TRAINER REID FRANCE THRIVES AS AN “UP AND COMER” IN THE TRAINING RANKS

Last Friday, trainer Reid France won a trio of races, continuing what has been a phenomenal 2021 for the 37-year-old conditioner. From 78 starters this year, France has made 25 trips to the winner’s circle, equating to a 32%-win rate.

“I’m just really thankful to the owners,” said France when asked about his success. “The owners have stuck with it through some pretty difficult times, and they’ve been very supportive of my operation.”

Reid, a native of San Mateo, grew up a short way from Bay Meadows Racecourse. From the time he began making trips to the track with his father, France was hooked.

“My dad owned a piece of a few racehorses,” said France. “I enjoyed going to the track and watching the horses.”

As a junior in high school, France was old enough to begin working, and he started his ascension in racing walking hots for trainer Jeff Bonde. He progressed to being a groom quickly, and, in 2011, moved to the East Coast to work as a foreman under recently inducted Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. After a meaningful stint with Pletcher, France moved to Southern California and worked for high-profile trainers Tom Proctor and Bob Baffert.

Eventually, his hometown roots brought Reid back to the Bay Area, where he was given an opportunity to work as the assistant to trainer John Martin.

“Jonathan Wong was the assistant for John before I was,” said France. “[Wong] went out on his own in 2015 and I filled the [assistant trainer’s] position.”  

Side-by-side with Martin for over three years, Reid learned a plethora of information.

“John was just an exceptionally good horseman and mentor,” said France. “The biggest thing John taught me was you can’t go over the horses enough. He was big on attention to detail. He taught me to be consistent. He was also very good at reading the condition book and placing the horses in the right spots to succeed. He really had a lot of strengths.”

In 2018, France ventured out on his own. For many trainers, a transition from assistant to the head honcho is never easy. In France’s case, he started his own business with minimal nerves.

“I was confident in my ability to do this,” said France. “I went to Del Mar three times with a handful of horses for John and he didn’t spend too much time down there; he left things up to me. So in that regard, I had a bit of a trial run. When I was working for John, he was doing really well, we had a lot of horses and there was a lot of action going on. I felt like I was ready.”

France was given his “breakout horse” in the middle of 2019. Top Secret Indy, a son of Take Charge Indy, had poor form for the Bill Mott stable in Florida and moved west in search of improvement. Under the watchful eye of France, Top Secret Indy rattled off three consecutive victories, including a first level allowance win

“Top Secret Indy was a neat horse,” said France. “For a lot of trainers, there’s a horse or two that helps put them on the map. For me, it was Top Secret Indy. Once he won a few races, my business started picking up and we got some more opportunities.”

France indicated he was excited for the future and hopes to hang many more winners circle photos in his office.

 “We’ve got about 30 horses in training right now and some two-year-olds coming in soon,” said France. “I just go out there every day and try to put the horses in the right spots.”

GOLDEN GATE WINNER HEAVEN SHINES IS THE FIRST WINNER BY STANFORD

In last Sunday’s fourth race, 2-year-old colt Heaven Shines became the first winner for California-stallion Stanford. Owned by his breeder, Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Heaven Shines went to the lead and never stopped, hitting the wire two and three-quarter lengths ahead of the runner up finisher. Kyle Frey was aboard for the winning ride.

“[Tommy Town farm manager] Mike Allen and [co-owner] Tom Stull said, ‘You’re going to like this horse’ before they sent him to us from the farm,” said trainer Jonathan Wong. “He was coming into the race with some nice works and we knew he had some talent, but he wasn’t 100% cranked. We were happy with the result.”

Wong trains a handful of Stanford’s babies and noted that each of them possess positive qualities.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that they are all really smart. They all have a good head on their shoulders,” said Wong. “All of them have good confirmation. Heaven Shines…he has early speed, but I think he’ll be better with more distance. He wants to run farther.”

Wong noted that the $75,000 Fasig Tipton Futurity on Sunday, June 20 at Santa Anita is a possible next target for Heaven Shines.

Stanford, trained by Todd Pletcher from 2014 to 2017, won the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, placed in a pair of additional Grade 2 races, earned $1.3 million in purse winnings. By Malibu Moon out of a Distorted Humor mare, Stanford currently stands at Tommy Town Thoroughbreds for $5,000.

EL CAMINO REAL DERBY WINNER ROMBAUER “TRAVELS WELL”, SETTLED IN AT PIMLICO FOR SATURDAY’S PREAKNESS 

2021 El Camino Real Derby winner Rombauer returns to action in the 2021 Preakness Stakes this Saturday at Pimlico. The $1.5 million Preakness, run at one-mile and three-sixteenths on dirt, is the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Rombauer drew post six in the field of ten and is listed at 12-1 on the morning line. Leading Southern California jockey Flavien Prat rides for the first time.  

“He’s a horse that travels well,” said McCarthy on Wednesday morning. “He’s taking everything in stride. He’s an easy horse to keep fit so we just try to keep him happy. He had a very good work before he left [to Pimlico]. He’s a horse that’s naturally suited to come from [off the pace]. I don’t know how that’ll work this weekend, but we’ll leave it up to Flavien.”

The Preakness goes as Race 13 at Pimlico on Saturday, with post time at 6:47 ET/3:47 PM PT. Live racing on Saturday at Golden Gate has a scheduled first post of 1:18 PM PT.

CLAIMS REPORT

Below is a list of claims from last week:

Thursday

Race 1: My Sunshine (New trainer Manny Badilla…new owner(s) Brett Tahajian and Badilla)

Race 5: Implicitly (Eddie Rich…Run For Us Stables LLC)

Race 5: Tough It Out (Mike Lenzini…John Parker)

Race 5: Tyler’s Tek (Isidro Tamayo…Keron Thomas)

Friday

Race 1: Missed the Boat (Trainer Blaine Wright…Blaine D. Wright Racing Stable)

Race 1: Power Times Two (Owner/Trainer Cesar DeAlba)

Race 1: Rally Cat (Reid France…Francis Lagattuta and France)

Race 2: Big City Bane (Victor Trujillo…Lester Hunsucker)

Race 2: Robber Baron (Owner/Trainer Dan Franko)

Saturday

Race 1: Kaline (Victor Trujillo…Lester Hunsucker and Trujillo)

Race 2: Jenpirestrikesback (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)

Race 8: Friend of Autism (Ed Moger Jr…Steve Moger)

Race 8: Illapawnie (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing, MJVET Stables and Strohmaier Racing)

Race 9: Northern Gem (Blaine Wright…Bryan Smith)

Sunday

Race 2: Glitter Lake (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Race 2: Stradari (Reed Saldana…Johnny Taboada)

Race 2: Take Her Temp (Blaine Wright…Blaine D. Wright Racing Stable LLC)

Race 4: Crack a Cold One (Frank Lucarelli…Lucarelli Racing Corp.)

FINISH LINES: Kyle Frey holds an 88-82 lead in the jockey standings over Evin Roman while Jonathan Wong continues to pave the way in the trainer standings…Three allowance races and two maiden special weights highlight a good-quality Preakness Day card at Golden Gate this Saturday. Remember: first post on Saturday is 1:18 PM PT…Campanile Stakes runner up Amazen Grazen returns in Race 6 on Saturday, a one-mile turf route for 3-year-old fillies…Silky Sullivan Stakes fourth place finisher I’ll Stand Taller competes in the Grade 3 Laz Barrera Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday…Good luck to jockey Julien Couton, who moves his tack to Emerald Downs for the spring and summer season…Leg B (the second leg) of The Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 at Golden Gate Fields on Friday…$52,896 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Thursday…Happy birthday to Dr. Casille Batten, who celebrates her birthday this Sunday.

FIRST “BABY RACES” OF THE YEAR SHOW OFF GOOD PEDIGREES AND TOP HUMAN CONNECTIONS

During the second half of every year, racewatchers across the country view 2-year-old races in hopes of tabbing the next future star. At Golden Gate Fields this Thursday and Friday, a pair of “baby races” kick off the freshmen racing action in Northern California.

Thursday’s second race, a 4-and-a-half-furlong maiden special weight on Tapeta, features a quintette of 2-year-old fillies. Pedigree analysts will have a field day studying this group of contenders.

The rail runner is Showem Grace, a $60,000 sale purchase making her career debut for the Walther Solis barn. Solis, a Southern California trainer, has pumped a steady series of morning drills into the daughter of Grace Upon Grace. A full sibling to Showem Grace, Show it N Moe It, was a 526k earner and a multiple stake winner. She also hit the board in ten other stakes races. Showem Grace’s dam was a stakes placed filly herself and has produced 3 other winners.

Leading trainer Jonathan Wong saddles a pair of contenders in Embrace Autism and Beautyinthebeast. Embrace Autism, the 6-5 morning line favorite, is out of a Grade 3 placed sprinter who has produced 4 winners from 4 winning foals. Beautyinthebeast, listed at 7-2 on the morning line, is the first foal of an unraced dam. Sire Dads Caps amassed a seven-figure bankroll in winning multiple Grade I sprint races.

Trainer Steve Specht campaigns Lady’s Sermon for owner/breeder Larry and Marianne Williams. The dam of Lady’s Sermon, Lady Railrider, was a 600k earner who won 5 stakes races and hit the board in 9 others. As a broodmare, she has produced 5 winners from all 5 foals, with 3 of the siblings to Lady’s Sermon either stakes winners or stakes placed.

Greetings, the final runner in the race, is by multiple Grade I winner Bluegrass Cat and out of a 3-time winning mare. Her only other foal is winless. Dan Franko trains and go-to pilot Cristobal Herrera has the call.

Race 2 on Thursday (4 and a half furlongs for 2-year-old fillies)

#1 Showem Grace (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…Walther Solis)

#2 Greetings (Cristobal Herrera…Dan Franko)

#3 Lady’s Sermon (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht)

#4 Beautyinthebeast (Brayan Pena…Jonathan Wong)

#5 Embrace Autism (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong)

In Friday’s fourth race, three colts, two geldings and one filly contest 4.5 panels.

The morning line favorite, Mr. T’s Thirsty, has been working at San Luis Rey training center under the care of Walther Solis. He sports a bullet gate work in March and a snappy 46 and change half mile drill on April 30. The son of $1.9 million earner and GI Travers winner Stay Thirsty is out of the 7-time winner Pebble Beach Baby, who was a minor stakes winner herself and earned 218k in prize winnings. Her only other foal was a winner at 2.

Jonathan Wong campaigns the only filly in the race, Autism Innocence, and dark bay or brown colt Heaven Shines. Both runners are sired by Grade 2 winner and first-crop stallion Stanford. Autism Innocence, 2-1 on the morning line, is out of the Grade 2 placed mare Kathleen Rose. This is her first foal to make it to the races. Heaven Shines, owned and bred by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, is out of stakes placed mare Light Up the Sky, whose three other foals have all visited the winner’s circle.

Trainer Ellen Jackson always has success with young horses. She saddles a pair of contenders in Proof of Reality and River’s Behest. Proof of Reality, by Grade I winning sprinter Idiot Proof, is out of stakes placed 397k earner Real Paranoide. As a broodmare, Real Paranoide has produced 3 winners, all who were sprinters. River’s Behest is the first foal out of a 2-time sprint winning mare. Sire Many Rivers has had much success at Golden Gate over the years and puts out plenty of babies who take to the Tapeta main track well.

U S Deputy, the final entrant in the race, is a longshot on the morning line. His dam was a 3-time sprint winner and her only foal to win, Fireitup, won a 2-year-old race at Golden Gate Fields last year. Julien Couton has the mount for trainer Dan Franko.

Race 4 on Friday (4 and a half furlongs for 2-year-olds)

#1 U S Deputy (Julien Couton…Dan Franko)

#2 Autism Innocence (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong)

#3 River’s Behest (Francisco Duran…Ellen Jackson)

#4 Mr. T’s Thirsty (William Antongeorgi III…Walther Solis)

#5 Proof of Reality (Cristobal Herrera…Ellen Jackson)

#6 Heaven Shines (Kyle Frey…Jonathan Wong)

ROMBAUER TUNING UP FOR PREAKNESS

2021 El Camino Real Derby winner Rombauer continued his preparation for the Preakness Stakes with a sharp workout last Friday at Santa Anita, completing five furlongs in a sharp 59.20 seconds. It was the second fastest of 24 drills at the distance that morning.

In the El Camino Real Derby, Rombauer was ridden by Kyle Frey. Since the Golden Gate victory, he has raced once; a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Bluegrass behind Kentucky Derby fourth place finisher Essential Quality. Rombauer earned an automatic, all-expenses paid berth into the Preakness with the El Camino Real Derby win. The El Camino Real Derby has granted the winner-as long as they are Triple Crown nominated-a free berth into the Preakness Stakes.

“He’s done everything and made a nice little progression from 2 to 3,” trainer Michael McCarthy told the Maryland Jockey Club media team on Monday. “He’s put on a little weight. He’s a horse that takes pretty good care of himself, so he’s been pretty easy that way.”

Rombauer’s preferred running style is to sit off a fast pace and make one-run in the final quarter mile or so. With Concert Tour, Caddo River and Medina Spirit all likely to enter the Preakness, it appears he will get a solid tempo to close into.

The Preakness, run next Saturday, May 15 at Pimilico, is a $1,000,000 race for 3-year-olds at one mile and three-sixteenths (9.5 furlongs).

CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:

Thursday
Race 2: Trojan Clubhouse (New trainer Reid France…new owner(s) Goat Racing Stables & France)
Race 5: Will Dancer (Owner/Trainer D. Wayne Baker)

Friday
Race 8: Sharmel (Frank Lucarelli…Richard Bachand)

Saturday
Race 4: Jungle Boy (Quinn Howey…Leon Scott)
Race 9: Forefathers Fury (Dan Markle…Sue and Tim Spooner)

Sunday
Race 9: Peggy Slew (Brendan Galvin…Richard Hall)

FINISH LINES: Jockey Kyle Frey holds a 5-win lead in the jockey standings, with 82 wins at the current Winter/Spring meet. Evin Roman (77 wins) and Irving Orozco (50) are the two closest pursuers…Jonathan Wong has pulled away in the trainer standings, with 51 wins from 187 starters. Isidro Tamayo (29 wins), Steve Sherman (23) and Tim McCanna (23) all chase in second and (adjoined) third…$28,652 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Thursday…PLEASE NOTE: first post on Thursday is 1:20 PM while Friday’s first race is scheduled to go off at approximately 1:45 PM.

STALKING SHADOW, KEEPER OFTHE STARS EXIT GOLD RUSH WEEKEND EFFORTS IN GOOD SHAPE

California Derby winner Stalking Shadow and San Francisco Mile runner-up finisher Keeper Ofthe Stars both exited their respective Gold Rush Weekend stakes races in good order, per trainer Jonathan Wong, and will target additional stakes in the coming months.

Stalking Shadow, who sat off a fast pace before running down stablemate Jimmy Irish in the California Derby, is a son of Minister’s Wild Cat owned and bred by Tom and Debi Stull of Tommy Town Thoroughbreds. The California-bred has now won 4 of 5 races this year, with 2021 earnings of $122,400.

“He knows the difference between race day and when it’s just time to breeze in the morning,” said Wong. “He’s never been a good work horse, but he is fit and happy right now. We just try to keep him that way. He’s gotten better and better.”

The May 23 Alcatraz Stakes, for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf, is a likely next spot for Stalking Shadow.

Jimmy Irish, who completed the Wong exacta in the California Derby, was healthy on Wednesday morning but will soon transfer barns.

“The owner called me last night and said [Jimmy Irish] is heading down south to Doug O’Neill’s barn,” said Wong. “He ran an impressive race [in the California Derby]. I wasn’t surprised he ran as well as he did because we had high hopes for him.”

2020 Grade I Gamely winner Keeper Ofthe Stars faced males in the marquee race on Saturday, the $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at eight furlongs on turf, and ran a bang-up second, finishing a head behind race-winner Whisper Not. She earned a 94 Beyer speed figure for her effort.

“Keeper Ofthe Stars ran great,” said Wong. “We’re really proud of her. She was pretty tired after the race. She ran hard. She’s doing well, though.”

Wong noted that Keeper Ofthe Stars is possible to defend her title in the Gamely next month, May 31, at Santa Anita.

I’M SO ANNA FINDS HER BEST STRIDE IN CAMPANILE

I’m So Anna defeated eight other rivals in the co-feature on Gold Rush Weekend Sunday, the $75,000 Campanile Stakes for California-bred or sired 3-year-old fillies at one mile. The race was originally scheduled for turf but was moved to the Tapeta after mid-morning rain hit the Bay Area.

Trained by Steve Sherman, I’m So Anna went to the lead, set solid fractional times and powered home to a convincing two and a half-length score. Kyle Frey was aboard for owner/breeder KMN Racing LLC.

“I was a little nervous when I saw the fractions,” said Sherman. “They were going quickly. I think the rain earlier in the day tightened up the track a little bit and that helped. As soon as she kicked clear [in midstretch] and nobody was really moving to her that quickly, I felt we had it.”

I’m So Anna, who won the Pike Place Dancer Stakes on turf as a 2-year-old, now sports a 3-2-2 record from 10 lifetime starts, with career earnings of $174,240. She has won both sprinting and routing.

“What’s important for [I’m So Anna] is how the race shapes out,” said Sherman. “That’s the key. She can sprint or route. She’s a filly that has natural speed. She isn’t as comfortable when she is behind horses or getting kickback. The key is…she likes to be in the clear, and when she’s in the clear she runs nice and relaxed.

She’s a racehorse,” continued Sherman. “When she won [the Pike Place Dancer], there were multiple horses running at her and she never quit. When she’s comfortable running out there, she shows a lot of heart. She tries.”

I’m So Anna may race next in the $150,000 Melair Stakes for California-bred or sired 3-year-old fillies on June 19 at Santa Anita. The Melair is run at a mile and a sixteenth on dirt. The 7-furlong, $175,000 Fleet Treat Stakes on July 23 at Del Mar is a summertime target. The Fleet Treat is also a California-bred stake.

FREY AND ROMAN WIN THREE STAKES APIECE; CONTINUE TO BATTLE FOR TOP SPOT IN JOCKEY STANDINGS

Local jockeys Kyle Frey and Evin Roman each won three stakes races on Gold Rush Weekend, cultivating fine afternoons for both riders who lead in the way in the jockey standings at Golden Gate. Heading into Thursday’s card, Frey holds a 74-73-win lead over Roman in the standings. Irving Orozco sits in third place with 45 wins.

Frey won the first stake of the weekend with Altea in the $75,000 Golden Poppy for female turf routers. Four races later, Frey picked up another victory, this time in the $75,000 California Oaks with 3-year-old filly Pizazz. His final stakes victory of the weekend came in Sunday’s $75,000 Campanile Stakes with California-bred I’m So Anna.

“It was an honor to win three stakes [last weekend],” said Frey. “I’m very grateful to the trainers and owners for the opportunity.”

“It was a terrific weekend for us,” emphasized Frey’s agent, Fernando “Shoes” Navarro. “It takes a team effort, and we really appreciate the support of everyone who gave us an opportunity. Kyle rode his [tail] off.”

Roman, who won four races on Saturday and two more on Sunday, rode both Peter Miller stakes runners to victory: Lost in the Fog winner Anyportinastorm and Silky Sullivan first place finisher None Above the Law. Roman was also aboard Stalking Shadow in the $100,000 California Derby.

“I am super happy with last week, especially since we won three stakes races,” said Roman. “I feel grateful for the opportunity that the owners and trainers gave me to ride their horses. Thanks to them, and for the hard work that is done to prepare the horses every morning. We will continue working hard to earn the trust and support of the trainers and horse owners because without them, this success would not be possible.”

For Roman’s extraordinary weekend, he was named North America’s Jockey of the Week for April 19-April 25. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockey’s Guild. Frey was also a finalist for the award this past week.

Said Leo Rodriguez, Roman’s agent: “We’re having a great meet. Thanks goes to everyone who has given us an opportunity to ride some amazing horses. Evin’s a really smart rider. He has patience and makes good decisions.”

CLAIMS REPORT
Below are a list of claims for last week:

Friday
Race 1: Hydrogen (New trainer O.J Jauregui…new owner(s) Charles Gerson and Angel Valadez)
Race 8: Nolongerahobby (Reed Saldana…Johnny Taboada)

Saturday
Race 3: Music Babe (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Sunday
Race 1: Macedonian Ruler (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 2: Flashy Pass (Angela Aquino…Ashley Garcia)
Race 2: Raelee (Jeff Metz…Saratoga West)
Race 8: Admirably (Lorenzo Ruiz,..Belico Racing LLC)
Race 8: Clem Labine (Isidro Tamayo…John Tipton)
Race 8: Square Deal (Victor Trujillo…Kenneth Seastrom and Victor Trujillo)

FINISH LINES: With a victory by Whisper Not in the San Francisco Mile, trainer Richard Baltas picked up his second consecutive win in the race. Last year, Baltas won with Neptune’s Storm…2020 Snow Chief Stakes winner Indian Peak is back in winning form. The son of Comic Strip won a second level allowance race for trainer Quinn Howey last Sunday, earning an 88 Beyer speed figure for the victory…Another stake winner, Ima Happy Cat, snapped a losing streak with a gate to wire score in Race 6 last Friday…Anyportinastorm successfully defended his title in the Lost in the Fog Stakes last Saturday, defeating seven others in a snappy 1:09.62 for three-quarters of a mile. He received a 98 Beyer. The son of City Zip won the 2019 Lost in the Fog Stakes while stabled in Northern California. Peter Miller, who trains Anyportinastorm, also won the Silky Sullivan Stakes on Sunday with None Above the Law…Hall of Fame conditioner Richard Mandella won the California Oaks trophy with 3-year-old filly Pizzazz while another Southern California trainer, Leonard Powell, sent North the biggest surprise of the weekend in Gypsy Spirit. Gypsy Spirit won the Camilla Urso Stakes for filly and mare turf sprinters and paid $62.80 for a $2 win investment…Rounding out the stakes recap, French-bred Altea beat Grade I winner and heavy favorite Red Lark in the Golden Poppy for filly and mare turf routers. Altea is trained by Michael McCarthy…$8,114 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager heading into Thursday’s program…Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 at Golden Gate on Friday…Happy birthday to trainer Dan Markle, who celebrates his birthday on Friday.

***REMEMBER TO SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWS AND NOTES FROM THURSDAY, APRIL 22 AS WELL!***

JOCKEY RICKY GONZALEZ “HAPPY TO BE BACK” AT GOLDEN GATE ON GOLD RUSH WEEKEND SATURDAY

Jockey Ricky Gonzalez moved his tack to Southern California last summer and has since held his own on the Santa Anita, Los Alamitos, and Del Mar circuit. For 25-year-old Gonzalez, nostalgia may kick in Saturday afternoon at Golden Gate Fields, where he picked up steam as a top apprentice in 2013 and 2014 before having a successful stint as a journeyman from late 2014 to last summer.

“I miss my friends [at Golden Gate],” said Gonzalez. “I’m happy to be back. It’ll be good to see everyone.”

Gonzalez hops aboard Ohio in the Grade 3, $250,000 San Francisco Mile, the marquee race of the second annual Gold Rush Weekend this Saturday and Sunday. Ohio is trained by Michael McCarthy.

“[Ohio] is a pro,” says Gonzalez. “He is easy to ride. He knows what to do.”

Ohio, a 10-year-old Brazilian-bred by Elusive Quality, sports quite the resume. In 2019, he won the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita and is the only horse in the history of Arizona horse racing to win three consecutive Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile’s. In his career, Ohio has made 11 winners circle appearances, with nine other in-the-money finishes and earnings of $639,298.

Trainer Michael McCarthy, who conditions both Ohio and another ‘Mile contender in Brown Storm, relayed that both of his entrants are doing well heading into Northern California’s premier horse race.

“Ohio is a really cool horse,” said McCarthy. “He’s 10 now and has really been a nice surprise that fell into our lap. He’s getting older and smarter and knows what his job is. It looks like he’ll get a great scenario with a projected fast pace in the race. I expect him to run well. Brown Storm is training great. Off a layoff last time out, he might have been a work or two short [to being 100% cranked up], but [jockey] John Velazquez came back after his race and said that he thought the horse ran well and could take a step forward. The way he’s training, it wouldn’t surprise me if he won.”

Gonzalez rides in three other stakes on the Saturday card. He’ll guide Grade I Del Mar Oaks winner Red Lark in the $75,000 Golden Poppy Stakes for trainer Paddy Gallagher. Gallagher and Gonzalez also team up in Race 10, the $75,000 California Oaks, with European import Styledome. Gonzalez is named on two horses in the $75,000 Camilla Urso for filly and mare turf sprinters: Sadie Bluegrass and Five Pics Please. The latter filly is on the “also eligible” list and will need two defections to draw into the main body of the field. If she does not run, then Gonzalez will be aboard Sadie Bluegrass, who made the field on entry day Wednesday.

RECENT MAIDEN WINNERS POSSESS PEDIGREE TO ENJOY ROUTING ON TURF

Amazen Grazen and Tura Lura, two fillies likely to go off at prices in Sunday’s $75,000 Campanile Stakes for California-bred or sired 3-year-old fillies, are longshots to win. That said, for some horses the light bulb turns on after a maiden victory.

Trainer Ed Moger Jr., who conditions Amazen Grazen, was positive when discussing his filly on Sunday morning during training hours.

“I’ve always liked this filly,” said Moger. “You know what? I’ve always thought she’d like going a route of ground and her pedigree says she should handle the turf. She does things the right way. It took her a few races to win but she tries hard every time and I think she’ll get better as she gets older.”  

Tim McCanna, who conditions the Idiot Proof filly Tura Lura, watched his filly break her maiden on March 26 in what was considered by many to be an upset. She beat a 4-5 favorite and a 9-5 second choice, both who dominated the wager.

“[Tura Lura] has always trained steadily,” said McCanna. “Even though her sire was a sprinter, I trained her dam, and she broke her maiden routing.”

Annie Graham, trained by Steve Miyadi, has run consistently well since moving to Golden Gate Fields from Miyadi’s Southern California string in late February.  Her dam, Rule the Storm, was a stake winner going two turns on grass at Turf Paradise, and as a broodmare has produced a half sibling, Skeeter Davis, who was a very effective turf router.

The Campanile goes as Race 9 on an 11-race card.

Race 9 on Saturday: $75,000 Campanile (California-bred or sired 3-year-old filles; one mile on turf)

#1 I’m So Anna (Jockey Kyle Frey, Trainer Steve Sherman)

#2 Squared Shady (Edwin Maldonado, Jeff Bonde)

#3 Street Dancing (Julien Couton, Dan Franko)

#4 Annie Graham (Evin Roman, Steve Miyadi)

#5 Do You Hear That (Santos Rivera, Quinn Howey)

#6 Amazen Grazen (Irving Orozco, Ed Moger Jr.)

#7 Silk Road Sally (Cristobal Herrera, Felix Rondan)

#8 Tura Lura (Armando Ayuso, Tim McCanna)

#9 Maybe I Will (Catalino Martinez, Brendan Galvin)

BERNALINHO HOPES FOR A SMOOTHER JOURNEY IN SILKY SULLIVAN STAKES

In his first start against winners on March 26, 3-year-old California-bred colt Bernalinho stumbled at the break and nearly unseated his jockey, Billy Antongeorgi III. Antongeorgi, using superb athleticism and great balance, was able to keep his seat aboard the horse.

“I was amazed Billy stayed on,” said Bernalinho’s trainer, Isidro Tamayo. “It was a heck of a recovery.”

After such a disastrous beginning, Bernalinho was somehow able to produce a strong, eye-catching move on the far turn and turning for home. He flattened out in the final furlong, understandably so, but held fourth in what really was a good effort. 

“It was just bad luck he stumbled like he did [at the start],” said Tamayo. “It was pretty impressive for him to make a move like he did and pass a few horses. There’s a chance he would have won if he broke well. He can run a little bit, for sure.”

Tamayo is hoping Bernalinho receives a better trip on Sunday in his stakes debut, the $75,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes for 3-year-old California bred or sired colts and geldings at one mile on turf. He has never tried grass before, but his stallion, Mr. Big, has produced several solid turf runners.

“Bernalinho is still learning,” said Tamayo. “He’s green and just figuring things out. But he’s getting better, and I think there’s plenty of room for him to grow.”

Race 11 on Saturday: $75,000 Silky Sullivan (California-bred or sired 3-year-olds; one mile on turf)

#1 Gallant Guy (Jockey Francisco Monroy, Trainer Reina Gonzalez)

#2 Bobby’s Alibi (Kevin Orozco, Faith Taylor)

#3 None Above The Law (Evin Roman, Peter Miller)

#4 Top Harbor (Armando Ayuso, Tim McCanna)

#5 Jimmy Blue Jeans (Assael Espinoza, Andy Mathis)

#6 Seattle Bold (Kyle Frey, Jamey Thomas)

#7 Mister Bold (Edwin Maldonado, Jeff Bonde)

#8 Bernalinho (William Antongeorgi III, Isidro Tamayo)

#9 Tacoflavoredkisses (Geovanni Franco, Andy Mathis)

#10 Positivity (Julien Couton, Paddy Gallagher)

#11 I’ll Stand Taller (Catalino Martinez, Doug O’Neill)

#12 Big Talker (Irving Orozco, Tim Yakteen)

MEDIA LINKS TO HANDICAPPING ANALYSIS

XBTV’S Jeff Siegel and 1/ST Bet’s Jeremy Plonk analyze the San Francisco Mile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsshg0Mu28o

The Daily Racing Form’s Brad Free discussing the San Francisco Mile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMWZJanu71Q

The Racing Dude’s “Magic Mike Show” analyze the All Stakes, Late Pick 4 sequence on Saturday:

Handicapper Ellis Starr Gives His Thoughts on the San Francisco Mile: https://www.americasbestracing.net/gambling/2021-keeper-ofthe-stars-can-beat-the-boys-san-francisco-mile

FINISH LINES: The Late Pick 4 sequence on both Saturday and Sunday is guaranteed at $200,000… A lengthy list of Southern California trainers sends horses to compete in stakes races throughout the weekend. Those names include Jeff Bonde, Val Brinkerhoff, Simon Callaghan, Neil Drysdale, Paddy Gallagher, Andrew Lerner, Richard Mandella, Michael McCarthy, Doug O’Neill, Peter Miller, Leonard Powell, John Sadler, and Tim Yakteen. Jockeys who travel from Santa Anita to ride: Tyler Baze, Geovanni Franco, Ricky Gonzalez, and Edwin Maldonado.

BAJA SUR VS. BETTOR TRIP NICK: ROUND 3 IN THE LOST IN THE FOG

Multiple stakes winners Baja Sur and Bettor Trip Nick have sparred in two separate Golden Gate races: the November 1 El Dorado Shooter Stakes and an allowance on April 2. The outcomes were different in each race.

In the El Dorado Shooter last fall, Bettor Trip Nick set a sizzling fast pace -21.18 for the first quarter mile and 43.56 for the second-before relinquishing the lead in upper stretch to Baja Sur. Baja Sur drew off and won the six-furlong contest by four lengths, but Bettor Trip Nick stuck around for second in what was considered by many as an admirable effort.

Fast forward five months later to the April 2 allowance affair. Baja Sur hadn’t run since the El Dorado Shooter, enjoying a nice vacation on a farm for most of the winter. Bettor Trip Nick, on the other hand, had raced twice since the El Dorado Shooter, with both runs resulting in double digit length losses over dirt courses in Southern California.

Despite the poor recent form, Bettor Trip Nick went to the front on April 2, cleared off from the competition, and defeated 3-5 favorite Baja Sur by three-quarters of a length. Sweet redemption, I suppose, but celebrations are short lived. The next race is always on the horizon.

The score is 1-1. According to trainer Blaine Wright, Baja Sur, with a race under his belt this year, is cranked up and ready to go.

“He needed his last start,” said Wright. “In my mind, I figured I’d be training him into the Lost in the Fog, but the allowance race [on April 2] filled and we decided to run him. He got a lot out of the race from a conditioning standpoint. He had a beautiful work [Sunday] morning. He worked strong. He’s ready.”

Trainer Quinn Howey, who conditions 4-year-old California-bred Bettor Trip Nick, is similarly pleased with how Bettor Trip Nick is doing heading into the Lost in the Fog.

“He worked super [Saturday] morning [a half mile in 48.20],” said Howey. “When he was in Southern California, he was in another barn and training down there. He really likes being at Golden Gate, training here and running over this track.”

Baja Sur and Bettor Trip Nick are no cinches to win. Landeskog, supplemented by trainer Doug O’Neill, placed second in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes in 2019 and could go off favored. He moves to the O’Neill barn after racing under the care of Brad Cox throughout the Midwest. 2019 Lost in the Fog Stakes winner Anyportinastorm enters for trainer Peter Miller and has shown an affinity for the Golden Gate all-weather Tapeta. California-bred Jamming Eddy comes off a runner-up finish in the Sensational Star Stakes at Santa Anita and ships in from his Southern California home base while Thanks Mr. Eidson finished third behind Grade 3 winner Gregorian Chant earlier this year and makes the trip North for trainer Jeff Bonde. On the local front, Sunset Dragunn ran a career best race for trainer Isidro Tamayo last month and enters in good form. Hardknockers El Chavo Del Ocho and Silent Movies round out the field.

Saturday’s 12 Race: The $75,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes (6 furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 Thanks Mr. Eidson (Jockey Edwin Maldonado, Trainer Jeff Bonde)

#2 Sunset Dragunn (Francisco Monroy, Isidro Tamayo)

#3 Silent Movies (Assael Espinoza, Reina Gonzalez)

#4 Bettor Trip Nick (Santos Rivera, Quinn Howey

#5 El Chavo Del Ocho (Irving Orozco, Jonathan Wong)

#6 Baja Sur (Catalino Martinez, Blaine Wright)

#7 Anyportinastorm (Evin Roman, Peter Miller)

#8 Jamming Eddy (Tyler Baze, Andrew Lerner)

#9 Landeskog (Kyle Frey, Doug O’Neill)

TRUJILLO LOOKING FOR REDEMPTION IN SAN FRANCISCO MILE WITH KIWI’S DREAM

Last year, trainer Victor Trujillo watched his gelding Kiwi’s Dream run a terrific race, only to lose by a neck to Southern California shipper Neptune’s Storm, in the San Francisco Mile. This year, Trujillo returns with Kiwi’s Dream, an Australian-bred who makes his second start of 2021 in the ‘Mile.

Kiwi’s Dream had a case of “seconditis” last year. He had to settle for the runner up spot in four separate stakes: the San Francisco Mile, The All American, The Wickerr and The Rolling Green. All four efforts were admirable tries against good company.

Heading into the 2021 edition of the San Francisco Mile, Trujillo has planted a steady series of morning drills into his stable star, including a pair of 7-furlong workouts, a bullet five-furlong drill, and a handful of sharp half-mile breezes. Working fast is not uncharacteristic of Kiwi’s Dream, however. He’s a good horse…and a front runner, too.

On Saturday, Kiwi’s Dream will have another speed foe to deal with in Diamond Blitz, a gelding who typically opens up 8 to 10 lengths early on in his races. With that in mind, the trip Kiwi’s Dream receives in the ‘Mile may not be one we’ve seen with him before.

“We’ve never seen [Kiwi’s Dream] stalking the pace in a route race,” said Trujillo. “To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what type of trip he’s going to get. I’m going to leave it up to the jockey [Irving Orozco]. He’s training well coming into this race and we have a good horse.”

Trujillo, a longtime Bay Area horseman, also saddles 3-year-old filly Liam’s Secret in the California Oaks. The daughter of Liam’s Map broke her maiden at first asking in March and enters the ‘Oaks off a third-place finish routing on turf.

“She has always showed that she could run,” said Trujillo of Liam’s Secret. “[The California Oaks] is not an easy race but we are going in as ready as we can be. She’s always done things the right way and she is training good.”

Saturday’s 9th Race: The $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile (One mile on turf)

#1 Kiwi’s Dream (Jockey Irving Orozco, Trainer Victor Trujillo)

#2 Keeper Ofthe Stars (Frank Alvarado, Jonathan Wong)

#3 Whisper Not (Geovanni Franco, Richard Baltas)

#4 Diamond Blitz (Assael Espinoza, Jesus Ramos)

#5 Ohio (Ricky Gonzalez, Michael McCarthy)

#6 Border Town (Evin Roman, Richard Mandella)

#7 Brown Storm (Kyle Frey, Michael McCarthy)

#8 Restrainedvengence (Tyler Baze, Val Brinkerhoff)

LEADING TRAINER WONG READY TO PLAY HIS HAND ON GOLD RUSH WEEKEND

Golden Gate leading trainer Jonathan Wong is coming to play on Gold Rush Weekend. On Saturday, Wong saddles 10 entrants on an 11-race card, with 6 of those runners slated to compete in stakes races.

We begin with Empire House, a 3-year-old daughter of 2003 Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker set to start in the $75,000 California Oaks. She has been well-regarded since Day 1, having been purchased as a yearling for a whopping $500,000 by Tom and Debi Stull, a.k.a. Tommy Town Thoroughbreds. In December, Empire House broke her maiden in Southern California, and has since come back to run twice against winners. Most recently, she ran a subpar seventh as the favorite in the Arizona Oaks at Turf Paradise. Don’t worry, says Wong. An excuse can be made for her “no-show.”

“There was a torrential hailstorm when we were in the paddock,” said Wong. “I don’t think she cared for the [racing surface] at all. She also broke slow and she’s one that needs to be forwardly placed, so when she got behind horses and got some dirt in her face, she said, ‘Forget about it.’ We’re going to give her another shot. We’ve always thought she’d be a route horse.”

3-year-old colt Jimmy Irish goes in the $100,000 California Derby at one-mile and a sixteenth. A $60,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland, the son of Jimmy Creed broke his maiden at first asking three weeks ago in a maiden special weight at Golden Gate, winning the race by over 3 lengths and earning a 71 Beyer speed figure for his effort.

“Jimmy Irish gets a chance against stakes company,” said Wong. “This race…it’s obviously a really tough task for him. It’ll be his first-time routing, first time against winners and only the second start of his life. It’s a lot to throw at him, but he’s handled everything well so far. He worked lights out on Friday morning [5 furlongs in 1:02.20] and we think he’s a really nice horse.”

Stalking Shadow, a 3-year-old California-bred colt fresh off an allowance victory in late March, is also entered to race in the California Derby. After much deliberation, Wong opted to bypass Sunday’s $75,000 Silky Sullivan for California-bred or sired 3-year-olds on turf.

“We don’t want to try to fix what’s not broken,” quipped Wong. “We know he likes the Tapeta. He’s never run on the turf. So, we decided to keep him on the all-weather surface for now and maybe try grass later on down the road.

Stalking Shadow is really sharp right now,” continued Wong. “The funny thing is…he’s not a good work horse. But that’s how he has been his whole life. In the afternoon, he shows up. He likes being on the outside. If he can get to the outside, he’s a different horse. [Regular rider] Evin [Roman] has figured this horse out to where he gets him to settle, puts him in a good position and then gets clear turning for home. Once you ask him down the lane, he rolls.”

Wong has a duo of contenders ready for the Camilla Urso Stakes at five panels on turf. 2020 California Oaks winner Dynasty of Her Own is the strongest entrant of the pair. She is considered the top filly and mare sprinter at Golden Gate right now, having won a pair of allowance races in impressive fashion earlier this year.

“Dynasty of Her Own is training at Santa Anita. She’s doing really well,” said Wong. “She was down south because we were debating whether to run her in the Camilla Urso or last week in the Mizdirection [Stakes at Santa Anita]. We decided to run her here. She drew a good post and should run a good race as long as she takes to the turf.”

The other Wong entrant, Sadie Bluegrass, is no slouch herself. In March, Sadie Bluegrass finished third in the Irish O’Brien Stakes behind one of the top filly and mare turf sprinters in Southern California, Leggs Galore, and wheels back in just 8 days after an easy starter allowance victory on Tapeta last week.

“Sadie Bluegrass came out of her race last week in great shape,” said Wong. “The race was sort of like a workout for her. She has good energy at the barn and seems happy. She’s a hard tryer. After this race, we’ll freshen her up before Del Mar.”

Last but not least, we get to the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, where Wong saddles 5-year-old mare Keeper Ofthe Stars against male counterparts. Last year, Keeper Ofthe Stars won the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes and Grade I Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita. Off an eighth month layoff, Keeper Ofthe Stars made her first start of the year in an allowance on April 2 and defeated Golden Poppy Stakes contender Northwest Factor.

“We were debating between running her in either the San Francisco Mile or the Gamely again,” said Wong. “Her workout last week [5 furlongs in 59.80 seconds] was one of the best works I’ve seen from her since joining my stable. She worked really, really good. She’s all class.”

Wong entered Clockstrikestwelve in the $75,000 Golden Poppy for filly and mare turf routers but will scratch in favor of the $200,000 Grade 2 Santa Margarita on dirt at Santa Anita this Saturday. Since moving to the Wong barn in August of 2020, the 5-year-old mare has won five of six starts, with her first loss coming in the Grade I Beholder Mile last month.

“We’re taking a chance down south in hopes of picking up a graded stake placing on Saturday,” said Wong.

While speaking to Wong, a tone of excitement could be heard in his voice.

“It’s pretty cool for Golden Gate to have a big weekend like this,” said Wong. “Hopefully we can get lucky. It’s always fun to win a big race in your hometown. And if we were to win the San Francisco Mile, it would be a dream come true. I’m a Northern California guy and have always liked this race. It’s a prestigious race and good horses and good trainers always show up.”

Saturday’s 7th Race: The $75,000 Golden Poppy Stakes (One mile and a sixteenth on turf)

#1 Northwest Factor (Irving Orozco, Manny Badilla)

#2 Colonial Creed (Edwin Maldonado, Richard Baltas)

#3 Guitty (Tyler Baze, Leonard Powell)

#4 Sloane Garden (Frank Alvarado, Manny Badilla)

#5 Altea (Kyle Frey, Michael McCarthy)

#6 Red Lark (Ricky Gonzalez, Paddy Gallagher)

#7 Clockstrikestwelve (Evin Roman, Jonathan Wong)

Saturday’s 11th Race: The $75,000 Camilla Urso Stakes (Five furlongs on the turf)

#1 Square Peggy (Santos Rivera, Quinn Howey)

#2 Storming Lady (Tyler Baze, Alfredo Marquez)

#3 Red Livy (Ryan Barber, Salvador Naranjo)

#4 Sadie Bluegrass (Ricky Gonzalez, Jonathan Wong)

#5 Gypsy Spirit (Edwin Maldonado, Leonard Powell)

#6 Nardini (Irving Orozco, Andy Mathis)

#7 Dynasty Of Her Own (Evin Roman, Jonathan Wong)

#8 Bohemian Bourbon (Kyle Frey, Michael McCarthy)

#9 Gotham Desire (Assael Espinoza, Ed Moger Jr.)

#10 Acting Out (William Antongeorgi III, Art Sherman)

Also Eligibles

#11 Habobanero (Francisco Monroy, Reina Gonzalez)

#12 Gayles Evening (Kyle Frey, Jamey Thomas)

#13 Five Pics Please (Ricky Gonzalez, John Sadler)

#14 Lotsa Pepper (Anne Sanguinetti, Manny Badilla)

JAUREGUI LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IDA CLAIRE AND TESORO AGAINST STAKES COMPANY

On Wednesday morning, trainer O.J. Jauregui was in Florida inspecting potential stars of the future-2-year-olds-to purchase at the 2021 Ocala Sale. By Saturday, he’ll be back in the racing scene, saddling two current stable stars in the $100,000 California Derby and the $75,000 California Oaks.

Jauregui’s Tesoro, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Anchor Down purchased for $75,000 as a 2-year-old, has taken an unconventional path to the California Derby. In his career debut on January 24, he hit the wire first in what was a gutsy effort.

But wait. Hold all tickets.

Minutes after unofficially breaking his maiden, he was disqualified for drifting out and interfering with another rival in midstretch.

Jauregui and owners Glen Road Racing LLC, Highland Yard LLC, Ben Raygoza and Arthur Spencer opted to try Tesoro in the El Camino Real Derby (still a maiden, remember.) That day, he missed the break and lost all chance at that point.

“He didn’t show us his best in the El Camino Real Derby, but the start didn’t help,” said Jauregui. “I see it as a toss-out race.”

Tesoro dropped back down to maiden special weight company in his most recent start, on March 12, and scored a gate to wire victory with leading GGF jockey Kyle Frey aboard. Frey retains the mount in the California Derby. Since then, Tesoro has posted three workouts in preparation for Saturday’s ‘Derby.

“Tesoro is doing fine,” said Jauregui. “After his maiden win, he got a little sick, but it was nothing major and he bounced back really quickly. He had a nice breeze [6 furlongs in 1:14.60] the other morning and galloped out good. He’s developing and getting better.”

3-year-old filly Ida Claire, purchased for $60,000 by owner Highland Yard LLC last year, has made a favorable impression amongst race watchers. She ran a very respectable second in her career debut, a one-mile route race on Tapeta in March, and returned one month later on April Fool’s Day to win an eight-furlong turf route. Her effort was no joke (yes, pun intended.)

“Ida Clare is a pretty nice filly,” said Jauregui. “Her [Equibase] speed figure on turf was actually lower when she won than in her synthetic race where she lost. I think she can run well on either surface. She got a little tired in her first start and got a lot out of it. She moved forward in her maiden win.”

Jauregui noted that neither the California Derby or California Oaks is an easy race, but that taking a step up in class and facing tough company isn’t always a bad thing.

“When you put the horses in races like these, it can teach you what you have,” said Jauregui. “There are some nice races at Del Mar this summer that might fit horses like Tesoro and Ida Claire. These types of races, for horses like them, give us a good idea where we stand.”

Saturday’s 10th Race: The $75,000 California Oaks (One mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta)

#1 Risen Lady (William Antongeorgi III, Michael McCarthy)

#2 Joymaker (Alejandro Gomez, Quinn Howey)

#3 A Real Hero (Tyler Baze, Michael McCarthy)

#4 Styldome (Ricky Gonzalez, Paddy Gallagher)

#5 Ida Claire (Irving Orozco, O.J Jauregui)

#6 Liam’s Secret (Assael Espinoza, Victor Trujillo)

#7 Pizzazz (Kyle Frey, Richard Mandella)

#8 Miss Peaky Blinder (Edwin Maldonado, Neil Drysdale)

#9 Empire House (Catalino Martinez, Jonathan Wong)

#10 Misty Cat (Cristobal Herrera, Dan Franko)

#11 Freedom Flyer (Evin Roman, Simon Callaghan)

Saturday’s 8th Race: The $100,000 California Derby (One mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta)

#1. Lost In Space (Tyler Baze, Simon Callaghan)

#2 Jimmy Irish (Armando Ayuso, Jonathan Wong)

#3. Parnelli (Edwin Maldonado, John Shirreffs)

#4. Twilight Rider (Irving Orozco, Blaine Wright)

#5. Stalking Shadow (Evin Roman, Jonathan Wong)

#6. Govenor’s Party (Cristobal Herrera, Dan Franko)

#7. Tesoro (Kyle Frey, O.J. Jauregui)

#8. Omph (Frank Alvarado, Quinn Howey)

LATE PICK 4 POOLS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY GUARANTEED AT $200,000

Golden Gate Fields racing officials announced Sunday morning that the bayside racecourse will guarantee the Late Pick 4 pools on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 at $200,000. The Late Pick 4 sequence consists of the last four races every day and is a 50-cent minimum bet. Gold Rush Weekend, a 2-day festival, features 8-stakes races; a half dozen on Saturday and two more on Sunday.

“We are expecting a terrific weekend of racing all around,” said Golden Gate Fields General Manager and Vice President David Duggan. “We truly appreciate the support of our horseplayers worldwide and very much look forward to providing them with an excellent product to watch and wager on next weekend. With that, we have guaranteed our Late Pick 4 pools on Saturday [April 24] and Sunday [April 25] at $200,000. Our inaugural Gold Rush Weekend in 2019 was a success and we are equally excited about this year’s event.”

Saturday’s Late Pick 4 order is an “All Stakes” sequence. It begins with Race 9, the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile. The California Oaks goes as Race 10, with a strong field of 11 assembled. A full field will sprint five furlongs in Race 11, The Camilla Urso Stakes for fillies and mares on grass, and the Lost in the Fog Stakes attracted 9 male sprinters in what should be an epic nightcap to end the racing day.

On Sunday, the co-featured Silky Sullivan and Campanile Stakes are part of another stellar Late Pick 4 sequence. The Silky Sullivan, for 3-year-old California-bred or sired colts and geldings, goes as the last of 11 races and drew a full field of 12. The Campanile, for California-bred or sired fillies, drew 9 and runs as the 9th race. A claiming sprint kicks off the Late Pick 4 in Race 8, with 11 entered, and Race 10 is a second level allowance with 10 horses set to enter the starting gate.

CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:

Friday
Race 2: Irish Declaration (New trainer Mike Lenzini…new owner John Parker)
Race 2: Silver Fury (Mike Lenzini…Stephen Post)
Race 6: Please Me (Dan Markle…Bruce Cudahy)
Race 7: Novella (Mark Glatt…William Branch)
Race 8: Bold Roman (Owner/Trainer Arturo Williams)

Saturday
Race 2: Incredibly Lucky (Jeff Metz…Horseplayers Racing Club)
Race 9: Maycee Jo (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Sunday
Race 9: Sizzling Indian (Owner/Trainer Sergio Morfin)

FINISH LINES: Last Saturday, 4-year-old gelding Night Gig won a starter allowance sprint race. Just one race later, older brother Union Dance (a 5-year-old gelding) won the allowance one-mile feature. Both horses are trained by Isidro Tamayo and owned by John Molloy. Timothy Francis O’Leary, who owns a share of Night Gig, bred both horses and owns the dam, the Street Sense mare Night Dance…Also on Saturday, fledgling trainer Reid France scored his first 3-win day since going out on his own. The former assistant to longtime Bay Area horseman John Martin won Races 2,4, and 6…The Golden Pick Six jackpot was hit last Saturday for a whopping $135,220.02! Heading into the Friday program, there is a $4,462 carryover in the ‘jackpot pool…Race 3 at Golden Gate Fields on Friday is Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager this week.

FANS RETURN TO THE RACES BEGINNING FRIDAY

Welcome back, fans! We missed you! Beginning this Friday, Golden Gate Fields is pleased and excited to offer admission to fans on a limited capacity basis. Friday marks the first afternoon since March of 2020 that fans will be able to view the races trackside.

Fans must reserve tickets online at Goldengatefields.com. There will be no walk-up or general admission tickets sold. To go to the tickets page and read our health and safety information page, please use the following link: https://goldengatefields.com/events/tickets/#.YHe_RBNKjUp.

“We are delighted to be able to welcome racing fans back to Golden Gate Fields,” said Vice President and General Manager David Duggan. “Our team has worked tirelessly and in collaboration with the officials from the Berkeley Health Division to plan for the reopening of Golden Gate Fields to the public. It is our goal to deliver a world-class Thoroughbred racing meet for our guests and the community in a safe and memorable way.”

The Turf Club Restaurant and simulcast facilities will remain closed until further notice. Contactless wagering is encouraged through the 1/ST BET app, though the track will have a select amount of betting windows and tellers available on-site. Contactless food and beverage options are available through the GoTab app, with an in-seat delivery service provided for all food and beverage concessions.

FRIDAY’S STRONACH 5 ENDS WITH RACES 3 AND 4 AT GOLDEN GATE

The growingly popular Stronach 5 wager, an industry-low 12% takeout bet, is featured every Friday. The wager is a Pick 5 sequence, with all five races in the lineup coming from 1/ST owned racetracks (Golden Gate, Gulfstream, Laurel Park, Pimlico, and Santa Anita). This week, two Golden Gate races are featured in the sequence.

Race 3 on Friday, Leg D (the second to last leg) of the Stronach 5, drew a full field of 12. The 5-furlong sprint on Tapeta is for maiden 8k claimers. The morning-line favorite at 5-2, Winning Appeal, breaks from post position 8 and comes off a runner-up effort as the odds-on favorite at this condition last month. Evin Roman retains the mount for trainer Ed Moger Jr. Other main contenders include Hematite, who ran third behind Winning Appeal last time out, the Blaine Wright trained pair of Wahasha and Don’t Rub It, and class dropper Silver Lyric. Two first-time starters are also entered: Lil Tinker for trainer Bill Delia and Lovely Hussar from the Steve Sherman barn.

Race 4, Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5, is a claiming race for routers on turf at one mile. The French-bred Blackout makes his first start for the Steve Miyadi barn and gets significant class relief after a handful of subpar efforts against tough claiming company at Santa Anita. Trainer Jonathan Wong saddles a duo of contenders in lone speed possibility Pioneeerofthestorm, who comes off a victory on March 19, and Tyler’s Tek, who gets back to his favorite surface after spending the winter at Sam Houston Racecourse in Texas. Friendly Outthedor is another who will enjoy getting back to grass-two of his three-lifetime wins have come over the surface-while Implicitly makes his first start since being reclaimed by trainer Tim McCanna. A field of eight go postward at approximately 3:00 PM PT.

The Stronach Five sequence this Friday goes as follows:

Leg A: Gulfstream Park Race 7 (approximate post time: 4:18 PM ET/1:18 PM PT)
Leg B: Gulfstream Park Race 8 (approximate post time: 4:40 PM ET/1:40 PM ET)
Leg C: Gulfstream Park Race 9 (approximate post time: 5:22 PM/2:22 PM PT)
Leg D: Golden Gate Race 3 (approximate post time 5:27 PM ET/2:27 PM PT)
Leg E: Golden Gate Race 4 (approximate post time 6:00 PM ET/3:00 PM PT)

CADMAN, JAIME SET TO SPICE UP GOLD RUSH WEEKEND TV COVERAGE NEXT WEEK

Well-respected TV talent Zoe Cadman and Joaquin Jaime will be on-site covering live racing throughout Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25. Gold Rush Weekend, the biggest racing weekend of the year in the Bay Area, features eight stakes races-six on Saturday and two more on Sunday. Nominations for all eight stakes’ will be released on Friday, with entries for Saturday the 24th to be drawn next Wednesday. Entries for Sunday the 25th will be taken on Thursday.

Cadman, a regular on 1/st Technology’s XBTV and the Santa Anita simulcast feed, will join the Golden Gate feed throughout the racing weekend, giving pre-race analysis and interviews by the paddock. Cadman, a horsewoman from a young age that rode as a jockey at Hawthorne and Arlington Park in the early 2000s, has been doing broadcasting work since her retirement from riding.

Joaquin Jaime, also scheduled to make the trip north from his Southern California home base, will be featured on TVG’s on-site coverage of Gold Rush Weekend. Jaime reported for TVG during Golden Gate’s inaugural Gold Rush Weekend in 2019, and most recently worked on-site at this year’s El Camino Real Derby, won by Rombauer.

CLAIMS REPORT
Below are a list of claims from last week:

Thursday
No claims

Friday
Race 3: Bee Einstein (New trainer Jonathan Wong…new owner MJVET Stables and Pewtherer)
Race 4: Fort York (Tim McCanna…John Feddema)
Race 6: Empressive Cat (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 6: Raiderette (Jonathan Wong…Aaron Pewtherer)

Saturday
No claims

Sunday
Race 4: My Sunshine (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 7: Southern Venture (Owner/Trainer Dan Franko)

FINISH LINES: Kyle Frey (with 66 wins at the current meet) has a 3-win lead over Evin Roman in the jockey standings…Jonathan Wong continues to pave the way in the trainer standings with 40 victories, 19 more than Isidro Tamayo…In Race 4 on Saturday, 3-year-old gelding Imissbaymeadows makes his third lifetime start for Southern California trainer Dan Blacker and owner/breeder Harris Farms. He seeks his first career victory. Wouldn’t that be fitting if he were to break his maiden in the Bay Area…2-year-old horses are on the grounds at Golden Gate and several of them have already posted workouts. One that has an intriguing pedigree: Lady’s Sermon, a daughter of 5-time stakes winner Lady Railrider…Happy birthday to trainer Jose Puentes and jockey agent Fernando “Shoes” Navarro, who celebrate their birthdays within the next week…$95,968 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Friday while the Super Hi 5 wager has a carryover of $8,461 heading into the next race on Friday in which there are 7 or more starters.

TRAINER MEIER PRODUCES WITH PRICES

Two “off-the-claim” acquisitions by trainer Monty Meier won for the barn in Race 8 on Friday and Race 9 on Saturday, completing a 75%-win rate for the Meier Stable last week. Both horses left the gate as longshots.

On Friday, Meier scored with 60-1 shocker Coolcross in the nightcap. The race, for 3-year-olds old and upward which had never won two races, was run at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. The son of Northern Causeway was making his career debut on grass while also going a route of ground for the first time, and was claimed out of a race in January by Meier and owners Brown Cattle Incorporated and William Branch for $12,500.

“One of the co-owners, Brown Cattle [Incorporated], likes having route horses,” said Meier. “In the sprint races [Coolcross] was in, he just didn’t seem to have the kick to keep up. He’s a big, strong horse that has a long stride and we felt now was the time to try him going long. We thought he would stay on a little better in a route race.”

Friday’s victory with Coolcross was extra special for Meier, who was celebrating his 63rd birthday that day.

“It was a good birthday present,” quipped Meier.

The last time Meier won a race on his birthday? Well, it happened once on April 2, 1984 at Sportsman’s Park in Chicago. Meier, a jockey for 12 years before training racehorses, rode 6-year-old gelding Buffalo Ridge to victory in a sprint race. The purse was $4,500.

Meier picked up a second level allowance victory on Saturday with 9-1 shot Harmon. Harmon, claimed by Meier and owner Donna Perrone for $32,000 one race earlier, was taking a bump up in class in his first start for the new barn.

“We watched some of his races before we claimed him,” said Meier. “We knew he liked the Tapeta. [As a yearling] he was purchased for $500,000, so someone obviously thought highly of him at one time. [Sunday’s] race was against a tough field and we thought he’d run well, but we would have been happy if he ran second or third. When he won, we were pleasantly surprised…and obviously very excited. He’s 4 for 6 on Tapeta now. We’ll keep him where he’s at [on Tapeta].”

Meier, a lifelong horseman, has been in the racing game for decades. After finishing his career as a professional jockey, Meier worked under Vincent Timphony, who race fans know as the trainer of the very first Breeders Cup Classic winner, Wild Again. Before going out on his own in 2009, Meier was an assistant for trainers Kathy Walsh and Brian Koriner.

BIG DUKE CONTINUES TO PROSPER, FACES SIX OTHERS IN THURSDAY FEATURE

A $1,200 purchase at the 2019 CTBA Northern California sale, 3-year-old colt Big Duke has won four of eight career races, with two other second-place finishes and career earnings of $100,800. Talk about a bargain buy.

This year alone, Big Duke has already won a pair of allowance races. He seeks to extend the streak to three in Thursday’s featured sixth race, a five-and-one-half furlong allowance for 3-year-old colts and geldings. Big Duke, a California-bred son of Phantom Wildcat, is owned by Derrick Hesselein, Juan Munoz, William Rainford, and David Williams.

So how did trainer Sergio Ledezma, Derrick Hesselein and company pick out Big Duke at the 2019 CTBA Sale?

“I picked [Big Duke] out, actually,” said Hesselein. “I learned a lot about confirmation from Sergio and [trainer] Jeff Bonde. Having the information they taught me, I’m looking at all the stock coming through and I see [Big Duke]. His confirmation-everything looks good-his neck, his hip, his shoulder. He’s solid underneath. I figured he would sell for somewhere between $10,000 and $15,000. He comes through at $1,200 and I started to feel a little unsure because it’s like, ‘Why am I so excited about this horse but nobody else is?’ I don’t have the depth that all these horsemen and trainers have that are standing next to me. We scooped him up for $1,200.”

Hesselein was quick to praise Ledezma for his training job with Big Duke.

“Sergio is a good horseman and he’s very honest,” said Hesselein. “He’s also very patient. He does not rush anything. He gives the horses the time they need to grow. Sergio has done a really, really good job developing [Big Duke].”

When asked about what makes Big Duke special, Hesselein was also prompt in his response.

“You know what? He just tries. No matter what, he just tries,” said Hesselein. “He never quits. He has far exceeded our expectations. We love this horse.”

The feature race on Friday features several other interesting horses with intriguing handicapping angles. Lightinthedarkness returns to the races for the Jonathan Wong barn with fast morning drills leading up to his 2021 debut. In his only career start last year, the Tommy Town Thoroughbreds homebred broke his maiden by 7 and a half lengths at Pleasanton.

The top two finishers in last summer’s Everett Nevin Stakes at Pleasanton, Top Harbor and Tom’s Song, have not made an afternoon appearance since the aforementioned race and return as newly turned 3-year-olds. Top Harbor, by Harbor the Gold out of 5-time stakes winner Reba Is Tops, won the Everett Nevin by a half-length over Tom’s Song, a Steve Specht trainee who won the first 2-year-old maiden special weight of 2020 at Golden Gate last May. Top Executive, yet another who makes his 3-year-old debut off a layoff, won the King County Stakes at Emerald Downs for trainer Blaine Wright last year and enters the Thursday feature with a steady series of workouts.

Rocktillyoudrop began his career at Golden Gate under the care of Bill Delia and broke his maiden at first asking. He was then privately purchased out of the race by trainer Peter Miller and owner Gary Barber. The son of Smiling Tiger returns to where his career began. Starter allowance winner Rousing Slammer, who finished fourth at this condition last time out, rounds out the field.

Race 6 (Allowance for 3-year-olds at five and a half furlongs)
1.) Tom’s Song (Jockey Frank Alvarado, Trainer Steve Specht)
2.) Top Harbor (Irving Orozco, Tim McCanna)
3.) Rocktilyoudrop (Evin Roman, Peter Miller)
4.) Lightinthedarkness (Brayan Pena, Jonathan Wong)
5.) Rousing Slammer (D.C. Lopez, Steve Specht)
6.) Top Executive (Kevin Orozco, Blaine Wright)
7.) Big Duke (Kyle Frey, Sergio Ledezma)

NOMINATIONS FOR GOLD RUSH WEEKEND STAKES CLOSE NEXT WEEK

Gold Rush Weekend is right around the corner! Gold Rush Weekend, to be run on Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25, is the biggest Northern California horse racing event of the year and features top-class Bay Area horses and stakes caliber Southern California shippers in eight stakes races spanning two days.

For horsemen to nominate their horse(s) to any of the half-dozen stakes on Saturday, April 24, they must do so by Thursday, April 15. To nominate to the pair of California-bred stakes on Sunday, April 25, horsemen have until Friday, April 16 to do so.

Nominations Close for the following races on Thursday, April 15:
• $75,000 California Oaks (One mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta for 3-year-old fillies)
• $75,000 Golden Poppy (One mile and a sixteenth on turf for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and upward)
• $75,000 Camilla Urso (Five furlongs on turf for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and upward)
• $75,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes (Six furlongs on Tapeta for 3-year-olds and upward)
• $100,000 California Derby (One mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta for 3-year-olds)
• $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile (One mile on turf for 3-year-olds and upward)

Nominations close for the follow races on Friday, April 16:
• $75,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes (One mile on the turf for California-bred or California-sired 3-year-olds)
• $75,000 Campanile Stakes (One mile on the turf for California-bred or California-sired 3-year-old fillies)

CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:

Thursday
Race 2: Hydrogen (New trainer Isidro Tamayo…new owner Keron Thomas)
Race 4: Sharmel (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)
Race 6: Raging Waters (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Friday
Race 2: Kate Boss (Rene Amescua…Richard Barton)
Race 7: Perfect Wager (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)

Saturday
Race 5: Thrill’s Legacy (Owner/Trainer Victor Trujillo)
Race 7: Argosy Fleet (Salvador Naranjo…Silvia Soto)

Sunday
Race 8: Maggie’s Magic (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)
Race 9: Quick and Dirty (Jamey Thomas…Rob Smolich and Jamey Thomas)

FINISH LINES: Not something you see often: In Race 8 last Saturday, 5 of the 6 entrants (Keeper ofthe Stars, Northwest Factor, Heathers Grey, Babe Didrikson, and Getting Sideways) were gray or roan mares. The only runner in the race who did not sport a gray or roan coat, Sloane Garden, was a chestnut. She ran third…Kyle Frey has made the most trips to the winners circle out of any jockey this meet with 63 victories. Evin Roman sits in second with 56 wins while Irving Orozco is third with 39 first place finishes…Per Gary Dougherty of Racing Stats and Info on Twitter, Kyle Frey holds the fifth-highest win percentage of all riders across the country in the month of March (31.9%)..Jonathan Wong has posted the most wins out of any trainer with 37 victories. Steve Specht holds second place with 20 wins and Tim McCanna rounds out the top three with 19…Happy birthday to Golden Gate cameraman Art Pangelina, who celebrates his birthday today…$64,696 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager heading into Thursday’s card…Leg E of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 at Golden Gate this Friday.

BERKELEY, CA – Golden Gate Fields has announced the reopening of the racetrack to a limited capacity of fans starting on Friday, April 16, for the remainder of the Winter/Spring Meet that runs through to June 13. The limited capacity reopening is scheduled one week before Gold Rush Weekend, the Bay Area’s marquee Thoroughbred horse racing event of the year. Gold Rush Weekend will run April 24-25 and features eight graded stakes races including the prestigious Grade III $250,000 San Francisco Mile.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, fans will be required to reserve tickets for the duration of the Winter/Spring Meet and for Gold Rush Weekend online. General Admission and walk-ups are not permitted at this time. Fans are encouraged to sign-up online at www.goldengatefields.com to be the first to receive notification when tickets go on sale.

“We are delighted to be able to welcome racing fans back to Golden Gate Fields”, said David Duggan, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Golden Gate Fields. “Our team has worked tirelessly and in collaboration with the officials from the Berkeley Public Health Division to plan for the reopening of Golden Gate Fields to the public. It is our goal to deliver a world-class Thoroughbred racing meet for our guests and the community in a safe and memorable way.”

Since the outset of the pandemic, 1/ST and Golden Gate Fields have implemented stringent, industry-leading COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Reopening protocols for the Winter/Spring Meet will include social distancing, mandatory masking when not actively eating or drinking, contactless thermal temperature scanning, accessible hand sanitization stations and enhanced cleaning throughout the facility. For more information on the health and safety protocols at Golden Gate Fields, please visit www.goldengatefields.com/Covid-19.

Berkeley Public Health Division and their operating partner Curative have used the large north side parking lot at Golden Gate Fields for priority tier-based vaccinations for Alameda County residents since February. Those who work on the backstretch at Golden Gate Fields and categorized in the agricultural priority tier were also eligible to receive the vaccine.

“Since the initial COVID-19 outbreak on our campus, we have successfully and sustainably reduced COVID-19 transmission to zero, minimized morbidity and proactively promoted vaccination of our community,” said Dr. David Seftel, MD, Track Physician, Golden Gate Fields. “Thanks to the efforts of the Berkeley Public Health Division and Curative, I am pleased that all of those who work on the backstretch and the employees at Golden Gate Fields have been fully vaccinated.”

While the track will reopen to fans in limited capacity for live racing, the Turf Club Restaurant and simulcast facilities will remain closed until further notice.

Contactless wagering can be enjoyed regardless of where fans are viewing the races with handicapping tools available on the 1/ST BET app, the official betting app of Golden Gate Fields. Part of the 1/ST TECHNOLOGY suite of handicapping and betting products, 1/ST BET is changing the game by delivering a user-friendly experience that suits everyone from the experienced horseplayer to the first-timer.

To stay up-to-date and for information regarding when tickets go on sale, please sign up below.

SHERMAN BARN SHINES IN WIN-FILLED RACING WEEK

Trainer Steve Sherman and his team had an unbelievable span of wins last week, picking up 7 first-place finishes from 13 starters. Among the accomplishments: a pair of three-win days on Thursday and Sunday, and a feature-race victory on Saturday with stakes-winning sprinter Hollywood Hills.

On Thursday, Sherman won a trio of races: Race 1 with Palm D’Oro, Race 5 with Crack a Cold One, and Race 7 with Cutetip. Sherman mentioned that Palm D’Oro, who was previously trained by his father Art, was an especially fun horse to win with.

“It’s always fun to work with my dad,” said Sherman. “I was his assistant for many years when he was training up here. We must’ve won a couple thousand races together and over the years we were lucky enough to take care of some really nice horses. My dad is a pure racetracker. He loves the game and loves training. He’s been doing it for over 60 years. He thought [Palm D’Oro] would need some class relief and figured coming up here would help her.”

Sherman won the feature race on Saturday, a second level allowance for filly and mare sprinters, with 5-year-old mare Hollywood Hills. The George Krikorian homebred has shown an affinity for the Golden Gate Tapeta main track, having now won six times from 10 starts, with three other in-the-money finishes over the surface.

“She really likes being [at Golden Gate],” said Sherman. “She has a great record on the Tapeta. I think she likes it up here and enjoys training up here. We’re going to run her next in the Camilla Urso Stakes on turf [on Saturday, April 24]. There’s always a lot of speed in those turf sprints so she’ll get a pace to run at and she ran a really good second in a stake on turf as a 3-year-old at Santa Anita, so the surface won’t be an issue.”

On Sunday, Sherman saddled three runners and won with all of them. Counting Cards, a 4-year-old gelding trying routing for the first time, bumped up from maiden claiming company to the maiden special weight ranks and scored an upset in Race 3, defeating a pair of even money co-favorites. Class-dropper Grinningeartoear beat a salty group of higher-level, hard-knocking claimers in Race 8, and Mecklenburg picked up his second win in a row in the nightcap, a first-level allowance.

“I figured Counting Cards would like routing because I haven’t seen a lot of giddy-up in his step when he works,” said Sherman. “I thought routing would be a lot easier on him and he’d stay on well, which he did. Grinningeartoear breezed really well in her final workout before her race and I thought she had a big chance to win as long as she took to the Tapeta.”

“Mecklenberg] is really improving,” continued Sherman. “You can just see him getting better and better. The main thing with him is getting him to settle. We have a little trouble with him into the first turn-he gets keen early on in his races. If we can get him to settle on the first turn like he does on the backside and the far turn, I think he’s going to be good. He’s got sneaky good breeding to be a good horse. We’ll run him in a second condition [allowance] next time at the end of April.”

When asked about his overall thoughts on last week’s success, Sherman was quick to answer the question.

“Things fell into place,” said Sherman. “As a trainer, you might think you have ‘live horses’ in races, but a lot of things come into play to actually win. You have to get lucky sometimes. This week, everything went really well. We got good post positions, we got good trips, the riders put up good rides and the horses ran their best.”

TURF RACING RESUMES ON THURSDAY

With the 2021 spring season well underway, turf racing will be back in play at Golden Gate beginning Thursday afternoon. A pair of turf races present themselves on Thursday and, on Friday, three more turf routes are scattered throughout an 8-race card. Two of the three Friday turf events have attracted double digit entrants (10 and 11, respectively) while the third route has nine.

Every year, Bay Area racing is run solely on Tapeta from January to early April. The hiatus in grass racing is for a couple of reasons. The Bay Area, for one, typically produces the most rain during the winter months. It also allows the track maintenance crew a chance to renovate and freshen up the course for the second half of the year.

“We’re going to move the [inner] rail as much as we can to keep the course fresh,” said Director of Racing/Racing Secretary Patrick Mackey. “We are also limiting the number of turf sprints this month and will gradually get back into writing more of those races as our meeting progresses.”

Horseplayers, as we know, are always game to play turf racing. With that in mind, riders of our equine athletes are equally delighted to ride in races over the grass. One of them is Kyle Frey, who leads the way in the jockey standings with 56 wins at the current meeting.

“I’m excited to get back to turf racing,” said Frey. “I look forward to seeing some of my horses improve on the turf. The turf looks beautiful right now and they’ve done a really good job getting it ready for this meet.”

Jockey William Antongeorgi III, who won the San Francisco Mile last year aboard Neptune’s Storm, echoed Frey’s message on the condition of the course.

“The turf course looks great from what I can see,” said Billy. “Hopefully getting back to turf brings in some good competition. The course here plays fair; horses can win from well off of it, wire-to-wire, stalking, mid-pack. Anybody can win.”

Jockey Irving Orozco, like his fellow riders, also expressed eagerness to get back to the grass course.

“I’m really excited to get back to turf racing,” said Orozco. “Some of the horses, they find their best stride on the grass. The [Golden Gate Fields turf] course reminds me of a European-style turf track because the grass is a little bit longer. I’ve had some good success on this course in recent years and it’ll be fun to get back out there.”

GRADE I WINNER KEEPER OFTHE STARS MAKES 2021 DEBUT IN SATURDAY FEATURE

5-year-old mare Keeper Ofthe Stars makes her 2021 debut in Race 8 on Saturday, an allowance race for fillies and mares at one mile and a sixteenth on turf. The daughter of Midnight Lute won the Grade I Gamely at Santa Anita last May and has not competed in the afternoon since a pair of off-the-board finishes last summer.

“She’s a classy mare,” said trainer Jonathan Wong. “This is a good prep for a stake race next time. I think she’ll get a lot out of this race conditioning wise.”

Before the aforementioned Grade I score, Keeper Ofthe Stars won two other stakes races: The Grade 3 Autumn Miss in 2019 and the Grade 2 Beuna Vista in February of last year. In June of 2019, Keeper Ofthe Stars won an allowance race at Golden Gate and broke the track record that day, stopping the clock for 8.5 furlongs on turf in 1:40.55 seconds. The record still stands today.

Keeper Ofthe Stars, owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, will be guided by jockey Evin Roman for the first time. Other major players entered in Race 8 are Sloane Garden, winner of the Luther Burbank Stakes and Golden Poppy Stakes last year, multiple stakes-placed mare Heathers Grey, and multiple second-level allowance winner Northwest Factor.

10 races are scheduled for Saturday, with first post at the normal 1:20 PM time slot.

Race 8: Allowance for fillies and mares (one mile and a sixteenth on turf)

#1 Babe Didrikson (Jockey Alejandro Gomez, Trainer Jose Bautista)

#2 Sloane Garden (Frank Alvarado, Manny Badilla)

#3 Heathers Grey (Kyle Frey, Sean McCarthy)

#4 Gettin Sideways (Santos Rivera, Dan Markle)

#5 Keeper Ofthe Stars (Evin Roman, Jonathan Wong)

#6 Northwest Factor (Irving Orozco, Manny Badilla)

CLAIMS REPORT

Below are a list of claims from last week:

Thursday
Race 3: Bigfoot City (New trainer Tim McCanna…New owner Royal Victory Thoroughbreds LLC)
Race 4: Four O’Five (Terry Johnson…Laurie Johnson)
Race 5: Crack a Cold One (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing, Cynthia Kahuanui & Kim Medearis)
Race 5: Surprise Fashion (Angelo Tekos Jr…Steve Dietrich)

FRIDAY
No claims

Saturday
No claims

Sunday
Race 1: Dark Saber (Salvador Naranjo…Silvia Soto)
Race 1: Final Rose (Blaine Wright…Wright Racing Stable and Steve Meme)
Race 2: Union Smartie (Frank Lucarelli…William Meikle)
Race 8: Persuasive Lips (Tim Bellasis…O’Gorman, O’Gorman, Tschanz and Bellasis)
Race 9: More Power to Him (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing)

FINISH LINES: 2021 El Camino Real Derby winner Rombauer runs in the $800,000 Grade 2 Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland this Saturday. Trainer Michael McCarthy employs jockey Florent Geroux to ride from post position 5…2020 Snow Chief Stakes winner Indian Peak has been transferred back to trainer Quinn Howey after a stint in Southern California with conditioner Brian Koriner. He competes at Golden Gate in Race 9 on Saturday, a second-level allowance. Among the main contenders entered are Southern California stakes winner Encoder, Cono (a half-sibling to Rombauer), stakes-placed gelding and recent allowance winner Sacred Rider, and stakes winner American Farmer…Newly turned 3-year-old colt Top Harbor returns to the races for trainer Tim McCanna on Saturday in the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for California-breds at Santa Anita. As a 2-year-old, Top Harbor won the Everett Nevin Stakes at Pleasanton and has been working steadily at Golden Gate in preparation for his 3-year-old debut. Top Harbor is out of the stakes-winning mare Reba Is Tops, who has produced 5 winners from 5 foals…Trainer Steve Sherman sends out 2020 Pike Place Dancer Stakes winner I’m So Anna in the $150,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds fillies at Santa Anita on Saturday….Also entered in the Evening Jewel is Maybe I Will, conditioned by Brendan Galvin. The California-bred daughter of Will Take Charge tries stakes company after a decisive allowance win at Golden Gate three weeks ago…Happy birthday to trainer Ed Moger Jr., who celebrates his birthday on Monday…$37,892 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager heading into Thursday’s card…Leg E of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 4 at Golden Gate on Friday.

MOGER JR. HAS BIG AFTERNOON WITH TRIO OF WINS ON SATURDAY

Last Saturday afternoon, longtime Bay Area trainer Ed Moger Jr. posted three wins from three starters. In a sport where much has to go right for the end game to result in an almighty victory…well…things could not have gone any smoother for Team Moger.

Amazen Grazen, a 3-year-old filly by Grazen, kicked off the three-win day with a maiden special weight score in Race 4. Irving Orozco was aboard for the victory. A filly owned by Ed’s younger brother, Steve, Amazen Grazen was making her fourth lifetime start.

“I’ve always liked [Amazen Grazen],” said Moger Jr. “She can sprint, obviously, but her breeding suggests she will really like running longer on turf. I’m looking at the Campanile Stakes [on Sunday, April 25 for California-breds] with her. I think she’s only going to get better as she gets older. She’s a nice filly.”

Two races later, 3-year-old gelding Prince On the Run broke his maiden for a $12,500 tag. Ridden by Evin Roman, Prince On the Run was the second winner of the afternoon trained by Moger Jr. and owned by Steve Moger.

Toni Two Pocket, a vastly improving filly, completed the hat trick for Moger Jr. with a length and a quarter win in the feature race, a first level allowance for filly and mare sprinters. William Antongeorgi III guided the California-bred filly to victory for owner/breeders Paul Conley and Anthony Randazzo.

“She broke her maiden for $8,000,” said Moger Jr. “For [Toni Two Pocket], she has really improved with maturity. Earlier in her career, she would run fast early and tire. She’d run like a half mile and then start to stop. But over time, she’s learned to settle early in the race. She’s really improved with time.”

Moger Jr. also noted that since Toni Two Pocket is a California-bred, she is still eligible to win at the first level allowance condition once more.

3-YEAR-OLD’S AUDITION FOR GOLD RUSH WEEKEND STAKES’ IN FRIDAY CO-FEATURE

Five colts and geldings and a duo of fillies compete in the co-feature on Friday afternoon, a first level allowance for 3-year-olds at one mile on Tapeta. The eight-furlong contest is carded as the seventh race on an eight-race program.

The morning line favorite is Seattle Bold, who drew post position 3 for trainer Jamey Thomas. The son of Bold Chieftain broke his maiden at first asking, defeating Gallant Guy, who Golden Gate Fields race watchers saw win a maiden special weight last week. Most recently, Seattle Bold tried turf and ran fourth behind solid company at Santa Anita. This is his second start going a route of ground.

Stalking Shadow wheels back in eight days for leading trainer Jonathan Wong after a decisive 2-length victory against starter allowance foes last week. Jimmy Blue Jeans and Bernalinho won California-bred maiden special weight races in February and make their first starts against winners. Cristiano’s Dream broke his maiden in stylish fashion to kick off his career but has since finished well behind in a pair of first level allowance sprints. His breeding suggests he will enjoy added ground: he is by Breeders Cup Mile winner Tourist and a half sibling to Grade 3 Longacres Mile victor Gold Rush Dancer.

Two fillies in the race, Party Spirit and Misty Cat, draw the inside and outside post positions. The former, a Great Britain bred trained by Manny Badilla, broke her maiden in the U.S. debut over the fall going a route of ground but has since finished off the board in a sprint race. California-bred Misty Cat made a burst to the front against maiden special weight company on February 12 and freshens up for her career debut against proven winners.

There is a chance that we will see quite a few of these horses in stakes races on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 24, or Sunday, April 25. Gold Rush Weekend, featuring six stakes’ races on Saturday and a pair of California-bred stakes over turf on Sunday, is the biggest racing day of the year in Northern Caliifornia.

All colts and geldings in this race will be eligible to race in either the $100,000 California Derby on Saturday over Tapeta or the $75,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-bred or California-sired horses over turf on Sunday. Although Bernalinho is a Kentucky-bred, he is still eligible to run in the Silky Sullivan as his sire, Mr. Big, is a California stallion.

Party Spirit could compete in the $75,000 California Oaks over Tapeta on Saturday while Misty Cat would have the choice to enter in either the ‘Oaks or the $75,000 Campanile Stakes for California-bred or California-sired fillies over grass on Sunday.

Race 7 (Friday, March 26, 2021, One mile on Tapeta)

#1 Party Spirit (Jockey Irving Orozco, Trainer Manny Badilla)

#2 Bernalinho (William Antongeorgi III, Isidro Tamayo)

#3 Seattle Bold (Kyle Frey, Jamey Thomas)

#4 Cristiano’s Dream (Erick Lopez, Mike Lenzini)

#5 Stalking Shadow (Evin Roman, Jonathan Wong)

#6 Jimmy Blue Jeans (Assael Espinoza, Andy Mathis)

#7 Misty Cat (Cristobal Herrera, Dan Franko)

CLASSY SPRINTERS CLASH ON FRIDAY

A half dozen sprinters voyage six furlongs in the co-featured sixth race on Friday, a second level allowance on Tapeta. Keep their names in mind; a good effort in this race may result in a trip to the $75,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes for sprinters on Saturday, April 24.

Drawing the inside, El Chavo Del Ocho cuts back from a route to a sprint after a fifth-place finish while racing two turns for the first time. The Jonathan Wong trainee won a pair of races at this condition last year and, when he raced at six furlongs two starts ago in Arizona, he finished as the runner up behind a next-out stakes winner. William Antongeorgi III retains the mount.

Slam Dunk Sermon, breaking from post 4, enters this race a perfect 3 for 3 in 2021. Trained by Steve Specht, the Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams homebred won a first level allowance in January and subsequently scored a pair of starter allowance victories. Most recently, Slam Dunk Sermon defeated next-out winner Facts Matter, who won sprinting last weekend.

Ready for a Fight wheels back to the races in less than two weeks for trainer Steve Miyadi after a terrific runner-up finish in his first career route try. Setting the pace with apprentice Santos Rivera aboard, the Gary Barber homebred led almost every step of the way, getting run down in the final strides by stakes winner Our Silver Oak. Rivera retains the mount for Team Miyadi.

Jeffnjohn’sthundr has not been seen since a first level allowance win against restricted 3-year-olds in 2020. The son of Union Rags was purchases for $170,000 as a 2-year-old and enters this race with a number of sharp workouts on the page for trainer Jeff Bonde. In 2019, he ran second in a maiden race to eventual Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup Classic winner Authentic. In two other races that year, he had to settle for a minor award behind eventual El Camino Real Derby winner Azul Coast and Arkansas Derby winner Nadal.

Turf Paradise shipper Darnquick, who has won over this track twice before, makes his first start for the Isidro Tamayo barn. Sunset Dragunn also makes his first start for Tamayo while slated as the longest shot on the morning line in the field of six.

Race 7 (Friday, March 26, 6 furlongs on Tapeta)

#1 El Chavo Del Ocho (Jockey William Antongeorgi III, Jonathan Wong)

#2 Jeffnjohn’sthundr (Irving Orozco, Jeff Bonde)

#3 Sunset Dragunn (Francisco Monroy, Isidro Tamayo)

#4 Slam Dunk Sermon (Frank Alvarado, Steve Specht)

#5 Darnquick (Kyle Frey, Isidro Tamayo)

#6 Ready for a Fight (Santos Rivera, Steve Miyadi)

LONGTIME BREEDER LILA LANNING PASSES AWAY

Lila Lanning, who along with her husband Curt owned and bred hundreds of racehorses in California for over four decades, passed away in Arizona on Monday, March 15. She was 82 years old.

Along with being a passionate horsewoman, Lila was adamant about giving back to her community and was a longtime supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project and the Humane Society. She was a seamstress in her free time, enjoyed golfing, and was a loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

The Lannings have been longtime supporters of California racing and, more specifically, Golden Gate Fields, racing many of their horses in the Bay Area. The Lannings compiled 442 wins from over 3,200 starters in the 21st century alone, with purse earnings of $11,496,120. All of their racehorses were campaigned under the watchful eye of trainer Ed Moger Jr.

CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:

Thursday
Race 5: Miss Ski (New Owner/Trainer Isidro Tamayo)
Race 7: Passionate Road (Owner/Trainer Leobardo Rivera)

Friday
Race 3: In the Wind (New trainer Jonathan Wong…new owner Lucas Downs Ltd.)
Race 3: Made in Karoo (Jack Steiner…Remmah Racing Inc. and Steiner)
Race 4: Mark Whats Mine (Marcelino Trujillo…Nancy Salas-Ibarra and Trujillo)
Race 6: Lolo Paniolo (Isidro Tamayo…Peter McGoldrick and John Tipton)

Saturday
Race 1: Miss Arrowhead (Aggie Ordonez…McLean Racing Stables)
Race 3: Jumping Jill Flash (Sammy Calvario…Johnny Taboada)
Race 6: Effective Union (Owner/Trainer Steve Miyadi)
Race 7: Facts Matter (Rene Amescua…Deliver the Groceries Inc. and Amescua)
Race 7: Oiseau de Guerre (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)

Sunday
Race 4: Regal Lady (Tim Bellasis…Cassandra Tschanz and Bellasis)
Race 9: No Parking Here (Sammy Calvario…Rhonda Kirby)

FINISH LINES: Grade I Gamely Stakes winner Keeper Ofthe Stars worked six furlongs last Saturday morning in 1:14.20 for trainer Jonathan Wong. According to Wong, the daughter of Midnight Lute is “possible” to run in the Golden Poppy Stakes on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 24…Dyn O Mite, who broke his maiden at Golden Gate for trainer Keith Desormeaux last fall, is entered to run in the $250,000 Jeff Ruby Stakes at Turfway Park in Kentucky. Since the maiden victory at GGF, Dyn O Mite has raced in the Midwest, winning an allowance race at The Fair Grounds before hitting the board in a pair of stakes races…2019 Alcatraz Stakes winner Visitant is also entered at Turfway on Saturday; he goes in the $150,000 Kentucky Cup Classic at one mile and a sixteenth…$21,928 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager this Thursday…Leg E (the last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager goes as the third race at Golden Gate this Friday…Happy birthday to trainer Leobardo Rivera, who celebrates his birthday early next week.