, America Great made his first lifetime start at Golden Gate in July of 2021. He sat close to the pace and powered home for a convincing win against $16,000 maiden claiming sprints.

Following the maiden win, America Great was unable to get back to the winner’s circle in a series of runs against starter allowance company. A drop in class was needed. On February 6, 2021, Bonde put America Great in for a claiming tag, and he easily defeated a field of sprinters as the odds-on favorite. Bonde and Dickman traded a horse for a win. Trainer Isidro Tamayo and owner Johnny Taboada claimed the bay gelding for the $12,500 tag.

“When we claimed him, we looked at his breeding and thought he’d be better going [two turns],” said Tamayo. “He had only run once routing and didn’t run bad at all.”

It’s been a fruitful claim for Tamayo and Taboada. To date, America Great’s form is better than ever. He has steadily climbed the last class ladder and earned just under $100,000 in one calendar-year for his connections.

In his two most recent starts, America Great picked up the win check in a pair of first level allowance races: one at a mile and a quarter and the other, most recently on February 3, traveling the flat mile distance. Tamayo credits an equipment change as one of the major reasons for America Great’s form.

“We changed his blinkers,” said Tamayo. “That seemed to really help him. I talked about it with [jockey] Irving Orozco. He was wearing full cup blinkers and he was sort of waiting on horses. So, we put cheater blinkers on him, which almost eliminates that cup, and he got more competitive. If he ran without blinkers, he’d probably be fine, honestly.”

America Great cuts back to a new distance in Friday’s featured seventh race: a first level allowance at one mile and an eighth on the Tapeta. Not surprisingly, America Great is tabbed as the 2-1 morning line favorite. Irving Orozco has been aboard for all but one start since moving to the Tamayo barn and will be back in the saddle on Friday.

“[America Great] is feeling really good,” said Tamayo. “He’s done well for us.”

Among the main contenders challenging America Great this Friday include Secret Club and Ward ‘n Jerry, the second and third place finishers in the February 3 race won by America Great. Ottawa Fire was claimed out of a $20,000 claiming victory by trainer Jonathan Wong two starts ago and suffered a wide trip in his most recent start at this level. He re-unites with pilot Assael Espinoza, who was aboard for two career wins earlier in the year but was not atop Ottawa Fire in his most recent afternoon appearance.

First post on an 8-race card this Friday is 1:15 PM.

Race 7 on Friday (First level allowance at one mile and an eighth on Tapeta for 4-year-olds and up)

#1 Big Flame (Jockey Santos Rivera…Trainer Victor Trujillo…8-1 morning line odds)

#2 Ward ‘n Jerry (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht…4-1)

#3 C’Mon Man (William Antongeorgi…Bill McLean…10-1)

#4 Gallant Warren (Hugo Herrera…Tim Bellasis…12-1)

#5 Secret Club (Alejandro Gomez…Ed Moger Jr…6-1)

#6 America Great (Irving Orozco…Isidro Tamayo…2-1)

#7 Loafers Boy (Kevin Radke…Leanna Ekstrom…15-1)

#8 Ottawa Fire (Assael Espinoza…Jonathan Wong…3-1)

MOGER JR. OPTS TO RUN EL CAMINO REAL DERBY WINNER CHASE THE CHAOS IN MARCH 4 SAN FELIPE AT SANTA ANITA  

Per the Daily Racing Form’s Steve Anderson, trainer Ed Moger Jr. is pointing 2023 El Camino Real Derby winner Chase the Chaos to the March 4, Grade II $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. The mile and one-sixteenth contest will be Chase the Chaos’s first try over a projected fast dirt surface. Last summer, Chase the Chaos placed second in a maiden race over a sloppy, wet track at Canterbury Park in Minnesota.

“I know it’s a huge jump,” Moger told Anderson earlier this week. “We’ll go from synthetic to dirt and we can find out where we’re at.”

Chase the Chaos is expected to face a salty group of entrants in the San Felipe. Impressive maiden winner Geaux Rocket Ride is on schedule to compete for trainer Richard Mandella. Bob Baffert is also expected to have multiple entrants. Like the El Camino Real Derby, the San Felipe awards the top five finishers points to the Kentucky Derby. The winner of the San Felipe picks up 50 Kentucky Derby points, followed by 20 points for the second-place finisher, 15 for third, 10 for fourth, and 5 for fifth.

On Monday morning, Chase the Chaos recorded his first timed workout since the El Camino Real Derby. The Pennsylvania-bred by Astern drilled four furlongs in an easy 50 seconds flat. He’ll have one more workout before shipping to Santa Anita next week.

Also on March 4 at Santa Anita, Moger sends out 5-year-old gelding Stilleto Boy in the $500,000 Grade I Santa Anita Handicap. Stilleto Boy was last seen finishing third in the Pegasus World Cup on January 2. The son of Shackleford has worked twice and, like Chase the Chaos, has one final morning drill before shipping south with his stablemate.

IMPROVING SIGNORINA MERISI AND NEW IMPORT TOPANTICIPATION LEAD BADILLA CHARGE IN SATURDAY FEATURE

Trainer Manny Badilla had little to say when asked about Signorina Merisi and Topanticipation, his two routers who make up two of the seven runners in Saturday’s featured eighth race, a second level allowance for fillies and mares at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta.

“They’re both doing well in the barn,” said Manny with a nod and a smile. “We’ll go with that.”

As the old phrase goes, ‘Sometimes, no news is good news.’

Signorina Merisi appears on paper as the one likely to get more support in the wagering than her stablemate. A daughter of Caravaggio, Signorina Merisi has won two races to kick off her United States campaign: a decisive maiden special weight win on January 7 and, four weeks later, a first level allowance victory. Signorina Merisi is a perfect 2 for 2 on the Tapeta. She ran eight times on turf when overseas and failed to win. The Great Britain bred was purchased for $20,803 at the Tattersalls Horses in Training sale of 2022 last August in Europe.

Topanticipation, on the other hand, sports polar opposite form. She has only hit the board once in four tries over a synthetic surface. Both career victories came over turf. A Great Britain bred by Mount Nelson, the 6-year-old mare makes her 2023 debut after a handful of losses in England last fall. She makes her first start in the U.S. since being purchased at auction for $25,344 by owners Ron Charles and Sam Gordon, who also campaign Signorina Merisi.

Another new shooter to the Golden Gate Fields second level allowance condition is Dramatizer, who was eased in her last two starts against tougher company in Southern California and ships north for trainer Keith Desormeaux. Her last victory came three starts ago against first level allowance foes on turf at Santa Anita. Armando Ayuso takes the reins for the first time.

Rev Ree and Shezaghost finished 1-2 at this level on January 27. Rev Ree, sent off at 8-1 odds, got the better of 12-1 price Shezaghost. They clash again and appear as a formful pair for their local connections. Rev Ree is trained by Steve Sherman, who also sends out Undisturbed. The grey/roan mare was last seen finishing fifth on January 27 and makes her second start off a two and a half month freshening. Campaigned in Kentucky last year, Undisturbed was a half-length short of winning the Ellis Turf Distaff in July.

Stakes placed Clockstrikestwelve finished fourth in the same January 27 event and was sent off as the 2-1 post time favorite. A deep closer, the daughter of Breeders Cup winner New Years Day will attempt to do her best work in the later portions of the race. Late last year, she placed third in the Miss America Stakes while suffering a rough trip.

9 races comprise the Saturday overnight: first post is 1:15 PM.

Race 8 on Saturday (Second level allowance at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and up)

#1 Rev Ree (Jockey Julien Couton…Trainer Steve Sherman…6-1 morning line odds)

#2 Clockstrikestwelve (Brayan Pena…Jonathan Wong…3-1)

#3 Topanticipation (Irving Orozco…Manny Badilla…10-1)

#4 Shezaghost (Santos Rivera…Sammy Calvario…8-1)

#5 Dramatizer (Armando Ayuso…Keith Desormeaux…4-1)

#6 Undisturbed (William Antongeorgi III…Steve Sherman…5-1)

#7 Signorina Merisi (Assael Espinoza…Manny Badilla…2-1)

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from last week:

Friday

Race 4: Ecologist (New trainer Sammy Calvario…new owner Johnny Taboada)

Race 6: Excessive Cat (Owner/Trainer Jesus Uranga)

Race 7: Imperial Creed (Sammy Calvario…Huntertown Farm LLC and Calvario)

Race 7: Scherzo (Owner/Trainer Sammy Calvario)

Saturday

Race 2: Gator Shining (Cesar DeAlba…Balderas Ranch LLC)

Race 3: Danny Michael (Isidro Tamayo…Leon Scott)

Race 3: Luck Is Golden (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing)

Sunday

Race 6: Hans Gruber (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Race 6: Roister (Mark Glatt…Ron Glatt and Mark Glatt)

Race 6: Sugar Beets (Monty Meier…Brown Cattle Co. and William Branch)

Race 7: Supersonic Flyer (Guillermo Preciado…Danuario Ramirez Garcia)

Race 8: How About a Fresca (Sammy Calvario…Yolanda and Sammy Calvario)

Monday

Race 1: Big Stick (Miguel Ramirez…Al Pitchko)

Race 7: Redstwirlingdancer (Blaine Wright…Blaine D. Wright Racing Stable LLC)

Race 9: Chris Fix (Guillermo Preciado…Preciado and Jerry Puertas)

Race 9: Zippy Baby (Victor Trujillo…James McIntyre and Colin Murray) 

FINISH LINES: Per trainer Isidro Tamayo, 4-year-old California-bred gelding Crazy Dreams is pointing towards the inaugural $75,000 McCanna’s Mojave Stakes at 9 furlongs on Saturday, March 18 after an upset victory over Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap winner Lammas last Sunday…2022 California Oaks winner Anthony’s Cleopatra is back on the work tab for trainer Tim McCanna. The daughter of Constitution has not raced since an off the board finish in the Grade 2 San Clemente at Del Mar over the summer. She sports six workouts, including a pair of five-furlong drills…9 races are on the docket on Sunday afternoon. First post is 1:15. Race 8 is the signature race of the day: a first level allowance for routers at one mile. A full field of 10 is entered…In the nightcap on Sunday (Race 9), popular trainer Graham Motion sends out 4-year-old filly Sareeha in a maiden special weight…Santa Anita Park has canceled their three live race cards this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday owing to projected unforeseen poor weather conditions. With that, Golden Gate Fields is the only California thoroughbred racetrack in play during the afternoons this week…$4,134 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Friday.

TOP HARBOR DEFENDS TITLE ON SATURDAY IN EL DORADO SHOOTER STAKES

This Saturday, three-time stakes winner Top Harbor makes his 2023 debut in the feature race of the four-day race week at Golden Gate, the $75,000 EL Dorado Shooter Stakes for California-bred or sired sprinters at six furlongs. Top Harbor also seeks to win his second El Dorado Shooter, having won the 2021 rendition as a 3-year-old facing older rivals.

Top Harbor was last seen in November defeating open company in the Oakland Stakes on November 19. That day, he stalked a slow pace and powered home for a three-quarter length victory. He was making his second start off a layoff, having just been seen finishing as the runner up behind Psycho Dar in the Harris Farm Stakes at Fresno. Psycho Dar finished third in the Oakland-his most recent afternoon appearance.

Trainer Tim McCanna is confident 3-time stakes winner Top Harbor can get the job done this Saturday.

“He’s been working great,” said Tim. “He’s a really nice horse. We tried to get him in some races here, but the races never filled up. So, we had to train him into this race. He’s extra ready to run.”

Top Harbor possesses the genes to be a good racehorse. His mom, Reba Is Tops, was a 5-time stakes winner herself who earned $464,267 in a thirty-race career. She was victorious in fourteen of those races. Top Harbor’s sire, the late Harbor the Gold, was one of the leading stallions in the Pacific Northwest for many years.

Although Top Harbor’s best effort certainly gives him a good chance to visit the winners circle again, he’s far from a cinch. Trainer Sammy Calvario sends out a strong 1-2 punch in stakes winners Psycho Dar and Ultimate Bango. Grey gelding Psycho Dar hasn’t competed since a third-place finish in the Oakland. His 3-length victory in the Harris Farms Stakes at Fresno was a career best. Ultimate Bango makes his second start off a three-and-a-half-month layoff. In his most recent start, he rallied wide but was out finished late in the game by stakes winner Rager.

“Ultimate Bango ran well last time,” said Calvario. “He grabbed a quarter coming out of the gate. That might have hurt his chances a little bit [from winning]. He is ready. Training Psycho Dar into this race was Plan B, but we couldn’t find a race for him. The owner didn’t want him in for a tag if we ran him in a second level allowance for $62,500. He’s had a few works and he’s doing good.”

The Jack Steiner stable has a terrific 21%-win rate with runners making their first start off the claim for the barn. This makes Bettor Trip Nick an intriguing prospect considering Steiner claimed the 6-year-old gelding for $20,000 in his most recent start on January 29. What’s more: Bettor Trip Nick won this race last year. That day, the son of Boat Trip went to the lead, set fast fractions, and gamely held off the runner up finisher in a game effort. After time on the sidelines, Bettor Trip Nick ran very poorly in two consecutive high-level races.

“He’s training really well,” said Steiner. “I’m hoping that $20,000 win gave him some confidence.”

Southern California invader Burnin Turf is likely to garnish heavy support in the wagering. The Dan Blacker trainee had won three races in a row before finishing third, beaten a length to race winner Bran in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes last May at Santa Anita. Burnin Turf makes his first start in over eight months in the El Dorado Shooter and enters the race with a sharp 59 and 3/5-seconds workout leading up to the race. Another Southern California invader, 6-year-old gelding See Through It, has won six races in a row, including a $50,000 sprint stake for mixed breed thoroughbreds and quarter horses at Los Alamitos. He makes his 2023 debut for trainer Milton Pineda.

Other contenders include Highland Ghost, who finished fourth behind Rager and Ultimate Bango in the second level allowance race in January. Jimmy Blue Jeans cuts back from a route to a sprint and has had much success in two-turn races, winning the Snow Chief Stakes as a 3-year-old and finishing as the runner up in the Sam Spear Memorial last summer. He comes off a poor showing in the Joseph T. Grace Stakes on Tapeta in November. Bobby’s Alibi finished off the board in the Oakland Stakes and is projected to be a big price. He completes the field.

9 races comprise the Saturday program. First post is 12:45 PM.

Race 8 on Saturday: the $75,000 EL Dorado Shooter Stakes (for California-bred or sired 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Psycho Dar (Jockey Armando Ayuso…Trainer Sammy Calvario…Morning line odds of 7-2)

#2 See Through It (Brayan Pena…Milton Pineda…8-1)

#3 Burnin Turf (William Antongeorgi III…Dan Blacker…5-2)

#4 Ultimate Bango (Catalino Martinez…Sammy Calvario…6-1)

#5 Bettor Trip Nick (Santos Rivera…Jack Steiner…10-1)

#6 Bobby’s Alibi (Irving Orozco…Faith Taylor…20-1)

#7 Top Harbor (Frank Alvarado…Tim McCanna…9-2)

#8 Highland Ghost (Edwin Gonzalez…O.J. Jauregui…15-1)

#9 Jimmy Blue Jeans (Assael Espinoza…Andy Mathis…6-1)

CHASE THE CHAOS OFFICIALLY ON KENTUCKY DERBY TRAIL WITH EL CAMINO REAL DERBY WIN

An emphatic winner of the 2023 El Camino Real Derby for 3-year-olds last Saturday, Pennsylvania bred gelding Chase the Chaos is officially on the Kentucky Derby trail. Per the Daily Racing Form’s Steve Anderson, trainer Ed Moger Jr. reported that Chase the Chaos came out of the El Camino Real Derby in good shape and would be supplemented to the Triple Crown nominations list by owners Bill Dory and Adam Ference.

Chase the Chaos, who sat off the pace before rallying down the middle of the track to win the El Camino Real Derby by a length and a half, was not nominated to the Triple Crown races for $600 last month when the initial nomination phase took place. Connections who wish to nominate their 3-year-old to the Triple Crown nominations list in a second phase of “late” nominations must do so by March 27. The cost to supplement is $6,000.

Moger also relayed to Anderson that Chase the Chaos could make his next start in either the $1,000,000 RUNHAPPY Santa Anita Derby on April 8 or the $700,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks Stakes at Turfway Park in Kentucky on March 25. Both races award the winner 100 Kentucky Derby points, 40 points for the second-place finisher, 30 points to third, 20 for fourth and 10 for fifth. With the El Camino Real Derby win, Chase the Chaos picked up 10 Kentucky Derby points and an all-expenses paid, free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes.

The Santa Anita Derby is run on Santa Anita’s dirt course. Chase the Chaos is by the Medaglia D’Oro stallion Astern, an Australian bred who competed strictly on turf. The dam of Chase the Chaos, the Uncle Mo mare Live the Moment, broke her maiden over a dirt surface by over 10 lengths. Chase the Chaos raced once over a muddy wet dirt track at Canterbury Park in Minnesota, finishing second, and has run exclusively on turf and Tapeta since then. The Jeff Ruby Steaks is run over Turfway’s Tapeta track. Both the Santa Anita Derby and Jeff Ruby Steaks are run at the El Camino Real Derby one mile and an eighth distance.

“We need to get some points somewhere,” Moger told Anderson. “I think he’s that kind of horse. I’ve been thinking he’s a Derby horse.”

Chase the Chaos, a $10,000 weanling purchase at Keeneland in 2020, has earned $123,000 so far for his connections. From six lifetime starts, he has won 3 races, with 2 seconds and 1 third place finish.

ALWAYS SEEKING COMING INTO MAJOR CLASS TEST WITH CAREER BEST FORM

The Larry and Marianne Williams homebred Always Seeking has wracked off two consecutive first level allowance wins in her last two races. With that, it’s time for her to step up in class for her toughest assignment yet this Friday: a second level allowance sprint for fillies and mares. With her good recent form in mind, morning line maker Jacob Shephard has tabbed Always Seeking as the 9-5 morning line favorite.

“I was surprised to see her at 9-5,” said Steiner. “She’s doing really well though.”

Always Seeking, who has won four of 10 lifetime starts, earned an 82 Beyer speed figure for a first level allowance win in December. Last month, she won at the aforementioned condition again and received a 79 Beyer. Both speed figures are her top two career best figures.

“We’ve had to work with her,” said Steiner. “She can be a bit temperamental. It’s like she’s always in season. The last month or two, she’s been doing really well both physically and mentally. She’s always had talent, but it just took her a little while to put it all together. She’s got her game face on now.”

A half dozen runners are entered in the featured event on Friday, which goes as Race 5 on an 8-race program. Along with Always Seeking, Luxury Liner is a multiple first level allowance winner that takes the next logical step up in class. Trainer Jonathan Wong sends out a duo of runners: Hiis Reina, who makes her first start of the year after a gate to wire victory at the first level allowance condition last fall, and That’s Amare, who cuts back from a route to a sprint and makes her second start for Wong since moving north from Southern California trainer Phil D’Amato’s stable. Carolina Mia has yet to win over Tapeta in 13 lifetime starts but finished second or third on six of those occasions. She is stakes placed on turf. Code Ribbon has finished behind Always Seeking the last two times they faced off, but Code Ribbon got the better of Always Seeking in a race on September 3. The daughter of Desert Code rounds out the field.

First post on Friday is 12:45 PM.

Race 5 on Friday: Second level allowance (for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up at six furlongs)

#1 Hiis Reina (Jockey Frank Alvarado…Trainer Jonathan Wong…Morning line odds of 5-2)

#2 Code Ribbon (Catalino Martinez…Jacqui Navarre…6-1)

#3 That’s Amare (Armando Ayuso…Jonathan Wong…8-1)

#4 Always Seeking (William Antongeorgi III…Jack Steiner…9-5)

#5 Carolina Mia (Assael Espinoza…Felix Rondan…5-1)

#6 Luxury Liner (Santos Rivera…Steve Miyadi…7-2)

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from last week:

Friday

Race 3: Noshewon’t (New trainer Ed Moger Jr…new owner Steve Moger)

Race 4: Magical Lady (O.J. Jauregui…Danny Eplin)

Race 8: Mary Walker (Dan Markle…Len Strandley Jr.)

Saturday

Race 2: Lil Miracle Man (Victor Trujillo…Laurie Syvrud and Trujillo)

Race 9: Lady in a Hurry (Simon Hobson…Peter McGoldrick)

Race 9: Secret Square (D. Wayne Baker…Richard Barton) 

Sunday

Race 1: Vanisky (Simon Hobson…Amy Hobson)

Race 6: Borkan (Ed Moger Jr…Al Pitchko)

Race 6: Harbor Sky (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables, Hon Cheung Kum and Hsui Mei Tsai)

Race 6: Sproston (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing and MJVET Stables, Hon Cheung Kum and Hsu Mei Tsai)

Race 7: Miss Ever Ready (Ed Moger Jr…Al Pitchko)

FINISH LINES: Live racing on Sunday begins at 12:45 PM. Trainer Manny Badilla has 7 runners in on the day led by 2022 Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap winner Lammas, who competes in Race 4, an open allowance race. The main threat to Lammas appears to be American Farmer, coming off a smashing allowance win against second level allowance foes last month…Also on Sunday, three maiden special weights (Races 1,2, and 4) and a first level allowance (Race 9) comprise a high-quality, nine-race card…2022 Bear Fan Stakes winner Chancery Way ships south and faces four others in the $100,000 Spring Fever Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares. The race is run at six furlongs on dirt. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith rides for trainer Jamey Thomas and owners Andy and Rob Smolich…Nine races made the overnight for a Presidents Day Holiday live race card at Golden Gate this Monday. First post is 12:45 PM…$13,098 is carried over into the Rolling Super High five bet for the first race on Friday.

CHASE THE CHAOS CONTINUES TO EXCEL FOR MOGER HEADING INTO EL CAMINO REAL DERBY 

After a maiden special weight victory at two turns on turf at Canterbury Park last summer, Pennsylvania bred gelding Chase the Chaos was moved to the barn of Ed Moger Jr. in California. It didn’t take long for Moger to create an opinion on the horse.

“I’ve liked him since the first time I saw him,” said Moger Jr. “He’s a big, beautiful horse. He’s a really good mover and very athletic.”

Following a runner up finish behind multiple stakes winner Passarando in the Gold Rush Stakes on December 3 for Team Moger, Chase the Chaos returned four weeks later and ran away from a group of first level allowance foes. That day, he sat off a wicked fast pace, blew by his company, and hit the wire seven lengths ahead of runner up finisher Happy Does while geared down at the wire.

“I wasn’t surprised at all by the effort,” said Moger Jr. “He got a really fast pace to run in. That helped him, but he’s a good horse too.”

Chase the Chaos now seeks a free Preakness berth and 10 Kentucky Derby points in the feature race of the day this Saturday: the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby for 3-year-olds at one mile and an eighth. The El Camino Real Derby is one of the most prestigious races in the Bay Area every year and has a rich history that dates back to the 1980’s.

The midpack running Chase the Chaos has received favorable, quick pace scenarios in both the Gold Rush and the December 30 allowance race. This time around, the pace may not be quite as rapid. Moger Jr. feels his gelding is versatile enough to work out a good trip for himself regardless of the fractional times.

“In the mile and an eighth races, sometimes they don’t send as hard as they would going a mile,” said Moger Jr. “If the pace isn’t super-fast, he can lay a little bit closer. I think he’s got versatility. He just needs to get in a good stride and put himself where he’s happy and he should be okay.”

Chase the Chaos is listed at 3-1 on the morning line. Regular rider Armando Ayuso has the call for owners Bill Dory and Adam Ference. 9 races comprise the El Camino Real Derby Day card. First post is 1:15 PM. The El Camino Real Derby goes as Race 8 on the program and has a listed post time of 4:54 PM.

Moger also reported that stable star Stilleto Boy is back home at Golden Gate and in great shape after a terrific third place finish in the $3,000,000 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park two weeks ago. The son of Shackleford will train at Golden Gate leading up to his next start.

“He’s such a neat horse,” said Moger.

$100,000 El Camino Real Derby of 2023 (Race 8 on Saturday, February 11 at 9 furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Gilmore (Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr…Trainer Bob Baffert…Morning line odds of 4-1)

#2 Chase the Chaos (Armando Ayuso…Ed Moger Jr…3-1)

#3 Happy Does (Santos Rivera…Felix Rondan…10-1)

#4 Passarando (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht…2-1)

#5 Harcyn (William Antongeorgi III…Steve Sherman…5-1)

#6 In Honor of Autism (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong…12-1)

#7 Sea Dog (Francisco Monroy…O.J. Jauregui…20-1)

#8 Nullarbor (Assael Espinoza…Bob Baffert…6-1)

HARCYN EXPLORES THE ROUTE GAME IN THE EL CAMINO REAL DERBY

In a past edition of the Golden Gate Fields News and Notes, trainer Steve Sherman was quoted as saying that his young Goldencents colt Harcyn had shown ability well before his first race. That first career run came on November 30. Sent to the lead by jockey William Antongeorgi III, Harcyn flew through the opening quarter mile in 21.87 seconds with pressure, clicked off the half mile in 44.93, and powered away from the rest of the field for a three and three-quarter length score. The race came up strong; there were four horses out of the race who returned in their next starts to win.

Two and a half months later, Harcyn returned against a small group of first level allowance foes. Sent off at low odds of 2-5, the Jerry Moss homebred went to the lead again and easily won by the same margin of victory as his maiden race.

“We were trying to get him into that allowance race for a while,” said Sherman. “The race wasn’t filling. That’s why he had that gap between his first and second race.”

Harcyn has taken a relatively unconventional path to the El Camino Real Derby. A Kentucky bred who has already broken his first level allowance condition, Harcyn has limited options. For example, second level allowance races are restricted to 4-year-olds and up. Being a 3-year-old, Harcyn obviously would not be eligible for that level. The stakes schedule in the winter does not offer a race for 3-year-olds at a distance shorter than a mile and an eighth until April.

“This is the next spot,” said Sherman.

To prepare Harcyn for the mile and an eighth El Camino Real Derby distance, Sherman has changed Harcyn’s training regimen.

“We’ve been having him go longer distances in his gallops,” said Sherman. “He’ll gallop two miles in the morning.”

Sherman will be busy in the paddock for the El Camino Real Derby. Along with saddling Harcyn, he also tightens the girths of Gilmore and Nullarbor. Gilmore, set at 4-1 on the morning line, comes off a decisive two-turn maiden win at the daytime racing meet at Los Alamitos in December. The son of Twirling Candy was a $250,000 sale purchase. Stablemate Nullarbor failed to fire in his first two career races but rebounded in his most recent afternoon appearance with a strong showing against maiden sprinters. By Candy Ride, Nullarbor was sold to his connections for a whopping $500,000. Both contenders are trained by Bob Baffert and co-owned by a large partnership group that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing LLC, and Madaket Stables, all who campaigned Blackadder to win last year’s El Camino Real Derby.

DISTANCE WON’T BE A PROBLEM FOR MULTIPLE STAKES WINNER PASSARANDO

As a 2-year-old in 2022, California-bred gelding Passarando was victorious in both the Golden State Juvenile at Santa Anita and the Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate for trainer Steve Specht and owner/breeder Larry and Marianne Williams. So far in his young career, the son of Tamarando has won four races, with two seconds and one third place finish, and has accrued purse earnings of $240,830. Not bad.

This Saturday, Passarando competes in the top race for 3-year-olds every year in Northern California: The El Camino Real Derby. Veteran rider Frank Alvarado will be aboard for the first time. The added ground, to the mile and an eighth El Camino Real Derby distance, is no concern for Specht.

“The distance isn’t the issue. The issue is Baffert,” joked Specht with a laugh. “His horses are always tough. His fourth stringers are better than most barn’s best horses.”

The last time we saw Passarando in the afternoon, he placed third in the California Cup Derby at Santa Anita traveling one mile and a sixteenth. That day, jockey Umberto Rispoli aggressively rode Passarando from the half mile pole to the finish. He completed the course almost three lengths behind race winner Thirsty John.

“Down the backstretch he was sort of buried inside and got a bunch of dirt in his face,” said Specht. “Once he got in the clear he made a run. I thought he ran a good race. The horse he lost to [Thirsty John] is a pretty nice horse. He was a standout on looks in the paddock.”

Specht is no stranger to the El Camino Real Derby winner’s circle. In 2017, he sent out Zakaroff to a 48-1 upset in the ‘Derby. This year, a victory for Passarando would hardly be a surprise.

TV PERSONALITIES VISITING GOLDEN GATE FOR ON AIR APPEARENCES EL CAMINO REAL DERBY WEEK

A trio of media personalities will be on site at Golden Gate Fields to cover racing throughout El Camino Real Derby week.

From FanDuelTV, Joaquin Jaime and Matt Bernier will be on site Friday through Sunday to cover our races. On El Camino Real Derby Day Saturday, Millie Ball from XBTV will present alongside track announcer Matt Dinerman on the Golden Gate track feed, going over her expert insight on good lookers in the paddock and selections she fancies on the form. XBTV producer Brian Martinez will also be joining the TV team behind the scenes for El Camino Real Derby Day.

“Millie is all class,” said Dinerman. “She’s been on our track feed a handful of times. I thoroughly enjoy working with people like her and Zoe Cadman when they come up as guests of our telecast. It’s great when the fans get a chance to hear different people’s opinions and knowledge. Brian Martinez is a pro; he will be in the TV truck with our crew helping produce what is going to be a terrific broadcast that we hope our fans enjoy.

Of course, we here at Golden Gate are always appreciative of FanDuel TV’s coverage of our races,” continued Dinerman. “We’re really happy to have Joaquin and Matt with us for the racing week.

SCRAPPY CALIFORNIA BRED HAPPY DOES GOES FOR EL CAMINO GOLD PRIZE

3-year-old California bred Happy Does has done good work for owner/breeder Gray Farms Inc. and trainer Felix Rondan. After a pair of off-the-board finishes sprinting, the son of Southern Image tried routing and thrived, breaking his maiden on turf at Santa Rosa. Since the maiden triumph and move to two turns, Happy Does has yet to run a bad race. Heading into the class test of his life, the 2023 El Camino Real Derby, Happy Does sports two first level allowance wins on his resume.

“I really like this horse,” said Rondan at his barn on Wednesday morning. “He’s doing great. I think he will like the [El Camino Real Derby] distance [of 9 furlongs].”

Rondan understands a victory in the El Camino Real Derby will be no easy task. Happy Does will need to turn the tables on Passarando and Chase the Chaos, the top two finishers in the Gold Rush Stakes last December. In the Gold Rush, Happy Does settled off the speed and rallied for fourth. According to Rondan, Happy Does has improved steadily since then.

“His work [last Thursday morning] was really good,” said Rondan. “He went easy in the beginning but finished strong and galloped out very strong. He is really ready to run.”

A victory in the El Camino Real Derby would surely be a career highlight for Rondan.

“We’ve run in the El Camino a couple times with longshots,” said Rondan. “This year, I think we’re coming in with a good horse.”

ZEUS’ WAR LOOKS TO TAKE A STEP FORWARD FOR MCCANNA IN SATURDAY ALLOWANCE

Saturday is clearly a day for 3-year-old equines to shine. Along with the El Camino Real Derby, a pair of first level allowance races for 3-year-olds are also sprinkled on the card. Race 5, for route fillies, kicks off the Late Pick 5, while Race 6, for sprinters, begins the Late Pick 4 sequence.

Kentucky-bred colt Zeus’ War makes his second lifetime start for trainer Tim McCanna after a terrific effort against maiden special weight rivals to kick off his career. Sent off at odds of 8-1, the son of Dialed In stalked a quick pace before out finishing runner up finisher El Bromista, who in turn was almost a half dozen lengths ahead of the third-place finisher.

“He’s a little lazy in the mornings,” said McCanna on Zeus’ War. “He was always getting better little by little. He never does more than he needs to out there. With that, I wasn’t so sure what he’d do in the afternoon. Good news is he’s a game day player. He ran a good race the other day, and [jockey] Francisco Duran did a good job on him.”

McCanna and owners Jethorse LLC were hoping for good things from Zeus’ War. They purchased the chestnut as a yearling for $190,000 at Keeneland.

“He’s a good-looking guy,” said McCanna. “He’s a medium sized horse, but he’s good looking.”

McCanna is hoping Zeus’ War can improve with a race under his belt.

“We just hope he takes the next step forward,” said McCanna. “I think he’s woken up a little bit since his first race. At some point I’ll try him routing; he’s got route pedigree. He holds good weight and I decided to give him one more sprint.”

Five other runners face Zeus’ War on Friday. Among them: impressive maiden winner Prince Abu Dhabi. Strut On Louie ran second to El Camino Real Derby contender Harcyn in a first level allowance last month and is also likely to garnish support in the wagering.

In the fifth race for fillies at one mile, stakes placed sprinter Rousing Jewel tackles the route game for the first time. She is up against morning line favorite Mastery Kat, runaway allowance winner Smiling Lady, and eye-catching maiden winner Delusively, who is a half sibling to Grade 2 winner and Grade I placed router Chocolate Martini.

Remember: first post on El Camino Real Derby Day is 1:15 PM.

First level allowance for 3-year-old fillies (Race 5 on Saturday, February 11 at 8 furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Rousing Jewel (Jockey Frank Alvarado…Trainer Steve Specht …Morning line odds of 2-1)

#2 Delusively (Alejandro Gomez….Jose Bautista…6-1)

#3 Majestic Oops (Cristobal Herrera….Ed Moger Jr…12-1)

#4 Mastery Kat (Evin Roman…Jamey Thomas…3-2)

#5 Smiling Lady (Carlos Barbosa…Andy Mathis…9-2)

#6 Black Zabat (Adrian Escobedo…Manny Badilla…8-1)

First level allowance for 3-year-olds (Race 6 on Saturday, February 11 at 6 furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Strut On Louie (Jockey Armando Ayuso…Trainer Doug O’Neill…Morning line odds of 5-2)

#2 Trinidad (Silvio Amador…Roger Hansen…8-1)

#3 Prince Abu Dhabi (Alexander Chavez…Blaine Wright…6-1)

#4 Zeus’ War (Francisco Duran…Tim McCanna…8-5)

#5 Rachel’s Coach (Kevin Radke…Isidro Tamayo…4-1)

#6 Abinadi (Irving Orozco…Bill McLean…10-1)

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from last week:

Friday

Race 4: El Joy (New trainer Tim Bellasis…new owners Bellasis, Donna Smartt and Cassandra Tschanz)

Race 4: State of the Union (Steve Sherman…Cobra Racing LLC)

Race 5: Two Twelve (Jack Steiner…Gary and Deborah Lusk)

Saturday

Race 1: Into Bourbon (Ed Moger Jr…Terry McFarlane)

Race 2: Bourbon Glaze (Blaine Wright…Eddie Kenneally)

Race 4: Austrian Navy (Huntertown Farm LLC and Calvario)

Race 4: Jaycee (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables and JJ Lee Rae)

Race 4: Smilin Evie (Blaine Wright…Robert and Ann Clary)

Race 6: Uncle Wilbur (Mike Lenzini…Gary Marrone)

Race 7: O’Neills Legacy (Jack Steiner…Daniel O’Neill)

Sunday

Race 1: Party Foul (Jamey Thomas…Lamonte Isom)

FINISH LINES: Please note: Early first post this Sunday of 11:15 AM. Enjoy the races at Golden Gate and get home/change the channel in time to watch “The Big Game” with the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs…$13,210 is carried over into the Super High Five wager on Friday heading into the first race of the day…10-pound apprentice rider Carlos Barbosa will call Golden Gate Fields his home for the winter and spring. The 18-year-old native of Puerto Rico has won 2 races from 14 mounts at Camarero Racecourse and picked up mounts on Saturday and Sunday to kick off his Northern California riding career. He will be represented by agent Nelson Arroyo. An in-depth story on Barbosa will be featured in next week’s edition of the News and Notes. Stay tuned…The feature race on Friday at Golden Gate is Race 7: a second level allowance for sprinters. Multiple first level allowance runaway winner Star Racer draws the rail and faces tougher at the second level condition. He goes up against 2021 Oakland Stakes winner Rager, stakes placed racers War Games and Irrefutable, the consistent Heavenly Prince, the Bill McLean trained Hey Mate, and My Summer Dream, making his first start off a $50,000 claim by O.J Jauregui and owner Danny Eplin. First post on Friday is later than usual: 1:15 PM…On Saturday, Golden Gate Fields welcomes the 175 licensed owners who will be attendance for the TOC (Thoroughbred Owners of California) luncheon in our fourth-floor turf club. Among those expected in attendance: Stephanie Hronis of Hronis Racing LLC, prominent California breeder/owner Nick Alexander, staunch supporter of Northern California racing Johnny Taboada, and TOC President Bill Nadar.

GRADED STAKES WINNER WARD ‘N JERRY STILL HAS ONE LAST YEARLY CAMPAIGN LEFT  

For avid California racing followers, the name “Ward ‘n Jerry” rings a bell.

Of course it does. The Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams homebred won the 14-furlong Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at Santa Anita in 2020. He also checked in third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup one year prior. Ward ‘n Jerry has had a long but successful career, with 8 wins from 31 lifetime starts and career earnings of $486,843.

Following a third-place finish against second level allowance company at Del Mar in August of 2021, Ward ‘n Jerry was given a significant amount of time off. Put back in training at Golden Gate in the fall of 2022 as a 9-year-old, Ward n’ Jerry was moved to the barn of Steve Specht. Specht analyzed the son of Lucky Pulpit and deemed him fast enough to still run competitively against quality horses.

“[The Williams’] tried to retire him on the farm but he wasn’t getting along with the other horses,” said Specht. “Sometimes horses do better at the track. They like training and they like racing. This is his last year-he won’t be able to run again after this year-so he’s getting one more go around.”

In his first start in about 17-months on January 13, Ward ‘n Jerry routed in a $25,000 claiming race going a mile. Ward ‘n Jerry was ready to roll early in the race, set the pace, but eventually tired to fifth. He faced a salty group that day; race winner Black Caspian is an allowance winner who was dropping out of stakes company while runner up finisher Our Silver Oak is a stakes winner who has won multiple second level allowance events in the past. Memo Daddy and Love Candy, the two others who finished ahead of Ward ‘n Jerry, are first level allowance winners.

“There wasn’t a lot of speed in the race. He was about 80% fit last time,” said Specht. “I told [jockey] Frank [Alvarado], ‘Put him on the lead. Hopefully they leave you alone and we can stick around.’ I didn’t want to put him behind a bunch of really fit horses. He stuck around for a while but got pretty tired the final sixteenth.”

Three weeks after the 2023 debut, here we are in present day. Ward ‘n Jerry is entered to run again, this time in a first level allowance at one mile and a quarter on Friday. Specht believes Ward ‘n Jerry will appreciate the added ground. Makes sense. After all, distance was his friend when he was younger.

“The distance will help him,” said Specht. “He got a lot out of his last race, and he’s fit.”

Ward n’ Jerry faces a contentious group of foes in Friday’s seventh race. One of the major players is America Great, who stretches out in distance after a half-length score at this first level allowance condition on January 19. In his only try at a distance longer than eight and a half furlongs, America Great finished as the runner up in a 12-furlong marathon. Also entered in Friday’s seventh race is the barn buddy of America Great, Anitanewmercedes, who is projected to set the pace. Both entrants are trained by Isidro Tamayo.

4-year-old Crosby Beach finished third in the Pasadena Stakes on turf at Santa Anita last year. In his last afternoon appearance on November 4, the Pennsylvania bred placed second at Golden Gate at the same conditions he’ll compete at on Friday. Assael Espinoza was aboard in the November heat and retains the mount for trainer Michael McCarthy.

In his first start off a break of about 7 months, California-bred Secret Club sat off the speed before rallying for third going the one mile and a sixteenth distance. He is eligible to take a step forward in his second start off a layoff for trainer Ed Moger Jr. C’Mon Man put up a better than looked showing the last time he routed, finishing as the runner up behind Crazy Dreams. The aforementioned gelding returned to finish third behind stakes winners Freeport Joe and I’mgonnabesomebody in an open allowance race. C’Mon Man should enjoy getting back to two turns. Gea is a mare facing males and has put up a handful of even finishes at shorter distances as of late.

8 races kick off our racing week this Friday. First post is 12:45 PM.

Race 7 on Friday (First level allowance at one mile and a quarter for 4-year-olds and up on Tapeta)

#1 C’Mon Man (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…trainer Bill McLean…morning line odds of…12-1)

#2 Crosby Beach (Assael Espinoza…Michael McCarthy…2-1)

#3 Ward ‘n Jerry (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht…4-1)

#4 America Great (Irving Orozco…Isidro Tamayo…5-2)

#5 Secret Club (Alejandro Gomez…Ed Moger Jr…8-1)

#6 Anitanewmercedes (Evin Roman…Isidro Tamayo…6-1)

#7 Gea (Adrian Escobedo…Tim McCanna…10-1)

NOMINATIONS CLOSE THURSDAY, PUBLISH FRIDAY FOR 2023 El CAMINO REAL DERBY

Nominations for the 2023 edition of the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby close Thursday at midnight and will be published for public consumption on Friday afternoon. The one mile and an eighth contest on Tapeta offers a $100,000 purse. For horsemen who wish to nominate their 3-year-old to the El Camino Real Derby, you can contact stakes coordinator Lisa Jones at (626) 388-8062 or by e-mail at lisnpac12@hotmail.com.

The El Camino Real Derby is one of the most prestigious races in Northern California every year and has Triple Crown implications. The winner of the El Camino Real Derby receives 10 Kentucky Derby points and an all expenses paid, free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes.

HARD TO SEPARATE MAJOR PLAYERS IN SATURDAY FEATURE

 Horseplayers will be hard pressed to find the winner of Race 8 on Saturday, a first level allowance for sprinters. Contention runs deep, with a majority of the entrants seemingly in with a reasonable chance to win the six-furlong contest.

2-1 morning line favorite Terry’s Boy draws the rail. After a runner up finish behind next out winner Star Racer at this level on December 10, the Washington bred failed to fire in his most recent afternoon appearance on January 14. A repeat of his December effort makes him a major player while a similar run from last time makes him an obviously vulnerable morning line favorite.

Disko Tribute was a game winner in a better than average starter allowance race and returned to finish as the runner up behind Star Racer at 24-1 on January 14. He earned a career high Beyer speed figure (84) that day and looks to rebound off a three-week turnaround for trainer Reid France.

California-bred Playing Hardball is eligible to win at this condition once more after a decisive win at the level on August 28. Since then, the son of Hard Spun has placed third in a pair of races against similar company. The same rule applies for Lmlooknformischief, who won at this level on December 26. Bred in the Golden State, the Faith Taylor trainee checked in fifth behind Star Racer and Disko Tribute after breaking slowly from the gate last time out.

I’m A Lucky Man is the least experienced entrant in the field with just two starts to his name. Yet, the Jamey Thomas trainee has shown ability in both races and appears as one to keep a close eye on. The bay sprinter won at first asking against a tough group of maiden special weight foes on November 20 and followed up with a rallying third place finish after breaking slowly from the gate against an allowance group last month. I’m Dr O also makes his third start in the current form cycle for Ed Moger Jr. The son of Clubhouse Ride freshens up 5 weeks after a runner up finish to Lmlooknformischief on December 26.

Likely longshot Bandera Azteca makes his 2023 debut. Last year, the Victor Trujillo trainee failed to be competitive in five first level allowance races which were restricted to 3-year-olds. Bandera Azteca makes his 4-year-old debut on Saturday. Conundrum completes the field. He cuts back from a route to a sprint but will need to improve off recent form.

First post is 12:45 PM on a 9-race card this Saturday.

Race 8 on Saturday (First level allowance at six furlongs for 4-year-olds and up on Tapeta)

#1 Terry’s Boy (Jockey Armando Ayuso…trainer Tim McCanna…morning line odds of…2-1)

#2 Conundrum (Alexander Chavez…Mike Lenzini…15-1)

#3 Lmlooknformischief (Irving Orozco…Faith Taylor…9-2)

#4 I’m a Lucky Man (Brayan Pena…Jamey Thomas…10-1)

#5 I’m Dr O (Alejandro Gomez…Ed Moger Jr…6-1)

#6 Bandera Azteca (Santos Rivera…Victor Trujillo…20-1)

#7 Disko Tribute (Assael Espinoza…Reid France…8-1)

#8 Playing Hardball (William Antongeorgi III…Andy Mathis…10-1)

#9 Should Be Illegal (Evin Roman…Steve Sherman…5-1)

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from last week:

Friday

Race 6: Exclusive Speaker (New trainer Jack Steiner…new owner Michael Radovich)

Race 6: My Sunshine (Owner/Trainer Guillermo Preciado)

Race 8: Bronze Warrior (Gary Greiner…Renee Greiner)

Race 8: Walking Boss (Aggie Ordonez…McLean Racing Stables)

Saturday

Race 1: Count Asher (Sammy Calvario…Bits N Bubbles Racing)

Race 2: Roaring Tiger (D. Wayne Baker…Rollercoaster Racing Stable LLC and Baker)

Race 2: Roister (Jamey Thomas…Lamonte Isom)

Race 4: Beachgrass (Owner/Trainer Reid France)

Race 5: Saxon Saga (Jack Steiner…Randy Marriott and Steiner)

Race 7: Daniella Bella (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables and Clay Sides)

Sunday

Race 1: Loki of Asgard (Aggie Ordonez…McLean Racing Stables)

Race 6: Bettor Trip Nick (Jack Steiner…Randy Marriott and Steiner) 

FINISH LINES: The Ed Moger Jr. trained Stilleto Boy went to the front, relinquished the lead in upper stretch, but held third in an admirable effort in the $3,000,000 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park last Saturday. Stilleto Boy earned $280,000 for his third-place finish and has made just over $1.1 million since being purchased by owner Steve Moger for $420,000 in July of 2021…On Friday, 8-year-old gelding Honeymoonz Over seeks his 19^th lifetime victory in Race 1, a $32,000 claimer…oHH Saturday’s third race, a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds, features a handful of high-priced youngsters. Acero is a firster by Gun Runner trained by Peter Miller and owned by Peter Redekop who was purchased for $475,000. Jam Session is conditioned by Michael McCarthy and was bought for $280,000. El Bromista is a second time starter from the Blaine Wright barn who dropped the hammer at $160,000…Stakes winner Royal ‘n Rando faces Southern California shipper Mr. Impossible and the Manny Badilla trained pair of Black Caspian and Dulas in Race 4, a second level allowance at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta this Sunday…$6,575 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Friday.

DEFENDING WINTER/SPRING MEET LEADING RIDER ROMAN BACK IN ACTION ON FRIDAY

Jockey Evin Roman, who won the 2022 Winter/Spring meet jockey title with 87 wins, is named on five horses this Friday afternoon. The 24-year-old native of Puerto Rico has not ridden since suffering a broken wrist in a riding incident at the fall meet.

In the last race of the day on November 18, Roman was aboard post time favorite Top Hat Tigress. In tight between horses in upper stretch, Top Hat Tigress clipped heels with a rival in front of her, stumbled and unseated Roman. Although Roman was able to walk into the ambulance under his own power moments later, x-rays revealed a broken wrist. Top Hat Tigress emerged from the incident unscathed.

Fitted with a cast, Roman flew home to spend the holiday season with his family in Puerto Rico. Although Roman enjoyed the family time, he greatly missed riding in races.

“I was sad because [riding] is what I love to do,” said Roman.

After seeing a specialist and getting clearance to ride in the early weeks of 2023, Roman began working horses last Wednesday, January 18. He has breezed horses for numerous barns since returning to the track.

“I feel really good,” said Roman. “My wrist feels good. I am very excited for Friday.”

Roman will be aboard morning line favorite Chancery Way in the $75,000 Moscow Burning Stakes on Saturday. He has five mounts on Friday, three on Saturday, and four more on Sunday.

MANDATORY PAYOUT IN THE GOLDEN PICK SIX JACKPOT WAGER ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 27

Last Sunday afternoon, Golden Gate Fields announced the Northern California bayside racetrack will offer a mandatory payout in the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Friday, January 27. First post on Friday is 12:45 PM.

The Golden Pick Six, a 20-cent minimum bet, has a $54,818 carryover heading into the Friday program. The Pick Six sequence goes as Races 3 through 8.

“We sincerely appreciate the horseplayers and fans who support Golden Gate Fields and the community here each and every race day,” said GGF Vice President and General Manager David Duggan. “We have a competitive sequence of races on Friday. We’re looking forward to good racing and a good payout for the horseplayers who take part in our Pick Six this Friday.”

The signature race of the day is Race 7: a second level allowance for fillies and mares at one mile on the main track Tapeta. Race 7 is also the penultimate race in the Golden Pick Six. Among the main contenders is stakes placed Clockstrikestwelve, Kentucky shipper Undisturbed, and recent second level allowance winner Madeira Wine.

The first race in the sequence, Race 3, is a high-level claimer for runners who possess allowance caliber talent. The major players include the speedy mare Lotsa Pepper, gutsy Cal-bred Lagatha, and stretch running Hot Rageous. This leading trio have all won allowance races in the past.

Another intriguing event in the sequence is Race 5: a high-level maiden claimer which could go to any of the seven entrants. Lemon Drop Shot has finished in the money in eight of 11 lifetime starts, a few of those runs which came against maiden special weight runners in Southern California. Cardiff Crack makes his first start off a lengthy break and has hit the board against maiden special weight company in the past. Talbot Bay makes his second lifetime start and drops in class out of the maiden special weight ranks after an even finish. Pollo D’Oro and Sixtyfour G T O also take a dip down in class. First time starter John Dunbar will likely get play for trainer Steve Miyadi while Kid Stole a Kiss has failed to be competitive in Southern California and seeks better results at Golden Gate.

Golden Gate Fields also has a Rolling Super High Five carryover of just over $6,000 in the first race on Friday in which there are seven or more starters.

CHANCERY WAY GETS BACK TO ROUTING, SUPPLEMENTS IN INAUGURAL MOSCOW BURNING STAKES

4-year-old filly Chancery Way will attempt to remain unbeaten in the signature race of the week at Golden Gate on Saturday, the $75,000 Moscow Burning Stakes for California-bred or sired fillies and mares 4-years-old and upward. The Moscow Burning is the first of three California-bred stakes added to the Winter/Spring meet calendar this year.

Chancery Way was well regarded before her first career start on June 4. Sent off at 6-5, the Jamey Thomas trainee went to the lead and easily defeated a next out maiden special weight winner. She returned in a first level allowance one month later and won by a bigger margin-this time by five and a half lengths.

Thomas changed things up in lifetime start number three; Chancery Way traveled two turns for the first time. Although she was all out to win, win she did, hitting the wire three quarters of a length ahead of the runner up finisher.

Chancery Way was given four and a half months off after the route debut and made her first start off the break in the Bear Fan Stakes, sprinting six furlongs against older foes. Sent off at 10-1, the daughter of Mr. Big showed front running speed and turned away runner up finisher Big Summer late in the stretch. Chancery Way was flattered weeks later when Big Summer won the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on January 7.

Not originally nominated for the Moscow Burning, Chancery Way was supplemented into the race by Thomas and owners Andy and Rob Smolich for $2,000. Troy Thomas, the son of Jamey Thomas and assistant to his father, indicated Chancery Way is ready to return to the route game on Saturday.

“In my mind, the fact that the owners and my dad supplemented [Chancery Way] into this race tells you how much they think of her,” said Troy Thomas.

Chancery Way has always been a good work horse, says Thomas, and continues to train well leading up to the Moscow Burning.

“We’ve been letting her gallop a little more,” says Thomas. “That’s how we’re getting her ready to go a mile. She’s fit. We’re just trying to keep her that way.”

Chancery Way has never been anywhere other than the lead in all four lifetime starts. Although Thomas believes Chancery Way has the mind to sit off a pacesetter if need be, he doesn’t necessarily envision it happening this Saturday.

“I feel like she can sit off the pace if a horse or two goes way too fast,” said Thomas. “I think she would relax ok. I don’t think she necessarily prefers to do that, though. She likes to show her speed and she’s competitive; if she can get ahead of horses, she likes to be in front. She’s competitive.”

Chancery Way is the 2-1 morning line favorite in the inaugural Moscow Burning. The second morning line choice at 5-2 is Rose Maddox, who makes her second start off a seven-month vacation. Before the break, the Nick Alexander homebred finished as the runner up in the Melair Stakes traveling the distance of 8.5 furlongs at Santa Anita. Steve Miyadi employs Assael Espinoza to ride for the first time.

2022 She’s a Tiger Stakes winner Tam’s Little Angel was third home in the Bear Fan Stakes over Chancery Way and looks to turn the tables. Tam’s Little Angel’s lone prior try at a mile on the Tapeta resulted in a dominant win against first level allowance company. She earned the second highest speed figure of her career that day. Steve Specht trains the Larry and Maryanne Williams homebred.

All Dialed In ships north from Southern California for trainer Sean McCarthy and Harris Farms LLC. Her last afternoon appearance resulted in a fifth place finish behind Chancery Way and Tam’s Little Angel. In May of last year, All Dialed In won a California-bred allowance at the one-mile distance she competes at on Saturday.

Allowance winners Momma Mocca and Shezarunaway and maiden winners Belleo’s Forest and Exactly Wendy round out the 2023 Moscow Burning field.

The Moscow Burning goes as the eighth of nine races on Saturday afternoon. First post is 12:45 PM.

Race 8 on Saturday: $75,000 Moscow Burning Stakes (For California-bred or sired fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward)

#1 Belleo’s Forest (Kevin Radke…Brendan Galvin…morning line odds of 12-1)

#2 All Dialed In (Armando Ayuso…Sean McCarthy…5-1)

#3 Tam’s Little Angel (Catalino Martinez…Steve Specht…4-1)

#4 Momma Mocca (Irving Orozco…Manny Badilla…10-1)

#5 Chancery Way (Evin Roman…Jamey Thomas…2-1)

#6 Exactly Wendy (Santos Rivera…Manny Badilla…20-1)

#7 Rose Maddox (Assael Espinoza…Steve Miyadi…5-2)

#8 Shezarunaway (William Antongeorgi III…Dan Markle…15-1)

MOGER JR. READY TO STEP ON THE BIG STAGE ONCE AGAIN WITH STILLETO BOY IN 2023 PEGASUS WORLD CUP

Last year, chestnut gelding Stilleto Boy finished third behind Breeders Cup winners Life is Good and Knicks Go in the $3,000,000 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. Trainer Ed Moger Jr. and owner Steve Moger-Ed’s brother-returned to California with a $292,500 check for picking up the bronze medal.

One year later, Stilleto Boy and the Moger family are back to take another crack at the large purse and a chance to win this year’s edition of the Pegasus Dirt. Stilleto Boy drew post position 11 in the full 12-horse field and is listed at 30-1 on the morning line. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will be aboard for the second time.

Smith got to know Stilleto Boy in his 2023 debut, the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes, where he finished second behind last year’s Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer. Stilleto Boy makes his second start off about a month break and is ready for his best effort, says Ed Moger Jr.

“He’s on the plane to Florida now,” said Moger Jr, when speaking to Golden Gate media before the races at Golden Gate on Sunday.

Last year, Stilleto Boy trained at Santa Anita in Southern California and ran in some of the top races for older handicap horses in California. He won the Grade 2 Californian in April and was also third home in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap one race earlier. Over the summer, Stilleto Boy hit the board in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar but failed to fire in the Pacific Classic behind champion racehorse Flightline.

“We gave him a little time after the Pacific Classic,” said Moger Jr. “He’s trained well into this race. He looks good over the Tapeta. He’s just a good horse. We drew the 11 post, but we’re gonna give it a shot. He’s doing just as well as he always has.”

The Pegasus World Cup is the last race on a thirteen-race card at Gulfstream Park this Saturday. Post time for the Pegasus is 5:40 PM Eastern, 2:40 PM Pacific time.

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from last week:

Friday

Race 1: Union Gig (New trainer Sammy Calvario…New owner Bits N Bubbles Racing)

Race 5: Crystal Proof (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Saturday

Race 1: Cal Rough (Owner/Trainer Sammy Calvario)

Race 4: Cowboys Daughter (Librado Barocio…Mia Familia Racing Stable)

Sunday

Race 3: Polacco (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)

Race 4: Dance Lady (Jonathan Wong…Clay Sides and MJVET Stables)

FINISH LINES: Jockey Edwin Gonzalez has three mounts for trainer Jonathan Wong on Saturday at Golden Gate. Gonzalez will be represented by agent Leo Rodriguez…The feature race on Sunday is the nightcap, Race 9: a first level allowance for filly and mare routers that drew a field of nine. European bred stablemates Naughty Nadine and Signorina Merisi face stakes winner Rose Dawson, allowance winners Worthy of Magic and Vronsky Feint, improving Ascendency, and three others…Fans on track at Golden Gate on Saturday can watch and wager on the trio of Pegasus World Cup races and the supporting undercard from Gulfstream Park.

STAKES WINNER ULTIMATE BANGO USING FRIDAY FEATURE AS A STEPPINGSTONE  

The gutsy old pro Ultimate Bango has done quite well for owner Mary Tucker and trainer Sammy Calvario. After Tucker signed a $32,000 check for Calvario to claim Ultimate Bango out of a turf sprint at Santa Anita on April Fool’s Day 2022, Ultimate Bango made his first start for his new connections in the $75,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes. Sent off at 22-1, the dark bay or brown gelding sat in midfield off a blazing fast pace, rallied down the lane, and nipped runner up finisher Strongconstitution for an upset victory.

“We claimed him for that race,” said Calvario. “We knew we had a good horse with class.”

Although he has failed to make a trip to the winner’s circle in five starts since then, Ultimate Bango has continued to pick up checks for his connections. He was arguably best when suffering a wide trip in the Oak Tree Sprint over the summer. Most recently, he finished third behind stablemate Psycho Dar and next out stakes winner Top Harbor in the Harris Farm Stakes at Fresno. After earning the bronze medal at Fresno, Calvario opted to give Ultimate Bango a break.

“He ran some hard races last year,” said Calvario. “I called Mary and said, ‘He needs some time off.’ We sent him to a local farm.’”

In Friday’s seventh race, a second level allowance for older sprinters at six furlongs on the Tapeta, Ultimate Bango makes his 8-year-old debut. He breaks from post five with regular pilot Catalino Martinez.

“If he runs well this race, we’ll look at the El Dorado Shooter Stakes [on February 18],” said Calvario. “This seems like a good prep for that race. Off the layoff, we’ll see how he does.”

Installed at 3-1 on the morning line, Ultimate Bango faces formful rivals. Morning line favorite Heavenly Prince is lightly raced but talented. The son of Cairo Prince won his first career race at the maiden special weight level in October and returned one month later to beat first level allowance company. The runner up finisher, Star Racer, has since wheeled back to win two consecutive races against first level allowance competition. In his most recent afternoon appearance on December 26, Heavenly Prince suffered his first defeat, losing by three parts of a length in a second level allowance. Trainer Steve Sherman employs Alexander Chavez to ride for the first time this Friday.

The speedy state-bred War Games hasn’t been seen since a victory over Ultimate Bango and stakes winner Cool Mountain Lad in an open allowance at Santa Rosa on August 13. Seven of eight lifetime victories for War Games have come over the Golden Gate Tapeta main track. Apprentice Adrian Escobedo has the assignment for veteran trainer Cliff DeLima in War Games’s 2023 debut.

Irrefutable showed front running speed in the Oakland Stakes and stuck around for the runner up spot, losing by three-quarters of a length to arguably the top sprinter in Northern California in Top Harbor. Five weeks later, Irrefutable regressed and finished sixth of seven at this second level allowance condition on December 26.  Rager scored an upset victory in the Oakland Stakes of 2021 and was given a year off after the career best effort. Off the 12-month vacation, the Kentucky-bred by Into Mischief ran fifth in the 2022 edition of the Oakland and, in his second start off a layoff, ran fourth on December 26^th behind Heavenly Prince. Leading rider Assael Espinoza retains the mount for Tim McCanna.

Highland Ghost makes his first start of the year and faces older foes for the first time. As a 3-year-old in 2022, Highland Ghost won a pair of first level allowance sprints against rivals of his age group, and was the runner up in the two-turn Alcatraz Stakes on turf in May. Jockey Armando Ayuso and trainer O.J. Jauregui team up. Bobby’s Alibi went off at a price (21-1) on December 26 and finished just ahead of Irrefutable in fifth. He failed to be competitive in the Oakland Stakes two starts ago. Irving Orozco rides for trainer Faith Taylor.

8 races kick off the Golden Gate Fields racing week. Please note horseplayers: $11,609 is carried over into the second race Rolling Super High Five wager. The Pick Six begins in Race 3, with a jackpot carryover of $41,958. First post on Friday is later than usual: 1:15 PM.

Race 7 on Friday (Second level allowance for 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Rager (Jockey Assael Espinoza…Trainer Tim McCanna…Morning line odds of 5-1)

#2 Highland Ghost (Armando Ayuso…O.J. Jauregui…10-1)

#3 Heavenly Prince (Alexander Chavez…Steve Sherman…2-1)

#4 Bobby’s Alibi (Irving Orozco…Faith Taylor…10-1)

#5 Ultimate Bango (Catalino Martinez…Sammy Calvario…3-1)

#6 War Games (Adrian Escobedo…Cliff DeLima…6-1)

#7 Irrefutable (Kevin Radke…Mike Lenzini…4-1)

MASTERY KAT IN AGAINST MALES ON SATURDAY IN POSSIBLE EL CAMINO REAL DERBY PREP

A racehorse trainer will tell you that dealing with unforeseen circumstances and re-routing horses to different races is all part of the job. For trainer Jamey Thomas, both scenarios took place when determining where to run chestnut filly Mastery Kat, one of the top 3-year-olds under his care.

“We were actually going to run her down south [at Santa Anita],” said Thomas. “It rained up here, we missed a work, so we waited. Then there was another race we were going to try and the race didn’t fill.”

At that point, Thomas opted to execute Plan C: run against males. In Race 6 this Saturday, Mastery Kat faces five colts and geldings in an allowance, one-mile route on Tapeta. Although the winner of this race may run next in the February 11 $100,000 El Camino Real Derby, Mastery Kat is on a different schedule.

“This is the only race where the timing works out,” said Thomas. “We think we have a pretty nice filly here, and she’s ready to run.”

Thomas has thought highly of Mastery Kat since Day 1. In her first career start on October 1, Mastery Kat broke slowly, sat double digit lengths behind the leader before making an eye-catching move on the far turn. She rallied for second but was unable to catch race winner Imaginary. In her most recent start on November 5, Mastery Kat tried routing. She went to the lead, set a quick and contentious pace, and fended off all challengers to win the race by a hard-fought neck. Runner up finisher Tea N Conversation returned to break her maiden in a maiden special weight on turf at Del Mar.

“In her first start, I told [jockey] Billy [Antongeorgi III] she might break a little slow,” said Thomas. “She did, and she ran on really well. I’ve always thought she would route. In her next start I think she found herself on the lead coming out of a sprint. I wasn’t surprised she won because she showed us in the mornings that she had talent.”

Tactics may be different in Mastery Kat’s second lifetime route race on Saturday. Mastery Kat is 8-1 on the morning line and will be navigated by Armando Ayuso for the first time.

“There are a couple other speed horses [in the race on Saturday],” said Thomas. “I’m hoping we can lay off, sit in a good spot, and make a good run at ‘em.”

9-5 morning line favorite Happy Does would likely run in the El Camino Real Derby if he shows up with a good effort in Saturday’s sixth race. On November 5, Happy Does beat a first level allowance field. A California-bred, Happy Does is eligible to win at the condition once more. Since then, he ran fourth in the Golden Gate Nugget stakes and, in his most recent start, finished as the runner up behind stakes placed El Camino Real Derby contender Chase the Chaos. Regular rider Santos Rivera is reunited with the son of Southern Image for trainer Felix Rondan.

Travel The Map easily beat maiden special weight rivals on debut by over 5 lengths. In his first start against winners on December 30, the son of Liam’s Map was out finished for second by Happy Does and rounded out the trifecta. Both career races came routing.

Mother’s Prayer and Nauvoo were convincing winners the last time race fans saw them in the afternoon. The former has won two starter allowance races in a row while the latter wheels back quickly for new trainer Jonathan Wong after being claimed by the Wong outfit for $12,500 just last week. Sea Dog was well beaten in the Gold Rush Stakes and freshens up a month and a half for his return to the races. The son of Midshipman broke his maiden in a two-turn maiden special weight on dirt at Fresno.

On Saturday, race fans are offered 9 races to watch and wager on. First post is 12:45 PM.

Race 6 on Saturday (First level allowance for 3-year-olds at one mile)

#1 Nauvoo (Jockey Alexander Chavez…Trainer Jonathan Wong…Morning line odds of 5-2)

#2 Mother’s Prayer (Assael Espinoza…Steve Specht…7-2)

#3 Travel the Map (Kevin Radke…Tim McCanna…5-1)

#4 Mastery Kat (Armando Ayuso…Jamey Thomas…8-1)

#5 Sea Dog (Francisco Monroy…O.J. Jauregui…10-1)

#6 Happy Does (Santos Rivera…Felix Rondan…9-5)

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from last week:

Friday

Race 4: Nauvoo (New trainer Jonathan Wong…New owner MJVET Stables and Johnny Taboada)

Race 6: Miss Accelerate (Blaine Wright…Wright Racing Stable, Woodway Stable and Steve Menne)

Race 6: Rose Rose Rose (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)

Saturday

Race 1: Royal Jester (Owner/Trainer Jim Gilmour)

Race 2: Coolcross (Bill McLean…Fred Desimone and McLean)

Race 2: Sugar Beets (Manny Badilla…Badilla and Brett Tahajian)

Sunday

Race 1: Synnin and Winnin (Isidro Tamayo…Johnny Taboada)

Race 2: Speed Grazy (Isidro Tamayo…Frankly Speaking LLC)

Race 5: Dr Wysong (D. Wayne Baker…Richard Barton)

Monday

Race 5: Sheza Queen Bee (Owner/Trainer Guillermo Preciado)

Race 6: Jaycee (Sammy Calvario…Calvario, Alvaro Gonzalez and Joel Gonzalez)

Race 6: Miss Arrowhead (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Race 6: Tropicana Girl (Jonathan Wong…Battle Born Racing Stable)

FINISH LINES: In the jockey standings, Assael Espinoza leads the way with 15 wins, four more than veteran Frank Alvarado, who in turn is 1 win ahead of Santos Rivera for second…In the trainer standings, Jonathan Wong is at the top of the list with 9 wins. Tim McCanna holds a clear-cut second with 6 victories while five trainers (Manny Badilla, Reid France, Andy Mathis, Steve Specht, Jack Steiner) are all tied for third with 4 wins apiece…3-year-old filly Delusively broke her maiden in fine style on Friday for trainer Jose Bautista. The daughter of 2017 Breeders Cup Juvenile winner Good Magic is a half sibling to Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 placed router Chocolate Martini…Jose’s cousin, Jorge Bautista, saddled his first winner when Good Focus scored an upset triumph in a maiden claimer on January 8. Jorge, who previously worked under the late Duane Offield, is 1 for 8 this year with 2 third place finishes…The Ed Moger Jr. trained Stilleto Boy breezed five furlongs over the GGF Tapeta on January 15 in preparation for the $3,000,000 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on January 28. Coming off a second-place finish behind 2022 Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer last month, Stilleto Boy makes his second start off a layoff and will be reunited with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith in the Pegasus…The feature on a 9-race program this Sunday is a first level allowance for filly and mare sprinters. Among the main contenders are the Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams homebred pair of Always Seeking and Lady’s Sermon, and synthetic specialist O’Neill’s Legacy. First post on Sunday is 12:45 PM.

EPIC REMATCH SCHEDULED BETWEEN TOP THREE BERKELEY HANDICAP FINISHERS ON SUNDAY

In a September 30 allowance race, 2021 Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap winner Freeport Joe got the better of minor stakes winner I’mgonnabesomebody, easily winning the head-to-head matchup. In their next showdown in the Joseph T. Grace Stakes over a month later, I’mgonnabesomebody turned the tables on Freeport Joe and beat him by three quarters of a length. Lammas, a new shooter to the older handicap division, ran a better than looked third that day after encountering minor traffic issues in the stretch.

But three weeks later, it was Lammas’s turn to shine. He outdueled I’mgonnabesomebody and Freeport Joe to score a first career graded stakes win in one of the top races at Golden Gate for older handicap horses, the Grade III Berkeley Handicap.

We fast forward to Race 7 this Sunday. The big three are set to square off once again: this time in an open allowance race at the one mile and a sixteenth distance. Lammas, who sports three consecutive bullet workouts leading up to the Sunday feature, appears cranked up and ready for another prime effort. Since moving to the United States last spring, the improving European bred has shown an affinity for the Golden Gate Tapeta surface. Not surprising, either, as his best work overseas always came when competing over synthetic surfaces. Kevin Radke, who was aboard Lammas in the Berkeley, will be back in the saddle this Sunday for trainer Manny Badilla and owners Ron Charles and Sam Gordon.

Like Lammas, handicappers should always give Freeport Joe a second look if he is competing over a synthetic surface. A two-time stakes winner, seven of eight lifetime wins have come over the GGF Tapeta. Freeport Joe is projected to sit off the speed and make his customary one run move with regular jockey Assael Espinoza, who retains the mount for trainer Gloria Haley and owner Larry Odbert.

I’mgonnabesomebody, on the contrary, has tactical speed. The Kentucky bred earned a career high Beyer speed figure (94) in defeat when finishing second in the Berkeley. He enters Sunday’s trial with a pair of gate workouts on display. A winner of two stakes, I’mgonnabesomebody was a picture of consistency in 2022. His only off the board finish in seven route tries came in the Wickerr Stakes art Del Mar. That afternoon, he only lost by a length and a half to the likes of Grade 2 placed Irideo and graded stakes winners Gregorian Chant and Bran. Jockey Santos Rivera teams up once again with trainer Bill McLean and a large ownership group.

Four others line up to face the big dogs in the Sunday feature. Harmon has finished behind the top three in a handful of races last year and looks to pull off a surprise if he beats them all on Sunday. Rimprotector cuts back in distance after a three-length decisive victory against first level allowance foes at the 12-furlong marathon distance. Crazy Dreams is also a first level allowance winner, but he has yet to win a race of this higher quality. Dulas hasn’t been seen in 11 months but finished as the runner up in a pair of second level allowance races last winter.

8 races are on the docket for Sunday afternoon. First post on an 8-race program is 12:45 PM.

Race 7 on Sunday (Open allowance at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta for 4-year-olds & up)

#1 Harmon (Jockey Julien Couton…Trainer Monty Meier)

#2 Crazy Dreams (Alexander Chavez…Isidro Tamayo)

#3 Freeport Joe (Assael Espinoza…Gloria Haley)

#4 Lammas (Kevin Radke…Manny Badilla)

#5 Rimprotector (Armando Ayuso…Tim McCanna)

#6 I’mgonnabesomebody (Santos Rivera…Bill McLean)

#7 Dulas (Frank Alvarado…Manny Badilla)

GOLDEN GATE ADDS THREE NEW CALIFORNIA-BRED STAKES RACES AT WINTER/SPRING MEET 

Golden Gate Fields officials, the CTBA (California Thoroughbred Breeders Association), and the TOC (Thoroughbred Owners of California) have joined forces to add three stakes races to the 2023 Golden Gate Winter/Spring meet schedule. The trio of stakes are a part of the Golden State Series, a stakes schedule throughout the year designed specifically for California-bred or sired horses. Del Mar, Golden Gate, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita all conduct numerous Golden State Series races throughout the calendar year.

Nominations close on Thursday for the inaugural running of the Moscow Burning, for California-bred or sired fillies and mares 4-years-old and upward at one mile on the Tapeta main track. The race is slated for next Saturday, January 19. On Saturday, March 18, Golden Gate presents the first edition of the McCann’s Mojave, for state-bred 4-year-olds and upward at one mile and an eighth on the Tapeta. The final stake of the Winter/Spring meet is also the last of the three newly added California-bred stakes: the $75,000 Dream of Summer for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at five furlongs on turf. The race will be run on Closing Day Sunday, June 11. All three stakes will have a guaranteed purse of $75,000 each.

“We’re thrilled to add these races to our stakes schedule,” said Golden Gate Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Steve Martinelli. “We have a couple of Golden State Series races in April, but we wanted to give opportunities to other divisions here in Northern California. Southern California has an awful lot of them, and we wanted to add a few more up here.

We felt like we could offer them and be successful,” continued Martinelli. “There are a lot of people here who have horses that are eligible that would jump at the chance to run for a good purse. We expect all three of the [new stakes] to fill pretty well.”

Golden Gate offers sixteen stakes races throughout the Winter/Spring meet. The most notable events are the El Camino Real Derby on Saturday, February 11, and a series of eight stakes races on Gold Rush Weekend, which runs on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30 this year.

MEMO DADDY CONTINUES TO SHOW CONSISTENT FORM HEADING INTO FRIDAY FEATURE 

The Chilean bred Memo Daddy seeks back-to-back wins at the $32,000 claiming condition after a sharp-looking victory at the aforementioned level on December 3. He is entered to compete in the penultimate race on Friday, Race 7, and is listed as the 9-5 morning line favorite.

Memo Daddy began his career in Chile before moving to North America and campaigning under the care of Southern California trainer Michael McCarthy. After several failed attempts at beating allowance company at Santa Anita and Del Mar, McCarthy shipped Memo Daddy north to run in a restricted $20,000 claimer. He ran second but arguably should have won, suffering a traffic trip filled trip in the stretch. Before the race, Bellasis dropped the $20,000 for the son of Scat Daddy, and after Memo Daddy passed his post-race examination, the gelding was his.

“He won his first career race in Chile and then never won again,” said Bellasis. “He still had his non winners of two [races lifetime] condition.”

Since the claim by Bellasis in March, Memo Daddy has won four races from 10 starts, including a starter allowance, first level allowance, and two high level claimers.

“He’s a hard galloper,” said Bellasis. “When he gallops hard, it’s good because he doesn’t need too much more training. He keeps himself fit. He’s calm in the barn. I feed him oranges and stuff all the time. In his races, he almost always gives you a good effort. He’s not quite good enough to win a second level allowance race-I don’t think anyway-and he’s already broken his first level allowance condition, so here we are. This is a good condition for him.”

Memo Daddy was ridden by Kevin Radke for the first time in his last start and retains the mount on Friday. Among the top players set to face Memo Daddy is Our Silver Oak, who finished as the runner up to Memo Daddy in his last start and looks to turn the tables. Third place finisher Jeffnjohn’sthunder is also entered in Friday’s seventh race.

The 10-year-old pro Ward ‘n Jerry makes his 2023 debut after a lengthy vacation. Winner of the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes in 2020 at Santa Anita, the son of Lucky Pulpit was last seen in August of 2021 finished third in a second level allowance race at Del Mar as the 2-1 favorite. The Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams homebred wracks off a steady series of morning workouts for new trainer Steve Specht, including a one-mile drill on the morning of December 24.

Black Caspian was well beaten in a second level allowance last month and drops in class for trainer Manny Badilla. In August of last year, the Irish bred beat Memo Daddy in a first level allowance race over turf at Santa Rosa.

Love Candy won the last time he routed, in November, for a $20,000 restricted claiming condition, and faces tougher in Friday’s seventh race. Rounding out the field is Govenor’s Party, who has failed to be competitive in long distance allowance races as of late and drops in for a tag.

First post on Friday is later than usual: 1:15 PM. Eight races are on the docket.

Race 7 on Friday (32k Claimer at one mile on Tapeta for 4-year-olds & up)

#1 Jeffnjohn’sthunder (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…Trainer Andy Mathis…morning line odds of 10-)

#2 Love Candy (Silvio Amador…Ed Moger Jr…8-1)

#3 Our Silver Oak (Irving Orozco…Blaine Wright…5-2)

#4 Memo Daddy (Kevin Radke…Tim Bellasis…9-5)

#5 Ward ‘n Jerry (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht…4-1)

#6 Black Caspian (Assael Espinoza…Manny Badilla…5-1)

#7 Govenor’s Party (Cristobal Herrera…Dan Franko…15-1)

STAR RACER BACK ON COURSE AFTER CONFIDENCE BOOSTER WIN, RETURNS THIS SATURDAY

Trainer Angelo Tekos Jr. has always thought highly of stable star Star Racer. According to Tekos, the California-bred by Vronsky showed talent since before he even ran in a race. He made his first trip to the winner’s circle when defeating maiden special weight company in January of 2021 and followed up with a third-place finish in a first level allowance-his debut try against proven winners.

Star Racer took some time off before returning in the summer of 2021 at Del Mar. After a pair of in-the-money finishes against California-bred allowance company, he scored a triumphant victory at the aforementioned condition in a five-furlong turf sprint.

“That was really an exciting win,” reflected Tekos Jr. “It’s especially fun when you can win a race at Del Mar like that.”

After a poor showing in his next start against open company, Star Racer was turned out until October. He proceeded to finish off the top board in six consecutive races.

Tekos Jr. decided to move Star Racer back to Golden Gate, the scene of his maiden win. His first start back in the Bay Area came sprinting in a first level allowance race on turf. That day, he checked on the far turn before re-rallying and hitting the line third behind the ultra-tough Johnny Podres and Del Mar maiden winner To Speight Her. Star Racer wheeled back on November 20 and finished a length behind race winner Heavenly Prince, who wheeled back to finish as the runner up in a second level allowance race.

With a couple of solid runs under his belt, Star Racer’s confidence began to grow again. And sure enough, he proved that to be in the case in his next and most recent afternoon appearance on December 10, defeating a solid group of allowance sprinters by three and a half-lengths. He earned a career high 93 Beyer speed figure for the effort.

Star Racer returns to action on Saturday in the nightcap: a first level allowance at five and a half furlongs. Being a California-bred, he is eligible to win at the condition once more.

“In a race [on November 20], he earned a career best speed figure [83],” said Tekos Jr. “I was a little concerned because I was just hoping he could run back to that three weeks later. Of course, he ran even better than that.

He really likes this Tapeta, but he’s run well on turf too. He’s a turf/synthetic horse…doesn’t care for the dirt. He had a couple of unlucky trips down south at Del Mar and since coming back up here, he’s run really well.”

Star Racer draws the rail and will need to work out a good trip breaking inside of nine other starters. Assael Espinoza rode Star Racer for the first time in his runaway victory last month and will be back atop the 6-year-old gelding on Saturday.

“I don’t love the draw,” admitted Tekos Jr. “The one good thing is he doesn’t need the lead. He’s very tactical. Assael knows the horse now. I don’t need to give him instructions. He’s riding great and he can make the decisions. He’ll have to play it by the break.”

Off his last race, Star Racer should be tabbed as the one to beat. Among the main contenders in Race 9 on Saturday is Lmlooknformischief, who won a first level allowance against restricted 3-year-olds on December 26 and now faces older foes as a newly turned 4-year-old. Terry’s Boy finished as the runner up to Star Racer on December 10 and is also entered in this Saturday’s finale. Playing Hardball finished third on December 10 and, like Star Racer, has already won once at this level. Recent maiden special weight winners I’m a Lucky Man, Lucky Lad, and Papa Tiger are all new shooters to the allowance conditions and make their first starts of 2023 on Saturday. Disko Tribute, Should Be Illegal, and Shut Up Michael complete the list of entrants.

9 races have been carded for Saturday. Early first post of 12:15 PM.

Race 9 on Saturday (First level allowance at six furlongs on Tapeta for 4-year-olds & up)

#1 Star Racer (Jockey Assael Espinoza…Trainer Angelo Tekos Jr…morning line odds of 5-2)

#2 I’m a Lucky Man (Brayan Pena…Jamey Thomas…15-1)

#3 Papa Tiger (Julien Couton…Andy Mathis…12-1)

#4 Disko Tribute (Frank Alvarado…Reid France…12-1)

#5 Should Be Illegal (Alexander Chavez…Steve Sherman…9-2)

#6 Shut Up Michael (Santos Rivera…Jonathan Wong…6-1)

#7 Lmlooknformischief (Irving Orozco…Faith Taylor…8-1)

#8 Terry’s Boy (Armando Ayuso…Tim McCanna…7-2)

#9 Lucky Lad (Leonel Camacho Flores…Jose Puentes…20-1)

#10 Playing Hardball (William Antongeorgi III…Andy Mathis…10-1)

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from last week: 

Friday

Race 1: Roaring Tiger (New trainer Ed Moger Jr…new owner Al P. Pitchko)

Race 4: Dance Lady (Blaine Wright…Ann Clark and Robert Clary)

Race 7: Grigoro (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)

Saturday

Race 2: Runaway Kristin (Jose Puentes…Luciano Medina)

Race 3: Walking Boss (Isidro Tamayo…Miguel Chavez)

Race 6: Darnquick (Reed Saldana…Johnny Taboada)

Race 12: Austrian Navy (Jonathan Wong…TAK Racing)

Sunday

Race 1: Bold Daughter (Roger Hansen…Paul Lininger)

Race 1: Miracle in Motion (Jose Puentes…Luciano Medina and Xuewen Zhu)

Race 6: Amanda Rose (Tim Bellasis…Bellasis, Donna Smartt and Cassandra Tschanz)

Race 7: Handsome Gary (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables, Clay Sides and Gary Winters)

Race 9: Wellswort (Simon Hobson…Amy Hobson)

FINISH LINES: Last Friday, jockey Assael Espinoza won four races on the card. 24 hours later, Irving Orozco countered with four wins of his own and, on Sunday, Frank Alvarado picked up a hat trick…The Saturday co-feature is a second level allowance featuring graded stakes placed Tarantino and Kiwi’s Dream, minor stakes winners American Farmer and Dr Pescado, Southern California shipper Mr. Impossible, recent second level allowance winner Long Lance, and 2022 El Camino Real Derby participant Stormy Samurai…Golden Gate will be the only California racetrack in play on Saturday. Both Santa Anita and Los Alamitos have cancelled their Saturday race cards due to projected wet weather…On Sunday at Santa Anita, Golden Gate stakes winner Natural Colour is entered in the Grade 2 $200,000 La Canada Stakes on dirt. Flavien Prat rides for trainer Manny Badilla…Both Golden Hour races from Golden Gate on Sunday are sure to attract attention. The second leg of the Golden Hour Late Pick 4 (Race 7) features Freeport Joe, I’mgonnabesomebody, and Lammas. The last leg of the Golden Hour Pick 4 and Golden Hour Double (Race 8) features a full field of 10 allowance routers. 2 others are on the also eligible list hoping to draw in if a scratch or two occurs…Golden Gate offers a Martin Luther King Jr. Day live race card this Monday. First post is 12:45 PM…$16,291 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot bet on Friday.

MATHIS RUNNERS TO EMPLOY DIFFERENT RUNNING STYLES IN SATURDAY CO-FEATURE

Trainer Andy Mathis saddles a quarter of the eight entrants in this Saturday’s co-featured eleventh race: a first level allowance at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. 2-1 morning line favorite Angel’s Advocate draws the outside post while 5-1 shot The Great Haynes is positioned in gate five.

“When I’ve got two horses in the same race, I just want them to run their race,” said Mathis. “You don’t want to see them compromise each other’s chances though.”

Luckily for Mathis, both of his entrants will be employing different running styles. 7-year-old mare Angel’s Advocate, who finished second at this level two starts ago and was last seen easily defeating high level claimers, prefers to be in front. She sports a nearly perfect 4 for 5 record in as many starts on the Golden Gate main track Tapeta.

“Over time, we’ve tried a few different things and found out what she wants to do,” said Mathis.

“She likes to be up on the pace, and she likes this synthetic surface.”

On the contrary, The Great Haynes is likely to be stalking the speed. The daughter of Haynesfield was last seen finishing third, beaten just three quarters of a length at this condition on November 26.

“She’s really sharp right now,” said Mathis. “I thought she was a little bit unlucky last time. She had to wait behind horses.”

Neither Mathis entrant is a lock to win. The Jonathan Wong trained Sheza Girly Girl was last seen suffering a far from ideal trip against stakes company. That afternoon, she steadied behind horses at the five-furlong marker before closing good ground down the lane to finish a length and a half behind race winner Chancery Way in the Bear Fan Stakes. She has won at this level once before and attempts a second win at the condition.

Luxury Liner, who defeated Sheza Girly Girl in a November 6 race at this condition, seeks to rebound after an off the board finish in the Bear Fan Stakes. The Nick Alexander homebred makes her third start off a seven-month layoff for trainer Steve Miyadi. Alexander and Miyadi also campaign Rose Dawson, who removes blinkers after a double-digit length loss at this condition at Del Mar last month. In January of 2022, Rose Dawson scored an impressive victory in the California Oaks for state-breds at Santa Anita. Since then, she has failed to win in five consecutive afternoon appearances.

Avery Blue won a California-bred maiden special weight at Santa Anita on turf in the fall. Since then, she has since finished off the board in two consecutive tries against state-bred allowance foes. She makes her Tapeta debut against open company for Hall of Fame conditioner Neil Drysdale.

Shezarunaway makes her second start off about a five-month layoff and will need to improve to win. In her last start, she broke slowly but came on well down the lane to finish in midfield. Mischievous Curlin rounds out the field. After a two-length loss behind Luxury Liner on November 6, the Faith Taylor trainee failed to fire in a two-turn turf route race three weeks later. She freshens up and gets back to sprinting on Saturday.

A sizeable twelve race program is on the docket for Saturday. First post is 11:15 AM.

Race 11 on Saturday (First level allowance for fillies & mares 3 YO and up at six furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Avery Blue (Jockey Armando Ayuso…Trainer Neil Drysdale…Morning line odds of 10-1)

#2 Mischievous Curlin (Irving Orozco…Faith Taylor…15-1)

#3 Rose Dawson (Alejandro Gomez…Steve Miyadi…4-1)

#4 Luxury Liner (Santos Rivera…Steve Miyadi…7-2)

#5 The Great Haynes (Kevin Radke…Andy Mathis…5-1)

#6 Sheza Girly Girl (Frank Alvarado…Jonathan Wong…6-1)

#7 Shezarunaway (William Antongeorgi III…Dan Markle…20-1)

#8 Angel’s Advocate (Assael Espinoza…Andy Mathis…2-1)

8-YEAR-OLD VETERAN HONEYMOONZ OVER STILL HAS PLENTY HE CAN ACCOMPLISH

Honeymoonz Over makes his 69^th lifetime start in the marquee second race of the day on Friday at Golden Gate: a $32,000 claimer for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. The newly turned 8-year-old gelding has won 17 races with 13 seconds and 11 third place finishes. According to trainer D. Wayne Baker, Honeymoonz Over is all racehorse.

“He’s just a cool horse,” said Baker. “In the barn he’s quiet. He likes his carrots and likes being pet. On the track, he’s bouncy. He’s a good feeling horse. He tries hard every race.”

Baker, who lost Honeymoonz Over at the claim box in 2021, reclaimed the son of Congrats in February of last year and has since won three races with him, including a first level allowance on November 20. He has not raced since then.

“I didn’t want to run him back in three weeks,” said Baker. “I could have run him in a race before the end of the fall meet but decided to give him a little time to freshen up. He’s trained regularly and is doing as well as he always does.”

Honeymoonz Over draws the rail in a field of five. Baker is not overly concerned.

“[Jockey William Antongeorgi III] will have to play it by the break,” said Baker. “We might be the speed of the speed in there. Last time, he drew the inside and got the rail trip.”

Honeymoonz Over is listed at 9-5 on the morning line. The 7-5 morning line favorite is I’m Corfu, who finished third as the favorite behind Honeymoonz Over on November 20. Like Honeymoonz Over, I’m Corfu is an eight-year-old gelding.

Another old pro in the mix is Torpedo Away. A 10-time winner from 38 lifetime starts, Torpedo Away failed to make an impression in the Oakland Stakes on November 19 and faces a lighter group this Friday. Two starts ago, the Washington bred beat a salty group at this $32,000 condition.

Blazing Jamie was a determined maiden special weight winner on September 25 but has finished well behind in his last two starts against allowance company. Amanofmystature was also well behind the top three in a recent allowance race and rounds out the quintet.

9 races made the Friday overnight. First post is 11:45 AM.

Race 2 on Friday ($32,000 claimer at six furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Honeymoonz Over (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…Trainer D. Wayne Baker…Morning line odds of 9-5)

#2 I’m Corfu (Armando Ayuso…Isidro Tamayo…7-5)

#3 Blazing Jamie (Silvio Amador…Cliff DeLima…6-1)

#4 Torpedo Away (Alexander Chavez…Blaine Wright…5-2)

#5 Amanofmystature (Cristobal Herrera…Marcelino Trujillo…12-1)

 

SPECHT ENTERS 3, MATHIS ALSO REPRESENTED ON CAL CUP DAY AT SANTA ANITA

California-breds shine on Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita with a full card of races solely restricted to horses sired or bred in the Golden State. Half of the ten races are stakes events. Par to the course every year, a strong Northern California contingent have shipped south to take on the locals on Cal Cup Day 2023.

The sixth race on the card is the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at about six and one-half furlongs on the downhill turf course. Drawn outside in the field of nine is Tam’s Little Angel (10-1 morning line), last seen finishing third in the Bear Fan Stakes last month. Tam’s Little Angel was victorious in the She’s A Tiger Stakes at Pleasanton in 2022 and has placed in two additional stakes at Golden Gate over the course of her career. The Larry and Marianne Williams homebred is trained by Steve Specht and will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli. Also entered in the Filly and Mare Turf Sprint is Bear Fan Stakes second place finisher Big Summer (4-1).

Specht, Rispoli, and the Williams’ team up with Passarando in Race 7, the $200,000 California Cup Derby for 3-year-olds at one mile and a sixteenth on dirt. Passarando scored a flashy victory in his most recent afternoon appearance, the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes, and defeated next out 7-length allowance winner Chase the Chaos in the process. Passarando became a stakes winner in October when defeating Giver Not a Taker in the 7-furlong Golden State Juvenile at Santa Anita. Passarando is 2-1 on the morning line for the California Cup Derby while Giver Not a Taker, also entered in the ‘Derby, looks to turn the tables on Passarando and has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite.

The nightcap and co-featured race of the day is the nine-furlong $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank. The first and second place finishers in a December 11 Golden Gate allowance are entered. Royal ‘n Rando (8-1), who won the race by a length and a quarter, clashes once more with Kings River Knight (6-1), who had to settle for second at odds of 4-5.

Royal ‘n Rando, the third entrant on the Santa Anita card for Specht and the Williams family, won the Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate last year and placed second in the Snow Chief Stakes. Kings River Knight makes his stakes debut in the ‘Turf Classic but is unbeaten on grass and has never finished worse than second in six lifetime starts for trainer Andy Mathis. Umberto Rispoli rides Royal ‘n Rando while Frankie Dettori has the assignment aboard Kings River Knight.

First post at Santa Anita on Saturday is 12:00 PM.

CLAIMS REPORT        

Friday

Race 3: Performative (New trainer Jack Steiner…New owner Remmah Racing Inc.)

Race 3: Zhivago (Gary Greiner…Renee Greiner)

Race 8: Stoic Luna (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)

Monday

Race 2: Carson’s Legacy (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)

Race 4: Sacred Beauty (Reed Saldana…Johnny Taboada)

Race 4: Stateforest (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Race 6: Hot Rageous (Ed Moger Jr…Doug Kline)

Race 7: Colormemoney (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)

Race 7: Darksaber (Owner/Trainer James Gilmour)

Race 7: Uncle Wilbur (Guillermo Preciado…Hector Ramiro Preciado)

Race 8: Ottawa Fire (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing and MJVET Stables)

Race 9: Rocktillyoudrop (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)

FINISH LINES: The co-featured ninth race on Saturday is a second level allowance for filly and mare routers. Among those entered: the stakes placed pair of Clockstrikestwelve and Scherzo, and Trojan Clubhouse, who hasn’t raced since May but enters with a five-race win streak intact…A large field of 11 three-year-old fillies compete on Saturday in Race 10, a maiden special weight. Entered is Daddysruby, a half sibling to stakes placed Daddysprize and allowance caliber racer Murphys Tiger. Carmel by the Sea was purchased for $280,000 and makes the trip north for Southern California based conditioner Peter Eurton. Vintage and Lady of the Light are first time starters with ability, Tessa makes her first start in North America after eight races in Europe, Like No Other looks for a better trip after stretch trouble in her career debut, and Fourth Street is knocking on the door for a win. So is Rose of Mooncoin, a half sibling to stakes winner Cool Mountain Lad…11 races end our racing week on Sunday. First post is 11:15 AM…The feature race on Sunday is Race 10: a first level allowance at one mile. 11 fillies and mares entered to race…Among those in the nightcap on Sunday, for 3-year-old maidens, is the Blaine Wright trained first time starter El Bromista, a $160,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase by Practical Joke. Tim McCanna sends out firster Zeus’ War, a 2021 Keeneland sale graduate by Dialed In who dropped the hammer at $190,000… $7,818 is the carryover amount for the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Friday…$5,964 is carried over into the next race on Friday in which the Rolling High Five wager is offered…We send belated birthday wishes to jockeys Assael Espinoza and Irving Orozco as well as trainer Steve Specht, all who celebrated their birthday on December 30…Finally, a special happy birthday shoutout to all of our racehorses, who turned one year older in racing age on New Year’s Day!

MATHIS RUNNERS TO EMPLOY DIFFERENT RUNNING STYLES IN SATURDAY CO-FEATURE

Trainer Andy Mathis saddles a third of the six entrants in this Saturday’s co-featured fourth race: a first level allowance at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. 9-5 morning line favorite Angel’s Advocate draws post 5 while 7-2 shot The Great Haynes is positioned directly to the outside of her stablemate.

“When I’ve got two horses in the same race, I just want them to run their race,” said Mathis. “You don’t want to see them compromise each other’s chances though.”

Luckily for Mathis, both of his entrants will be employing different running styles. 7-year-old mare Angel’s Advocate, who finished second at this level two starts ago and was last seen easily defeating high level claimers, prefers to be in front. She sports a nearly perfect 4 for 5 record in as many starts on the Golden Gate main track Tapeta.

“Over time, we’ve tried a few different things and found out what she wants to do,” said Mathis.

“She likes to be up on the pace, and she likes this synthetic surface.”

On the contrary, The Great Haynes is likely to be stalking the speed. The daughter of Haynsfield was last seen finishing third, beaten just three quarters of a length, at this condition on November 26.

“She’s really sharp right now,” said Mathis. “I thought she was a little bit unlucky last time. She had to wait behind horses.”

Neither Mathis entrant is a lock to win. The Jonathan Wong trained Sheza Girly Girl was last seen suffering a far from ideal trip against stakes company. That afternoon, she steadied behind horses at the five-furlong marker before closing good ground down the lane to finish a length and a half behind race winner Chancery Way in the Bear Fan Stakes. She has won at this condition once before and attempts a second win at the level.

Luxury Liner, who defeated Sheza Girly Girl in a November 6 race at this condition, seeks to rebound after an off the board finish in the Bear Fan Stakes. The Nick Alexander homebred makes her third start off a seven-month layoff for trainer Steve Miyadi.

Avery Blue won a California-bred maiden special weight at Santa Anita on turf in the fall. Since then, she has since finished off the board in two consecutive tries against state-bred allowance foes. She makes her Tapeta debut against open company for Hall of Fame conditioner Neil Drysdale. Mischievous Curlin rounds out the field. After a two-length loss behind Luxury Liner on November 6, the Faith Taylor trainee failed to fire in a two-turn turf route race three weeks later. She freshens up and gets back to sprinting on Saturday.

Nine races are on the docket for Saturday. First post is 12:15 PM. This racing week, Golden Gate has four consecutive live race days: Friday, Saturday (New Year’s Eve), Sunday (New Year’s Day), and Monday.

Race 4 on Saturday (First level allowance for fillies & mares 3 YO and up at six furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Avery Blue (Jockey Armando Ayuso…Trainer Neil Drysdale…Morning line odds of 12-1)

#2 Sheza Girly Girl (Frank Alvarado…Jonathan Wong…2-1)

#3 Mischievous Curlin (Irving Orozco…Faith Taylor…8-1)

#4 Luxury Liner (Santos Rivera…Steve Miyadi…9-2)

#5 Angel’s Advocate (Assael Espinoza…Andy Mathis…9-5)

#6 The Great Haynes (Kevin Radke…Andy Mathis…7-2)

CHAVEZ MAKES HIS PRESCENCE FELT ON OPENING DAY

24-year-old journeyman rider Alexander Chavez won two races on Opening Day and stamped himself as a jockey to keep an eye on at the current Winter/Spring meeting. In the first race of the meet this past Monday, Chavez guided Remember Sue to a nose victory. Three races later, Chavez split horses with 4-year-old gelding My Dominator turning for home and outfinished two rivals down the stretch to pick up his second victory on the afternoon.

Before moving to Golden Gate, the native of Panama rode at Thistledown Racecourse in Ohio. He rode 342 horses and won 57 races, equating to a 17%-win rate. He tied for second in the jockey standings with Angel Diaz, who picked up 70 more mounts than Chavez. Agent Brent Harmon represents Chavez at Golden Gate.

“[Alexander] has impressed me,” said Harmon. “He gets really low on a horse when he rides. He sort of reminds me of Evin Roman and Kyle Frey. He’s a very aggressive rider and can finish strong on a horse. What I really like about him is that he’s a humble kid and works hard. He asks me if he has any horses to gallop in the mornings. He’s happy to work.”

Harmon was introduced to Chavez through a mutual friend, Arizona trainer Jose Silva Jr, and owner Johnny Taboada.

“Johnny was a big help,” said Harmon. “Johnny encouraged me to travel to Turf Paradise to see if anybody over there wanted to give it a go in California. There were a few guys who were interested but eventually it just wasn’t going to work out…at least right now. Silva told me, ‘Hey, I’ve got this one guy I know over in Ohio who can really ride. He rode at Turf for a week or so and he was really good.

Eventually, Alexander and I connected. We talked a little bit, and he was game to give it a try. Literally 24 hours later he had a plane ticket. I said to myself, ‘Wow, he’s really committed to doing this.’”

Chavez appears to have been fed a steady diet of mounts by numerous trainers this week; he rides four on Friday, five on Saturday, and five more on Sunday. Entries for a special Monday, January 2 card will be drawn on Friday, but Harmon believes Chavez will have his fair share of business on that day too.

“Like any rider that goes somewhere new, it’s good if they can win early,” said Harmon. “People start to pay attention right away. It’s good we got the ball rolling.”

Chavez was not the newest member of the riding colony for long. On Monday afternoon, it was publicly announced that veteran rider Jose Valdivia Jr. was set to ship his tack to Golden Gate.  He has three mounts on Sunday and one on Sunday.  More on that in next week’s News and Notes.

FRIDAY’S SIXTH RACE HAS EL CAMINO REAL DERBY IMPLICATIONS

The top finishers in Friday’s sixth race, an allowance for 3-year-olds at one mile, may reappear in the one mile and an eighth El Camino Real Derby on Saturday, February 11. A field of eight is signed on to compete in the sixth race co-feature.

An intriguing up and comer is Travel the Map, who won on debut for trainer Tim McCanna in a one-mile maiden special weight and faces winner for the first time. A $42,000 sale purchase by Liam’s Map, the grey Kentucky-bred gelding set the pace with pressure before drawing off to break his maiden by over 5 lengths.

This will be a good class test to see where Travel the Map fits with the other soon to be top 3-year-olds of 2023. A quartet of entrants in Race 6 on Friday exits the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes. The winner of the Gold Rush, California-bred Passarando, is probable to run in next Saturday’s $200,000 California Cup Derby for state-breds at Santa Anita.

The best finisher of the four was Chase the Chaos, who rallied from the back of the field and finished strongly as the runner up. Chase the Chaos broke his maiden at Canterbury Park in the summer on turf and was transferred to Moger’s Golden Gate string shortly thereafter. After a third-place finish sprinting in the Golden Nugget, Chase the Chaos improved in his second start for Moger Jr. while getting back to routing.

Happy Does won at this level two starts ago and returns to a condition he is obviously competitive at. Most recently, the Gray Farms homebred rounded out the superfecta in the Gold Rush. Gold Rush fifth place finisher It’s Thievery and tenth place finisher Smokin’ Hot are also entered in the Saturday’s sixth race.

Abinadi failed to fire in the Golden Nugget Stakes on November 12 and freshens up a month and a half for trainer Bill McLean, who also campaigns It’s Thievery. Abinadi broke his maiden for a $150,000 claiming tag at Del Mar in the summer and was purchased at auction for $75,000 by his current connections following the maiden triumph. A son of Goldencents, Abinadi adds blinkers while making his route debut. Strength of Autism, fourth in the Golden Nugget, also tries two turns for the first time in the sixth race on Friday.

Rounding out the group is Suburban Prince, a Doug O’Neill trained son of Good Samaritan whose lone victory came against maiden special weight company on the Tapeta. Since then, the bay colt has finished double digit lengths behind the winner in a pair of Southern California turf races.

Race 6 on Friday (First level allowance for 3 YO’s at one mile on Tapeta)

#1 Smokin’ Hot (Jockey Julien Couton…Trainer Jonathan Wong…Morning line odds of 8-1)

#2 It’s Thievery (Assael Espinoza…Bill McLean…6-1)

#3 Strength of Autism (William Antongeorgi III…Isidro Tamayo…12-1)

#4 Abinadi (Irving Orozco…Bill McLean…15-1)

#5 Happy Does (Santos Rivera…Felix Rondan…3-1)

#6 Travel the Map (Kevin Radke…Tim McCanna…9-5)

#7 Suburban Prince (Brayan Pena…Doug O’Neil…10-1

#8 Chase the Chaos (Armando Ayuso…Ed Moger Jr…7-2)

LADY’S SERMON READY TO GET BACK TO THE WINNERS CIRCLE ON FRIDAY

Lady’s Sermon kicked off her career in 2021 like a filly with a bright future. After demolishing maidens in the first baby race of the year, she returned in the fall and easily defeated first-level allowance company in fast time.

Being a California-bred, she was eligible to defeat first level allowance foes for a second time. Trainer Steve Specht tried her routing at the aforementioned condition on a handful of occasions, but Lady’s Sermon never displayed the kick she showed sprinting.

After another seven-month vacation, Lady’s Sermon returned in the fall of this year and hit the board twice; once against Luxury Liner and Sheza Girly Girl (see the first article) and most recently was second best in a respectable effort. Both efforts came sprinting against older counterparts.

In the third start of her current form cycle on Friday in Race 7, Lady’s Sermon faces arguably easier company. This time around, she faces a first level allowance field restricted to 3-year-old fillies. She breaks from the outside stall in the six-furlong sprint.

“She’s never run a bad race sprinting,” said Specht. “She draws a good post. She should work out a good trip, sit off a little bit, and come with a run.”

Bettors have plenty of options to choose from in the Friday feature. Code Ribbon has won two of her last three races at this level for trainer Jacqui Navarre and exits a run on December 2 in which she earned a career high Beyer (81). The second and third place finishers in that race-Blue Wildcat and Zazen-are also entered.

The speedy Iconic Sky set the pace and faded to fourth as the favorite on December 2. A California-bred allowance winner at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar earlier this year, the daughter of Vronsky is expected to be a pace player. Ditto Cause She’s a Lady, who was close to a fast pace and defeated starter allowance foes in her first start off a claim for trainer Blaine Wright on December 10.

Grazen in the Sun showed plenty of grit when winning at first asking in October for trainer Ed Moger Jr. She returned one month later against older allowance foes and finished a length and three quarters behind the gold medalist while having to deal with traffic issues approaching the top of the stretch. She must turn the tables on Lady’s Sermon, who beat Grazen in the Sun by a length for second that day.

Always Seeking cuts back from a route to a sprint and should be fit with the turnback in distance in mind. In September, she flew home in the late stages of an allowance race and defeated Code Ribbon and Blue Wildcat on the square. Like Lady’s Sermon, Always Seeking was bred by owners Larry and Marianne WIlliams. Likely longshot Callmemarthajane completes the field of nine in Race 7.

8 races kick off our racing week on Friday. First post is 12:45 PM.

Race 7 on Friday (First level allowance for 3 YO fillies at six furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Blue Wildcat (Jockey Armando Ayuso…Trainer Jack Steiner…Morning line odds of 8-1)

#2 Callmemarthajane (Brayan Pena…Jonathan Wong…20-1)

#3 Code Ribbon (Frank Alvarado…Jacqui Navarre…2-1)

#4 Zazen (Kevin Radke…Dan Markle…15-1)

#5 Always Seeking (William Antongeorgi III…Jack Steiner…6-1)

#6 Grazen in the Sun (Alejandro Gomez…Ed Moger Jr…10-1)

#7 Iconic Sky (Julien Couton…Andy Mathis…3-1)

#8 Cause She’s a Lady (Irving Orozco…Blaine Wright…8-1)

#9 Lady’s Sermon (Catalino Martinez…Steve Specht…6-1)

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from Opening Day:

Monday

Race 3: Hunters Ghost (New trainer D. Wayne Baker…New owner Baker and Michele Santoro)

Race 4: Armour Plate (Owner/Trainer Jim Gilmour)

Race 5: Patsy Montana (Jesus Ramos…Candelario Barragan, Juan Garcia and Salvador Ruiz)

FINISH LINES: The marquee race on New Year’s Day Sunday attracted an oversubscribed field of 12. The contest, for filly and mare routers at one mile, goes as the second leg of the Golden Hour Late Pick 4…The last leg of the aforementioned wager drew a field of 11 for soon to be 3-year-old maidens. Among those entered is the Blaine Wright trained first time starter El Bromista, a $160,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase by Practical Joke. Tim McCanna sends out firster Zeus’ War, a 2021 Keeneland sale graduate by Dialed In who dropped the hammer at $190,000…The Ed Moger Jr. trained Stilleto Boy put up a valiant effort in his first start off a layoff, finishing second behind last year’s Dubai World Cup winner Country Grammer in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at Santa Anita. Stilleto Boy could compete next in the Pegasus World Cup or Santa Anita Handicap…Congrats to jockey Leonel Camacho Flores and trainer Jose Puentes, who teamed up with first time starter Lucky Lad for a 68-1 upset victory in Race 7 on Opening Day, December 26. In the maiden special weight affair, Lucky Lad set a contentious pace and fended off all challenges for a three-quarter length victory. Lucky Lad is a 3-year-old California-bred by Finnegan’s Wake owned by Luciano Medina…Remember: four racing days this week (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday)…Happy New Year!!!