PLENTY OF HORSES WHO HAVE RACED AT GOLDEN GATE FIELDS ARE COMPETING ON BREEDERS CUP CARDS

This Friday and Saturday, Santa Anita Park hosts the 2019 Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. A number of horses competing in the 2-day racing festival are either shipping from Golden Gate Fields or have run here in prior starts. Here are some familiar Bay Area names to watch out for:

Anneau D’Or: The Blaine Wright trainee makes his first start against winners in the $2,000,000 Grade I Breeders Cup Juvenile on dirt this Friday. He has raced just once in his career, with his lone afternoon appearance resulting in an eight-length win against maidens on turf. Juan Hernandez retains the mount on the son of Medaglia D’Oro, who was purchased for $480,000 earlier this year by owner Peter Redekop. Santa Anita morning line maker Jon White has installed Anneau D’Or as the 15-1 morning line fifth choice.

Apache Princess: This 3-year-old filly races in the first event on Breeders Cup Saturday, the Grade 3 $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mare sprinters on grass. In May, we watched Apache Princess finish third in the Campanile Stakes on Gold Rush Weekend Sunday for trainer Keith Desormeuax.

Bowie’s Hero: The Phil D’Amato trainee ran in this year’s San Francisco Mile, finishing off the board as the 7-2 third choice in the wagering. The 5-year-old has won two races since then: the Grade 2 $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar and the Grade I $1,000,000 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. Bowie’s Hero races in the Breeders Cup Turf Mile on Saturday and drew the far outside post position, stall #14, and has been tabbed at 12-1 on the morning line. Kentucky Derby winning jockey Flavien Prat rides back.

Brave Nation: The last time Brave Nation raced at Golden Gate Fields, he won a first level allowance on Tapeta in May. Since then, he has relocated to Hastings Racecourse in British Columbia, where the 4-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile recently won the Grade 3 $100,000 BC Premier Handicap. This Friday, he races in the $200,000 Grade 2 Marathon Stakes at one mile and three-quarters.

Bulletproof One: Bulletproof One ran in the first Golden Gate Fields 2-year-old race this year for trainer Ellen Jackson and won the May 11 maiden special weight by eight lengths. After defeating males in the Everett Nevin Stakes by an eye-popping nine and three-quarter lengths, the 2-year-old filly was privately purchased by trainer Peter Miller and owners Gary and Cecil Barber, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Wachtel Stable. For her new connections, Bulletproof One scored an easy win in the CTBA Stakes at Del Mar and, most recently, ran second in the Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita on turf. She is entered against males in the Grade 2 $1,000,000 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint but sits as the first also eligible, so she will need one defection to draw into the race. If she fails to draw into the race by Friday morning, then she will compete in Friday’s $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies on dirt. She is listed as a 12-1 morning line chance in the Turf Sprint and 3-1 in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies.

Doc Tommy: We last witnessed Doc Tommy break his maiden on August 18 in a California-bred maiden special weight for trainer Felix Rondan. After the aforementioned victory, he was privately purchased by 2018 Eclipse Award winning owner Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler, who will run the son of Comic Strip in the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile on Friday.

Don’t Sell: Campaigned by owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill, this filly broke her maiden at Golden Gate in April and has since become a stakes winner, scoring a front-running victory in the Unzip Me Stakes in September. She is entered to run in the Grade 3 Senator Ken Maddy on Saturday and is the third choice on the morning line at 3-1.

Eddie Haskell: The 9-2 morning line favorite in this year’s Grade 1 $1,000,000 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint ran in the 2018 Albany Stakes at Golden Gate Fields and finished third. In 2019, the son of Square Eddie has racked off four wins, with his most significant victory coming in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on May 25.

Kingly: The well-bred son of Tapit gave Hall of Famer Bob Baffert his first California Derby victory on Gold Rush Weekend in April. Kingly found a new home on turf this summer when he made every poll a winning one in the Grade 3 $150,000 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar. He is entered this Saturday in the Grade 2 $200,000 Twilight Derby on grass.

 Ollie’s Candy: Ollie’s Candy began her career at Golden Gate Fields, winning a pair of races under jockey William Antongeorgi III in 2018. Earlier this year, she moved down south to the barn of John Sadler, where the daughter of Candy Ride won the Grade I Clement Hirsch in August and, most recently, finished third in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes. She races next in Saturday’s Grade I $2,000,000 Breeders Cup Distaff with world renowned rider Joel Rosario in the irons. She is 15-1 on the morning line.

 Outlaw: This recent Golden Gate Fields allowance winner is on the also eligible list in the last race on Breeders Cup Friday, a 7-furlong allowance on dirt for 3-year-olds and upward. He would need one scratch to draw into the main body of the field.

Stradari: She is one of two runners trained by OJ Jauregui who will be competing in the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies on Friday. Her lone career start resulted in a gate to wire score against maiden special weight company. She was well meant that day, too, going off at even money. Flavien Prat has the mount.

Warm Summer: The second Jauregui entrant in the Golden State Juvenile Filles broke her maiden at first asking and has finished second and fourth, respectively, in a pair of open allowance races. Top class jockey and East Coast based Irad Ortiz Jr. picks up the mount.

Zestful: The son of Ghostzapper has won 7 straight races; 4 of the 7 aforesaid wins came while he competed in the Bay Area. He is currently under the care of Southern California trainer Mark Glatt, who will tighten the girth before this gelding races in the Marathon Stakes on Friday. 

JOSEPH T. GRACE STAKES DRAWS A STRONG FIELD OF NINE

A field of nine will tackle a mile and a sixteenth on turf in the Joseph T. Grace Stakes for 3-year-olds and upwards this Saturday. The marquee race of the week goes as Race 8 on the 10-race program at Golden Gate.

The likely favorite is Grecian Fire, shipping North for trainer Keith Desormeaux after an off the board finish in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship at Santa Anita. Earlier in the year, the KMN Racing homebred won the All-American Stakes at Golden Gate and was victorious in the California Dreamin’ Stakes at Del Mar for state-breds.

Jonathan Wong starts a pair of contenders in Mugaritz and Sixes. The former gelding makes his second start off a layoff after a dominant win in the Bulldog Stakes at Fresno while the former is undefeated on the Golden Gate Fields lawn and most recently finished third in a second level allowance race on Tapeta.

Grade 3 placed Camino Del Paraiso makes his 2019 debut in the Joseph T. Grace. His biggest effort last year came in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap, finishing a head behind multiple stakes winner Editore. Juan Hernandez rides for trainer O.J Jauregui.

Builder and Café Flavor finished second and fourth, respectively, in the September 28 Rolling Green Stakes and are entered in Saturday’s marquee race. Builder has run once since the Rolling Green-a runner up effort in a second level allowance on Tapeta-while Café Flavor makes his second start off a lengthy vacation.

2018 Alcatraz Stakes winner Tortosa, recent allowance winner Arch Prince and supplemental entrant Respect the Hustle round out the field of nine. Approximate post time for the Joseph T. Grace is 3:00 p.m. PT.

$50,000 Joseph T. Grace Stakes (one mile and a sixteenth on turf)

1. Builder (Jockey Irving Orozco, Trainer Isidro Tamayo)
2. Café Flavor (Julien Couton, Paddy Gallagher)
3. Tortosa (Catalino Martinez, Jose Bautista)
4. Camino Del Paraiso (Juan Hernandez, O.J Jauregui)
5. Arch Prince (Brayan Pena, Sammy Calvario)
6. Respect the Hustle (Kyle Frey, Bill McLean)
7. Grecian Fire (William Antongeorgi III, Keith Desormeaux)
8. Sixes (Frank Alvarado, Jonathan Wong)
9. Mugaritz (Ricky Gonzalez, Jonathan Wong)

FINISH LINES: After 2 weeks of live racing at the fall meet, Frank Alvarado, William Antongeorgi III and Juan Hernandez are locked together in a three-way tie atop the jockey standings. All three journeyman riders have won 10 races at the current meeting…Jonathan Wong has the most wins out of any trainer at the meet with 7 victories…Well done to trainer Isidro Tamayo, who scored a hat trick on Friday afternoon. The 33-year-old conditioner won the second race with Mr. Q, the third with Passionate Reward and the nightcap with Conquest Sabre Cat. “This was the first time I’ve won three races in one day,” said Tamayo. “I knew going in that we had really good chances. It felt great.”…NOTE: SPECIAL FIRST POST TIMES will be in effect this Friday and Saturday. On Friday, gates open for simulcasting at 9:30 AM, with first post time set for 12:10 PM PT. On Saturday, gates open at 8:30 AM, with first post slated for 11:30 AM…Happy birthday to trainer Jeff Bonde, who turns a year older today…No Stronach 5 wager this week; the industry low 12% takeout wager will be back in play next Friday.

Berkeley, Calif. (Oct. 26, 2019)-California-bred Wise Rachel surged from the back of the field to win the first stakes race of the 2019 Fall Meet, the $75,000 Pike Place Dancer Stakes, on Saturday afternoon at Golden Gate Fields. The Pike Place Dancer was contested at one mile on firm turf for 2-year-old fillies.
After breaking well from the gate, Wise Rachel sat at the rear of the field for the first three-quarters of a mile. At the top of the lane, she angled outside for the stretch drive and finished with a flourish, racing past runner-up The Adrie Factor and third place finisher Convoluted in the final sixteenth of a mile. The win margin was a measured half-length.
Jockey Alejandro Gomez guided Wise Rachel to victory, picking up his first stakes win of 2019. Wise Rachel is trained by Quinn Howey and owned by Allen Aldrich, who purchased the daughter of English Channel for $7,000 as a yearling. Wise Rachel went off as the 4-1 fourth choice in the wagering and paid $10.20 to win. With this victory, Wise Rachel improved her career record to 4-2-0-1, with career earnings of $83,280.
Post time 9-5 favorite The Adrie Factor wound up second after stalking the pace while Southern California shipper Convoluted finished third for trainer Peter Miller after inheriting the lead for the first part of the race. No Cover Charge held off Shanghai Keely for fourth and maiden Colombian Gold completed the field of six.
Stakes action continues at Golden Gate Fields next Saturday with the $50,000 Joseph T. Grace Stakes for 3-year-olds and upward going two-turns on turf. Next Friday and Saturday, Golden Gate Fields offers simulcast wagering for the 2019 Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Santa Anita Park, as well as a live racing program on both aforementioned afternoons. Post time at Golden Gate on Friday is 12:05 PM while Saturday features a scheduled first post of 11:40 AM.

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ANNEAU D’OR PRE-ENTERED IN BREEDERS CUP JUVENILE RACES

Well regarded Golden Gate Fields 2-year-old Anneau D’Or, whose long career race resulted in an eight length romp routing on turf last month, was pre-entered in both the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf and Breeders Cup Juvenile on dirt for trainer Blaine Wright and owner Peter Redekop.

The Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf, listed as the first preference for Anneau D’Or, oversubscribed with 21 pre-entries. Anneau D’Or was placed sixth on the “also eligible” list by the Breeders Cup committee and is unlikely to see six defections for him to draw into the race.

The Breeders Cup Juvenile Dirt did not oversubscribe, however, and Anneau D’Or is in the main body of the field. That said, Wright indicated Wednesday morning that he was unsure as to whether Anneau D’Or would race in the Juvenile Dirt.

“We probably have less than a 10% chance of getting into the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf, but if we were somehow able to draw into the race, then we would like to run,” said Wright. “We are already in the Breeders Cup Juvenile on dirt and, although not 100% certain as to what we are going to do, at the moment we are leaning towards passing on that race. We can reroute him to another race if we need to.”

Anneau D’Or was purchased by Redekop and bloodstock agent Alistair Roden for a whopping $480,000 as a 2-year-old in training earlier this year. The son of Medaglia D’Oro is out of the Tapit mare Walk Close, who won the Grade 3 Modesty Handicap on turf at Arlington Park in 2015. This is her first foal.

“I always felt Anneau D’Or would be better routing,” said Wright. “[Jockey Juan] Hernandez worked him before his first race and said the same thing-he thought he would be best going two turns. We decided to run him two turns right away and obviously it worked out well. He finished his race strong and I think he got a lot out of it. We always knew he had a lot of raw talent, but the lightbulb really turned on after his first race and his workouts since then have been terrific.”

Wright was especially impressed with his 2-year-old colt’s most recent workout last Saturday morning, a 5 furlong drill timed in 59.60 seconds.

“His breeze last Saturday was one heck of a work. He started out fast and I thought to myself, ‘Let’s see how he finishes. Horses don’t always finish great when they start their works at a high speed over this track.’ But he drew off from his company down the lane, galloped out strong and racked off fast times while doing it. When I got back to the barn, [Anneau D’Or] couldn’t have blown out a candle. He wasn’t even breathing hard. It was a terrific work. We’re excited to see what the future holds for him.”
Wright also gave an update on 2019 El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate, who hasn’t been seen since an off the board finish in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes last May.

“Anothertwistafate is doing very well,” said Wright. “He is on the farm and very happy there. If all goes to plan, we’ll see him racing in 2020. He’ll be back training at Golden Gate Fields soon.”

PIKE PLACE DANCER BEGINS STAKES ACTION AT 2019 FALL MEET

The first of 9 stakes races at the 2019 Golden Gate Fields fall meet goes this Saturday as Race 7: the $75,000 Pike Place Dancer Stakes for 2-year-old fillies on turf. A field of 6 has been assembled to contest eight furlongs in the Pike Place Dancer, with post time set at 3:45 PM PT.

Among the leading local contenders is Shanghai Keely, coming into the Pike Place Dancer off a 2-month break for young conditioner Ari Herbertson. The daughter of Shanghai Bobby won her career debut at Pleasanton by six and three-quarter lengths before running fourth in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar. In the Sorrento, Shanghai Keely finished behind the highly talented filly Amalfi Sunrise and hit the wire ahead of Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 placed Comical. This will be Shanghai Keely’s career debut routing. She also races on grass for the first time.

“I’ve always thought she would be better going a route of ground,” said Herbertson. “She gallops two miles and always gallops the second mile stronger than the first. Her works leading up to this race have been good. She’s got a lovely way of moving and she’s built like a router. We’re coming into the race with a talented filly.”

Another local figuring to get support in the wagering is The Adrie Factor, who takes on winners for the first time. Conditioned by leading Golden Gate trainer Jonathan Wong, the daughter of War Front stallion The Factor raced over grass on September 28 and broke her maiden by open lengths.

“We always thought she would want to run long and her breeding suggested she would be effective on turf,” said Wong. “We had to sprint her in her first two races because there was nowhere else to go. She put it all together routing on the turf last time out and it looks like she will be a two turn filly in the long run. This is a good, next logical spot for her.”

Wong also saddles No Cover Charge, who has won two sprint races to kick off her career. The Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC homebred most recently beat a starter allowance group by a half dozen lengths.

“To be honest, I’m not sure whether she wants to route or not,” said Wong. “We will find out on Saturday. She is training terrific, though. Her last workout was really solid. Since her first race, the lightbulb has really turned on and she has steadily improved.”

Wise Rachel is a daughter of 2007 Breeders Cup turf winner English Channel and, with that in mind, possesses the pedigree to be effective routing on grass. The California-bred filly broke her maiden at Pleasanton in lifetime start number one before hitting the board in the CTBA Stakes at Del Mar.

“Since Day 1, she has shown she has talent,” said Wise Rachel’s trainer, Quinn Howey. “I was not surprised she won sprinting [first time out] because she has a lot of ability. But being by English Channel, the owners and I always felt she would do really well going two turns on the grass. We are going to nominate to the Golden State Juvenile Filllies on Breeders Cup Friday at Santa Anita but I am 90% sure we will keep her in this race. I’m really excited to see how she does on turf.”

Southern California invaders Convoluted and Colombian Gold round out the Pike Place Dancer field. Convoluted, whose lone try on turf resulted in an off the board finish against stakes company at Del Mar over the summer, was last seen running second sprinting in the Phone Chatter Stakes at Los Alamitos. Colombian Gold is a maiden who has yet to hit the board in three career starts.

$75,000 Pike Place Dancer Stakes
1. Shanghai Keely (Trainer Ari Herbertson, Jockey Irving Orozco)
2. No Cover Charge (Jonathan Wong, Julien Couton)
3. Convoluted (Peter Miller, Juan Hernandez)
4. Wise Rachel (Quinn Howey, Alejandro Gomez)
5. Colombian Gold (Andrew Lerner, William Antongeorgi III)
6. The Adrie Factor (Jonathan Wong, Kyle Frey)

JOCKEY BRAYAN PENA JOINS THE GOLDEN GATE RIDING COLONY

Southern California jockey Brayan Pena has relocated to Northern California and will be riding full time at Golden Gate Fields starting this Friday. Agent Brent Harmon will be handling Pena’s book.

“He began working horses here today,” relayed Harmon. “He’s ready to work hard. A few people are already interested in using him and some trainers from Southern California have indicated they want to use him when they send horses this way. Actually, he’s got two mounts from Southern California trainers on Saturday. I think he can do well here for a variety of barns.”

Pena, a native of Guatemala, has worked for top outfits Wesley Ward and John Sadler since beginning his riding career. Pena has ridden 108 career winners and picked up his first career victory as a jockey in 2014.

FINISH LINES: Reina Gonzalez picked up a California-bred maiden special weight win with 2-year-old filly Habobanero last Saturday. Reina pointed out that Habobanero’s sire, Coach Bob, has sired 4 winners from 4 starters, all whom were winners at 2-year-olds. 3 of the 4 wins came against maiden special weight company. Gonzalez co-owns Coach Bob with Jeff Kitchen and Joe Daehling…. Leg D of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 at Golden Gate Fields on Friday afternoon. Leg A is Race 9 at Laurel Park, with an approximate post time of 1:19 PM PT…Happy birthday to patrol judge Tammy Lynn McDuffie-Morris, who celebrates another birthday on Monday.

Golden Gate Fields 36 Day Fall Meet Begins Thursday; Track To Offer Nine Stakes’ Through Closing Day, December 15
Golden Gate Fields will kick off its 36-day Fall Meet on Thursday, with first post time for a seven-race card at 12:45 p.m. PT. The nine-week meeting, which concludes on Sunday, Dec. 15, will include nine stakes races and a plethora of turf action. First post time each day will be at 12:45 p.m., with three exceptions, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28 (first post 11:15 a.m.), Breeders Cup Friday, Nov. 1 (12:05 p.m.) and Breeders’ Cup Saturday, Nov. 2 (11:40 a.m.).
“We are really looking forward to our Fall Meeting,” said David Duggan, Vice President and General Manager of Golden Gate Fields. “Our stakes schedule ensures that we will have a high level of competitive racing at the meet. We also have a significant number of 2-year-olds on the backstretch right now, so we are equally excited about seeing our younger horses develop over the next few months.
“Our team is committed to making our racing product the most attractive it can possibly be for our loyal customers, viewers and broadcasters and we will continue to work on that every day.”
The meet figures to be highlighted by the Grade III, $100,000 Berkeley Handicap on Saturday, Nov. 30. The Berkeley is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta main track. One additional stake, the Joseph T. Grace Stakes for 3-year-olds and up on turf, has been added to an already-strong stakes schedule and will be run for the first time on Nov. 2.
Four out of the Fall Meet’s nine stakes races are for two-year olds: the Pike Place Dancer for fillies on turf Oct. 26, the Golden Nugget on Nov. 9, the Golden Gate Debutante on Nov. 29, and the Gold Rush Stakes on Dec. 7.
The best sprinters in Northern California will clash in the Oakland Stakes on Nov. 16, and fillies and mares will be center stage on closing weekend with the Bear Fan Stakes on Dec. 14 and the Miss America Stakes on Dec. 15.
Golden Gate’s popular “Dollar Day Sunday” promotion returns to the Bayside track, with each Sunday afternoon featuring one dollar parking, one dollar admission, one dollar programs, one dollar beers, one dollar hot dogs and one dollar Mimosas for all race fans in attendance. Special holiday racing will grace the Bay Area on Veteran’s Day, Monday, Nov. 11, where all active military personnel and veterans will receive free admission.
On Saturday, Dec. 7, Golden Gate Fields is set to host “Whiskey, Place, Show,” a whiskey-tasting event to be held in the popular and scenic GGF Turf Club. All patrons who purchase tickets for “Whiskey, Place, Show” will receive a souvenir tasting cup, a betting voucher and a pass to sample and taste 12 different whiskeys and bourbons from around the world. Tickets will be available for purchase at Goldengatefields.com beginning this Thursday.
Fans will also be greeted by a new addition on the West Paddock wall, as a brand-new Bay Area-themed mural, depicting Bay Area culture and landmarks will be on display. The mural will depict Golden Gate Fields’ iconic role in Bay Area society dating back to 1941.
Fans are encouraged to follow Golden Gate Fields on social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@GGFracing and @ GGPublicity). For more information, please visit Goldengatefields.com

LONGTIME BAY AREA JOCKEY ABEL CEDILLO NOW A STAR IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Abel Cedillo, who won the 2019 Winter/Spring meet riding title by 30 victories, moved his tack to Southern California four months ago and has had a sensational run since relocating.
Cedillo finished third in the Del Mar jockey standings with 25 wins and currently leads in the Santa Anita standings with 12 trips to the winners circle, just one ahead of apprentice Jorge Velez. The aforementioned jockey, coincidentally, also spent time competing at Golden Gate Fields last winter.
A native of Guatemala, Cedillo is a proven success at all levels of racing. But his meteoric rise to the top of the jockey standings in Southern California has come with many stakes victories for different trainers. Each win shined the spotlight on Cedillo which, in turn, put him on the map as an “up and coming” rider that should to be taken very seriously.
Cedillo’s most noteworthy accomplishments came in three Breeders Cup “Win and You’re In” races last month: he won the Grade I Awesome Again with 25-1 upsetter Mongolian Groom (for trainer Enebish Ganbat), traveled to Churchill Downs for a first place finish in the Grade 2 Pocahontas atop Lazy Daisy (Doug O’Neill), and took home the gold prize with Paradise Woods (John Shirreffs) in the Grade I Zenyatta. Cedillo retains the call on Mongolian Groom in the Breeders Cup Classic and Paradise Woods in the Breeders Cup Distaff but will need to choose between Lazy Daisy and Grade I Chandelier Stakes runner up Comical for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Cedillo piloted Cleopatra’s Strike (Phil D’Amato) to victory in the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship earlier this fall as well. Even though the John Henry is a prep for the Breeders Cup Turf, it is not a “Win and You’re In” event, and future plans for Cleopatra’s Strike are still up in the air. Nonetheless, it’s another significant Cedillo stakes win to mark down.
Abel’s first Southern California stakes win came on August 21 at Del Mar when guiding Two Thirty Five (Richard Baltas) to a nose victory in the Harry F. Brubaker Stakes. After the win, Baltas exclaimed, “[Cedillo] rode the horse brilliantly.” Cedillo also rode a brilliant race 10 days earlier in Washington State’s most prestigious horse race, the Grade 3 Longacres Mile, aboard Law Abidin Citizen (Mark Glatt). Law Abiden Citizen won the 200k contest by a hard-fought nose.
The last two paragraphs list seven stakes wins for seven different trainers. Clearly, Southern California horsemen think highly enough of Cedillo to trust him with their top-quality stock. An impressive and admirable feat in a short period of time, no doubt.
And for Cedillo, it appears this is only the beginning of continued success.

FINISH LINES: Congratulations to trainer Isidro Tamayo and jockey Francisco Monroy. Tamayo won the Fresno training title while Monroy scooped up his first ever riding title…The Blaine Wright trained Anneau d’Or, who wowed racing fans with an eight length maiden victory going two turns on grass last month, is likely to pre-enter in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. The son of Medaglia D’Oro posted a 4 furlong workout in 48.80 seconds on Saturday morning…Other noteworthy workers last Saturday include stakes winner Ima Happy Cat (5 furlongs in 59.80), Pike Place Dancer Stakes possible The Adrie Factor (5 furlongs in 1:01.20) and stakes performers Keeper Ofthe Stars (5 furlongs in 59.40) and Wicked Old Fashion (4 furlongs in 49.40 seconds)…On Sunday morning, the most notable workers were 2019 Lost in the Fog Stakes winner Anyportinastorm (3 furlongs in 36.40), 2018 Golden Gate Debutante victor Tomlin (4 furlongs in 49.20) and 2018 Alcatraz Stakes winner Tortosa (5 furlongs in 1:01.60 seconds)…The first 2-year-old winner of 2019 at Golden Gate Fields, Bulletproof One, is bound for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. The California-bred daughter of Idiot Proof was last seen running second in the Speakeasy Stakes for trainer Peter Miller on October 6. Bulletproof One broke her maiden at Golden Gate in May under the conditioning of Ellen Jackson and was privately purchased by owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber and Cecil Barber after her second lifetime start, a 9 length romp in the Everett Nevin Stakes at Pleasanton…Leg D of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 at Golden Gate Fields this Friday. The Stronach 5 pool is guaranteed at 100k every week and features an industry low, 12% takeout…Golden Gate Fields wishes trainer Bob Hess Sr. a happy belated birthday. Hess celebrated his b-day on October 10…We end the “News and Notes” with another birthday shoutout, this one to trainer Sherrie Monroe, who turns one-year-older on Sunday.

STRADARI HIGHLIGHTS WINNING WEEK FOR JAUREGUI

2-year-old filly Stradari highlighted a strong weekend for trainer O.J Jauregui, who saddled 3 winners from 4 starters on Saturday and Sunday. Stradari was victorious on Saturday while Earnest and Pampers n’ Boots earned winners circle appearances for the Jauregui barn on Sunday.

Stradari, a daughter of well-respected California sire Square Eddie, faced open company in a 2-year-old maiden special weight last Saturday. The $30,000 2-year-old sale purchase went to the front out of the gates and set swift fractions of 22.04, 45.77 and 57.79 before completing the five and a half furlong contest in 1:04.15 seconds. She finished four lengths ahead of second place finisher Midnight Sunrise. William Antongeorgi III rode the chestnut filly to victory.

“We’ve always thought she had talent,” said Jauregui. “She was breezing really well coming into the race. She was working fast times and doing it easily, so we knew we had a quick filly. She came out of the race well. We’ll look at running in an allowance race going one turn after Fresno.”
Stradari is owned by a large group that includes Daniel Preiss, Glen Road Racing LLC and Horseshare LLC. The sizeable bunch watched the race near the winners circle and were celebrating with great cheer and glee as they watched their filly streak to victory on debut.

One day later, Jauregui picked up a 2-bagger with geldings Earnest and Pampers n’ Boots. Earnest, a 3-year-old by Quality Road, defeated maiden 16k claimers in Race 4. Pampers n’ Boots, a 5-year-old making his 27th career start on Sunday, was moved up to first via disqualification after unofficially running second in Race 5. But hey…a win’s a win.

“We had a good couple of days,” said Jauregui, when asked to reflect on his weekend. “We just have to keep working hard every day and hope things keep going well.”

GUARANTEED LATE PICK 4, MANDATORY PAYOUTS WRAP UP THE SUMMER MEETING FOR HORSEPLAYERS

Last weekend, Golden Gate Fields management announced the bayside track will guarantee $100,000 in its closing day Late Pick 4 pool this Sunday, September 29. With the 2019 Summer Meeting at Golden Gate drawing to a close, mandatory payouts in all exotic wagers, including the 20 cent Golden Pick Six Jackpot, the Rolling Super High Five, and both the Early and Late Pick 5 wagers, will be the order of the day.

The popular Late Pick 4 is comprised of a 50-cent minimum wager which requires players to correctly tab the winners of the final four races on the program.

“We are delighted to offer our horseplayers this $100,000 guarantee in our Late Pick 4 this Sunday,” said David Duggan, Golden Gate Fields Vice President and General Manager. “Our fields on closing week are projected to be large and competitive, which will make the betting sequences very enticing. We sincerely thank our horseplayers for their continued support of our product.”
First post time on Sunday is slated for 1:15 p.m. PT.

STRONACH 5 CARRYOVER OF $107,353 ON FRIDAY

The growingly popular Stronach 5 wager features a large carryover of $107,353 heading into Friday afternoon. Below is the sequence of races for this week’s wager:

Leg A: Laurel Park 8th race (12 entries, five and a half furlongs on turf) Post time: 5:09 ET; 2:09 PT
Leg B: Gulfstream Park 7th race (12 entries, one mile on turf) Post time: 5:26 ET; 2:26 PT
Leg C: Santa Anita 4th race (8 entries, one mile on turf) Post time: 5:54 ET; 2;54 PT
Leg D: Golden Gate 4th race (10 entries, one mile on Tapeta) Post time: 5:54 ET; 2:54 PT
Leg E: Laurel Park 9th race (11 entries, six furlongs on dirt) Post time: 6:16 ET; 3:16 PT

Leg D at Golden Gate, Race 4, is an allowance for fillies and mares. 7-2 morning line favorite #9 Ruby Bradley headlines the field; she makes her first start for the Steve Miyadi barn in this spot. The last time she raced two turns, she won the $188,000 Melair Stakes for California-breds at Santa Anita. #2 Swing Thoughts enters this run after two straight wins against high level claimers at Del Mar while #4 Please Do returns to the races fresh off a victory over this track on September 12. #5 It’s Alexus, reclaimed by leading trainer Jonathan Wong, and stakes winner #6 The Spiral Jetter also figure to get wagering support in what looks like a wide open affair.

The Stronach 5 is a $1 minimum bet and an industry low, 12% takeout wager which takes place every Friday. All 5 races in the Stronach “Pick” 5 sequence are from Stronach Group owned tracks.

KRIGGER, MARTINEZ AND OROZCO THREE RIDERS JOINING THE JOCKEY COLONY IN THE FALL

Jockeys Kevin Krigger, Heribert “Eddie” Martinez and Kevin Orozco will be back in the Bay Area after completing six months of riding at Emerald Downs Racetrack in Washington State.

Kevin Krigger, well known for guiding Goldencents to victory in the 2013 Santa Anita Derby, journeys to Golden Gate Fields after winning 33 races at Emerald. Just last Sunday, Krigger won the prestigious Gottstein Futurity aboard promising youngster Race Home. The native of St. Croix will be represented by agent Tom “Bomber” Doutrich during the upcoming fall meet.

“Eddie” Martinez rode at Emerald Downs for the first time this summer and won 52 races there. Martinez has ridden at racetracks all over the country, with success in almost all jurisdictions. In fact, Martinez is named on one mount this Saturday. Jay Robinson is set to take Martinez’s book during his tenure at Golden Gate this fall.

Robinson will also represent Kevin Orozco, who had a very successful Emerald Downs meeting. The 23-year-old finished second in the standings with 66 wins and led all Emerald Downs jockeys in stakes wins with six. Kevin is the younger brother of current Golden Gate summer meet leading rider Irving Orozco. Last year, the younger Orozco won 8 races at the fall meeting.
The fall meet is a 36-day meeting which begins on Thursday, October 17 and runs through Sunday, December 15.

FINISH LINES: Jockey Irving Orozco and trainer Jonathan Wong have good-sized leads in the rider and trainer standings with 4 racing days left to go. Orozco has 36 wins at the current meeting, 11 more than Frank Alvarado and 12 in front of William Antongeorgi III. Wong has 19 wins, 7 ahead of Victor Trujillo and 9 clear of Isidro Tamayo…Congratulations to Wong and his wife, Megan Davenport, on the birth of their second child last week, named Everett Conrad…Foreign Protocol won his first career race on Sunday, a maiden special weight with a large field of 11. The Kentucky bred son of Raison d’Etat is out of the mare Winning Image, who won 10 stakes races as a sprinter from 2012-2014. Quinn Howey trains for owners Allen Aldrich and Jean and Keith Hembree, who purchased the colt for $32,000 at the June 2-year-old in training sale at Santa Anita…Grade I Del Mar Oaks fourth place finisher Keeper Ofthe Stars won an allowance race on turf last Sunday and is likely to make her next start at Santa Anita for trainer Jonathan Wong…Happy birthday to Golden Gate stall manager Carrie Fawcett and trainer Andreas Psarras, both whom celebrate another birthday on Saturday…Good luck to everyone who participates at Fresno beginning week. We’ll see you back at Golden Gate for live racing on October 17!!!

TABOADA AN AVID SUPPORTER OF HORSE RACING AND AUTISM AWARENESS

At 2-years-old, Renzo Taboada was diagnosed with autism. Eighteen years later, his father, Johnny Taboada, spreads awareness of autism through his thoroughbred ownership operation. Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), refers to “a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.”

“I’ve named about 30 to 40 horses who have the word ‘Autism’ in the name,” explained Taboada. “I want to spread awareness as much as I can.”

“A few years ago, I named a mare ‘Butterfly Soul’ after my son because he has a beautiful, pure soul,” continued Taboada. “But the name didn’t have a meaning for other people. So, I decided that every horse has to have the word ‘Autism’ in the name. Now, people with kids and grandkids who have autism come up to me and we talk. I’ve met a lot of really nice people.”

Taboada has the phrase “Autism Awareness” printed on the back of his racing silks, along with a picture of four puzzle pieces. The pieces indicate that doctors have been unable to pinpoint exactly where autism comes from (though many have theorized that the disorder could stem from genetic and or environmental causes.) The Taboada family also produces Taboada Racing hats, with the expressions “Autism Awareness” and “Horses for Autism” labeled on each side of the caps.

Two of Taboada’s most successful racehorses have been named after autism. 2009 Berkeley Handicapper winner Autism Awareness earned over $356,732 throughout his 39-race career while one of Taboada’s current racehorses, 2018 Oakland Stakes victor Touched by Autism, has also earned upwards of $300,000. Taboada reports that the latter equine is taking time off at a farm but will be back at the track soon.

Taboada is a participant in the claiming game, meaning that not all of his horses contain autism themed expressions. In fact, his 5-year-old mare Sweet Rafaela defeated heavy favorite Marilyn’s Smile in a starter allowance last Thursday. She, too, sported the “Autism Awareness” silks.

That said, we can expect to see many young racehorses with the “Autism” representation moving into 2020. Last year, Taboada bought 9 yearlings, all of whom contain the word ‘Autism’ in the name. One of them, Friend of Autism, has already won at Golden Gate this year.

Taboada, who has employed Marcia Stortz, Isidro Tamayo and Jonathan Wong to train his horses, is also a dedicated family man. Speaking of his son Renzo, Johnny beamed with pride.

“Everybody loves Renzo,” said Papa Taboada. “He comes [to Golden Gate Fields] all the time. He’s in college now. He has such a great attitude. He loves the horses and loves talking to people. He is a great kid.”

A BANNER WEEKEND FOR JOCKEY IRVING OROZCO

We’ll get right to the chase: jockey Irving Orozco had a weekend to remember last Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, the 25-year-old journeyman guided five winners’ home to the roar of an enthusiastic Saturday crowd. Any jockey who manages to pick up five victories in one day is considered to have achieved a fantastic feat. 24 hours later, though, Orozco came close to the previous day’s mark, winning four races on the Dollar Day program. Doing the first-grade math, that’s nine wins in two days.

“I went into last weekend thinking I had a lot of good chances [to win],” said Orozco. “I did my homework beforehand and from there, I took it one race at a time.”

Orozco has needed to work hard to achieve top status in the Northern California jockey colony. He has had his fair share of setbacks over the years, including last October, when he suffered serious internal injuries after a spill when his mount clipped heels and stumbled badly, unseating Orozco. He was out of action for five months and, while the recovery process was lengthy, Orozco admits that taking time to get back to full strength was well-worth it.

“That incident was a life changing event,” said Orozco. “I appreciate my work a lot more. I appreciate the opportunities I get a lot more. Recovering from my injuries, it took a lot of patience and resilience. Because I took really good care of myself, I was able to get back to full strength and I feel great.”

With two more weeks to go at the current summer meet, Orozco is primed for his third ever riding title at Golden Gate Fields. He has won 32 races at the current meeting and is 13 victories ahead of second place rider Frank Alvarado. Orozco’s two previous Golden Gate Fields riding titles came at the 2017 and 2018 summer meetings.

“I’m really proud to be at Golden Gate Fields,” said Orozco. “My success wouldn’t be possible without the support of the many horsemen and owners who have trusted me with their horses.”

WICKED OLD FASHION VS. KEEPER OFTHE STARS IN FRIDAY ALLOWANCE

Race 3 on Friday, an allowance on turf for fillies and mares, features the return of Rolling Green third place finisher Wicked Old Fashion and Golden Gate Fields turf track record holder Keeper Ofthe Stars.

We begin our discussion with Wicked Old Fashion, who has won 3 of 5 starts this year. 2 of the 3 aforementioned victories were against allowance company. Trained by Victor Trujillo, the daughter of Colonel John is “all racehorse”, with 10 career wins from 20 lifetime starts. Her most recent afternoon appearance, a third-place finish in the Rolling Green Stakes against males, was better than looked. She sat well off-the-pace (uncharacteristic of her typical “close to the pace” running style) and was caught wide on both turns before rallying for an in-the-money placing. She finished ahead behind second place finisher Builder and 3 lengths away from the versatile winner Restrainedvengance, a multiple minor stakes winner on turf and Grade 3 placed on dirt.

Keeper Ofthe Stars, conditioned by leading trainer Jonathan Wong, is a talented 3-year-old filly that has been well regarded for quite some time. After running through her conditions earlier in the year, she broke the mile and a sixteenth turf track record on June 9, defeating older allowance runners while completing the course in 1:40.55 seconds. She has run twice since then, finishing fourth in the Grade 2 San Clemente and the Grade I Del Mar Oaks against 3-year-old fillies at Del Mar.

It’s worth mentioning that Keeper Ofthe Stars is also well bred: by 2-time Breeders Cup Sprint champion Midnight Lute, the 3-year-old sophomore is out of the Run Away and Hide mare Sociable, who is a half sibling to multiple Grade I winner and Kentucky stallion The Factor. Her current owners Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC purchased the gray or roan filly as a yearling for $180,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale.

Three challengers look to play “spoiler” in the Friday feature: multiple allowance winner Gratzie, recent starter allowance victor Oyster Shooter and the Wong trained Dr. Ann. Post time for the third race on Friday is approximately 2:15 PM.

THE FUN BEGINS…INDEED

4-year-old filly The Fun Begins was a well-kept secret heading into her career debut on Sunday afternoon. The California-bred daughter of Run Brother Ron had worked sharply before her first career start, which included a bullet 5-furlong drill out of the gate on the morning of August 24. That said, she was a 4-year-old late in the year making her first start, meaning she had taken a while to come around, and she was purchased for just $1,000 as a 2-year-old by owners Candelario Barragan and Jesus Ramos.

Of at odds of 8-1, the dark bay or brown filly went to the lead, setting fast fractions of 21.36, 45.07 and 57.11 before powering away from her competition and finishing eight lengths ahead of second place finisher Check Out and favorite Darling Demon, who most recently ran second in a maiden special weight at Del Mar. Silvio Amador was aboard for the ride.

“We knew she was fast,” said Jesus Ramos, who also trains the California-bred. “We knew she could run. But we didn’t know she would run like she did.”

The Fun Begins is out of the Storm Boot mare Yourfinalanswer, who was a 4-time winner when she raced in the early 2000’s. Yourfinalanswer has produced 3 winning siblings to The Fun Begins.

FINISH LINES: A “tip of the cap” to trainer Bill McLean, who won 4 races from 6 starters last week…The 2-year-old half-brother to 2019 El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate has been working regularly at Golden Gate Fields. The bay colt by Hard Spun, named Ajourneytofreedom, has recorded 7 listed morning drills since July and is under the care of trainer Blaine Wright. Owner Peter Redekop and his bloodstock agent, Alistair Roden, purchased the Kentucky-bred colt for $180,000 at the Florida OBS 2-year-olds in training sale last April…Vice President and General Manager of Golden Gate Fields David Duggan successfully tossed the first pitch at the Oakland Athletics game vs. the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. Said Duggan, “I was absolutely terrified before I threw the pitch. When I walked out to the mound on my own, it felt like an eternity to get out there. And I got to the mound, looked at home plate and it looked like I was a million miles away. When I threw the baseball and it was going through the air, I was thinking to myself ‘Just make it [to home plate], just make it, just make it.’ But it was fantastic.” Over 30 Golden Gate Fields team members were in attendance to watch Duggan before the game, followed by a 2-1 victory for the Athletics…Happy birthday to jockey room massage therapist Richie Rond, who turns 51 years young on Saturday…Heading into Thursday’s card, Golden Gate Fields offers a $19,489 carryover in the 20 Cent Golden Pick Six jackpot wager…The Stronach 5 wager begins with Laurel Park’s eighth race this Friday. Leg C of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 4 at Golden Gate: a 12-horse starter 20k claimer on Tapeta.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jim Gluckson, Breeders’ Cup, jim@breederscup.com, 646-335-6835
Tiffani Steer, The Stronach Group, Tiffani.Steer@stronachgroup.com, 416-669-4749

CRAIG FRAVEL TO DEPART BREEDERS’ CUP
TO JOIN THE STRONACH GROUP

LEXINGTON, Ky. (September 13, 2019) – Craig R. Fravel, Breeders’ Cup President and Chief Executive Officer since 2011, will depart the organization at the conclusion of this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 1-2. Fravel has been appointed as The Stronach Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Racing Operations.

“I can think of no greater privilege than to have had the opportunity to preside over what I consider the greatest championships in Thoroughbred racing. Every race comprising the Breeders’ Cup World Championships provides the chance to witness the splendid horses that reflect the hard work of breeders, trainers, jockeys, owners and backstretch workers. It has been an honor to serve them all during my time at the Breeders’ Cup. I want to thank the women and men of the Breeders’ Cup for their dedication and passion for our event. My particular gratitude goes to the Breeders’ Cup Board led in recent years by Bill Farish and Fred Hertrich whose support has been invaluable. I now look forward to new and important challenges and opportunities and the chance to join my family back in California.”
“On behalf of our Board and Members, we extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Craig for his outstanding leadership and enormous accomplishments as our President and CEO these past eight years,” said Breeders’ Cup Chairman, Fred Hertrich III. “His management and stewardship of the organization, not to mention his quick wit and calm demeanor, will be greatly missed by all of us. We wish Craig continued success in his new venture with one of our most valuable host site partners, The Stronach Group.”

“I am delighted to have Craig join our company at this pivotal moment in our sport,” said Belinda Stronach, Chairman and President, The Stronach Group. “Craig’s stellar reputation and proven track record of leadership will enable us to further our goal to become North America’s preeminent horse racing organization as we work lock step with industry partners to prioritize horse and rider safety.”
As Chief Executive Officer, Racing Operations, Fravel will assume management and oversight of all racing operations across Stronach Group owned tracks and training facilities. He will focus on implementing and enforcing global best practices and integrity standards for horse and rider safety in collaboration with key industry stakeholders while driving a new standard of excellence in Thoroughbred horse racing with a commitment to creating an unparalled experience for both horsemen and guests.
Among his many achievements during his time as President and CEO of the Breeders’ Cup, Fravel developed and executed a long-term host site strategy and successfully brought the World Championships to two first time tracks in Keeneland (2015) and Del Mar (2017). Fravel expanded international participation in the World Championships to its highest levels ever and struck an unprecedented 10-year partnership with NBC Sports to televise the World Championships through 2025. Working with industry stakeholders, Fravel also spearheaded plans to increase horse safety and welfare measures.

The Board of Directors is evaluating the appropriate next steps to fill Fravel’s position.

About Breeders’ Cup
The Breeders’ Cup administers the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Thoroughbred racing’s year-end Championships. The Breeders’ Cup also administers the Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying series, which provides automatic starting positions into the Championships races. The 2019 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, consisting of 14 championship races (13 Grade 1 events and one Grade 2 race) with purses and awards totaling more than $30 million, will be held on November 1-2 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and will be televised live by the NBC Sports Group. Breeders’ Cup press releases appear on the Breeders’ Cup website, www.breederscup.com. You can also follow the Breeders’ Cup on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About The Stronach Group

THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group (TSG) is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. TSG encompasses five distinct business areas that are inter-related and supportive of each other, enabling TSG to be the most dominant player in the Thoroughbred horse racing industry in the United States, with business relations around the globe. TSG business areas include Technology, Entertainment, Racing, Real Estate Development and Agriculture. TSG is dedicated to delivering the best in class Thoroughbred racing content and operations. The company holds some of the greatest brands in the industry, including Southern California’s Santa Anita Park, “The Great Race Place”; South Florida’s Gulfstream Park, home to the US $16 million Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series and retail destination, The Village at Gulfstream Park; Pimlico Race Course, home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland; and the San Francisco Bay Area’s, Golden Gate Fields. TSG is a leader in digital and mobile wagering technology through its subsidiaries AmTote and Xpressbet and is a major distributor of horse racing content to a global audience through Monarch Content Management and XBTV.

Please visit www.stronachgroup.com for more information.

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GGF GENERAL MANAGER DAVID DUGGAN TO THROW OUT THE FIRST PITCH AT SEPTEMBER 17 OAKLAND A’S GAME

Golden Gate Fields General Manager and Vice President David Duggan was always intrigued by the Oakland Coliseum, even decades before he moved to America.

“The ‘Coliseum was the last place that Led Zepplin played live in the United States. They were my favorite band,” said Duggan. “And I loved [the movie] Moneyball [about Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane and their 2002 season, working with limited resources to produce a championship-caliber team.] It feels like I was preconditioned to root for the Oakland A’s.”

Since moving to the U.S., Duggan has become a die-hard fan of the Athletics, following each and every game of the Oakland ball club. But Duggan’s enthusiasm for the A’s may grow even more with this in mind: a few weeks ago, he was delighted to get a call from Oakland Athletics President Dave Kaval, who invited Duggan to throw out the first pitch at this Tuesday’s game vs. the Kansas City Royals. Of course, Duggan accepted without hesitation.

Start time of the game is approximately 7:07 PM PT., with Duggan set to take the mound 10-15 minutes before scheduled “post time.”

“The Oakland A’s business philosophy is similar to ours,” said Duggan. “We work with the cards we are dealt and we’ve got to make the most of what we have.”

“Exponentially, we’ve got a better type of horse coming through with the likes of Anothertwistafate and many others who we have seen over the past couple years that are running in major stakes races. They pop up on the screen and their previous starts are at Golden Gate Fields,” continued Duggan. “Like the Oakland A’s, we are always looking to improve. Every day. And everybody at Golden Gate and the Stronach Group is very excited for the future.”

In addition to Duggan throwing out the first pitch, it will be announced at the game that all fans in attendance that come to Golden Gate Fields next Friday, September 20 or Saturday, September 21 (or both days) with their Oakland Athletics ticket stub will be offered free admission into the races.

On Tuesday night, the Oakland Athletics celebrate “Irish Heritage Night.” So, it makes sense that Duggan will be throwing out the first pitch on the aforementioned evening; he was born and raised in the town of Dublin Ireland, where much of his family still resides.

“It is a huge honor to be throwing out the first pitch on Irish Heritage Night,” Duggan concluded. “I couldn’t be more excited.”
INDUSTRY LOW 12% TAKEOUT STRONACH 5 WAGER FEATURES $96,906 CARRYOVER

A 60-1 winner in Leg E (Gulfstream Park, Race 9) of last week’s Stronach 5 wager prompted a $96,906 carryover in the industry-low 12% takeout wager this Friday, September 13. The Stronach 5 sequence this week goes as follows:

Leg A: Laurel Park Race 8 (approximate post time: 5:12 p.m./ET; 2:12 p.m./PT)
Leg B: Gulfstream Park Race 4
Leg C: Golden Gate Race 4
Leg D: Laurel Park Race 9
Leg E: Gulfstream Park Race 9

Leg C at Golden Gate attracted 13 starter allowance fillies and mares set to sprint five furlongs on the turf. The 9-5 morning line favorite is #13 Unchaining Melody, coming off an easy maiden 20k claiming win at Santa Rosa. That said, ‘Melody will need three defections to draw into the race: she is the third of 3 runners on the also-eligible list as 10 runners are the maximum allowed in the main body of the field.

The second morning line favorite draws the rail, 7-2 shot #1 Quick Song, who has run at the starter allowance level for quite some time but has failed to win at the condition. In fact, she has hit the board in 7 of her last 9 races at this level. #8 Gas Can comes off an easy maiden 8k claiming win on the Tapeta for trainer Andrew Lerner and is protected from being claimed in this spot while #9 Jaimi James cuts back in distance after routing and finishing fourth behind next out winner Oyster Shooter on August 17. Both fillies figure to get bet, along with the Victor Trujillo trained #3 Starza, the Tim McCanna conditioned #7 Waverly Way and undefeated #10 Ixtapa’s Finest, overseen by trainer Bill McLean. Post time for Leg C at GGF is 2:45 PM PT.

FINISH LINES: Irving Orozco has 20 victories at the current meeting and sits atop the jockey standings after 17 days of live racing. Frank Alvarado and Kyle Frey are tied for second in the standings with 16 wins apiece…Jonathan Wong continues to win at a high rate and remains at the top of the trainer standings with 15 winners circle appearances. Victor Trujillo is next on the list with 8 wins…California-bred Doc Tommy was privately purchased after an impressive maiden special weight win at Golden Gate on August 18 and has moved to the barn of John Sadler in Southern California. Doc Tommy, a 2-year-old son of Comic Strip, was trained by Felix Rondan and owned by breeders Mr. and Mrs. William T. Gray before the sale…Handicappers who like to analyze and bet turf races are in for a treat on Friday: 5 of the 8 scheduled races are on the Golden Gate lawn…For the second time this meet, the Golden Pick Six Jackpot was hit last week; one sharp handicapper took home over 15k on Friday when, after the last race, it was revealed that only one ticket had all six race winners… $6,960 carries over in the jackpot pool on Thursday (a 2-day carryover from over the weekend.)

RESTRAINEDVENGENCE TOO CLASSY IN THE ROLLING GREEN STAKES

The feature race of the summer meet, the $50,000 Rolling Green Stakes on Labor Day Monday, was won by 4-5 post time favorite Restrainedvengence. Under jockey Juan Hernandez, the 4-year-old gelding took the lead out of the gate before setting moderate fractions. He kicked away from his competition down the stretch and won the mile and a sixteenth turf contest by three and a half lengths, which is a significant margin of victory for a grass race. Local trainees Builder and Wicked Old Fashion finished second and third, respectively.

“He’s a neat horse,” said winning trainer Val Brinkerhoff. “As soon as I saw they went 49 for a half [mile], I started walking down to the winners circle for the photo.”

Before Monday’s afternoon appearance, Restrainedvengence had run just three weeks prior, finishing third in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. The son of Hold Me Back had one prior stakes victory heading into the Rolling Green: an 11-1 upset in the 2018 Oceanside Stakes on turf for 3-year-olds at Del Mar. Restrainedvengence now sports a 4-1-1 record from 16 lifetime starts with career earnings just over $220,000.

APPRENTICE JUAN ESPINOZA WORKING HARD TO LIVE HIS DREAM

21-year-old Juan Espinoza has known he wanted to be a jockey ever since Kindergarten. Almost 15 years later, Espinoza made his dream a reality when hooking up with agent Jay Robinson and beginning his career as a 10-pound apprentice on the Northern California racing circuit in June. Since then, Espinoza has graduated to the “7-pound weight allowance,” which is granted to an apprentice rider once they have posted 5 career wins.

Espinoza picked up his first win as a jockey on July 13 at Sacramento aboard the Faith Taylor trained Sequoyah Sunset. Since then, the native of Walnut Creek has won six races, three of which were produced here at Golden Gate Fields. His first career victory at Golden Gate came in the first race last Thursday with 3-year-old Mr. Diplomat.

“I feel very grateful and blessed,” said Espinoza on Thursday morning. “I’m really proud, too. Not everyone thought I could become a jockey. At times, I didn’t know if I could do it. But I kept plugging away to achieve my dreams and here we are.”

During his conversation with the Golden Gate Publicity Team, Juan made it a point to acknowledge many trainers and fellow riders that have helped, and continue to help, as he moves forward in his quest to become the best jockey possible. For three and a half years, Espinoza exercised horses for a handful of different conditioners; the list includes Ari Herbertson, Faith Taylor, Blaine Wright and Sergio Ledezma, who helped Juan get his riding license in 2015. Since becoming a jockey, Espinoza has teamed up with numerous trainers, including Taylor, leading trainer Jonathan Wong and longtime Bay Area horseman Jamey Thomas. Kyle Frey and Irving Orozco are two riders whom Espinoza cited as “mentors.”

“Kyle and Irving are two [riders] in the room who have given me good advice,” said Espinoza. “I’m really grateful for their help. Not everyone goes out of their way to help a bugboy. It’s a really great feeling when you have such talented riders coming up to you and telling you how to do things the right way. I not only learn, but it helps me really focus on the improvements I need to make.”

“Knowing this is just the beginning [of his riding career] is the fun part for me,” concluded Espinoza. “I do the best I can every race and look to improve every day.”

CEDILLO FINISHES THIRD IN THE JOCKEY STANDINGS AT DEL MAR

Abel Cedillo, the leading rider at the Golden Gate Winter/Spring meet, moved his tack to Southern California in June and has blossomed since then. In fact, Cedillo just completed his first full summer meeting at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, where the 30-year-old native of Guatemala finished third in the jockey standings with 25 wins. His mounts earned $1,165,244 in purse money throughout the 36-day meeting.

Represented by agent Tom Knust, Cedillo rode 163 races and won numerous races for top trainers like Richard Baltas, Phil D’Amato, Doug O’Neill and Peter Miller, among others. Highlights at the meeting for Cedillo included his first career Del Mar stakes win with 5-year-old gelding Two Thirty Five in the Harry F. Brubaker Stakes and a third place finish in the Grade I Pacific Classic aboard Mongolian Groom. Cedillo also navigated Mongolian Groom to a second place run in the local prep for the Pacific Classic, the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap. This past weekend, Cedillo rode 2-year-old colt Wrecking Crew to a runner up finish in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity.

Abel also won Washington state’s most prestigious horse race on August 11, the Grade 3 Longacres Mile, when guiding multiple stakes winner Law Abidin Citizen to a hard-fought nose victory for Southern California trainer Mark Glatt.

Cedillo, who finished behind top class jockeys Flavien Prat (42 wins) and Drayden Van Dyke (32) in the jockey standings, will ride next at the 2-week Los Alamitos Daytime Thoroughbred meet. He picked up mounts in both stakes races on Saturday; Motion Emotion in the $75,000 Beverly Lewis Stakes and Fire When Ready in the $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes.

FINISH LINES: PLEASE NOTE: BEGINNING FRIDAY, FIRST POST TIME IS 1:15 PM. This new first post will be in effect for the remainder of the meeting…Irving Orozco continues to pave the way in the jockey standings with 16 wins, two more than Frank Alvarado and Kyle Frey…Jonathan Wong has won 12 races at the current meeting, passing Victor Trujillo for the top spot in the trainer standings over the weekend. Trujillo won a handful of races last week, though, and sits in second place with 8 wins…34th times the charm for Warrior Mom, who broke her maiden in lifetime start #34 on Thursday for owner/trainer Ivan Becerra…Another interesting maiden breaker: 3-year-old filly Acadia Fleet broke his maiden on Sunday afternoon against $3,200 claimers-proven winners-for owner Bryan Carney and trainer Charles Stutts…The Stronach 5 wager is back this week. Race 4 at Golden Gate on Friday goes as Leg C of the industry low 12% takeout wager…$8,801 has been carried over into the 20 Cent Golden Pick Six jackpot wager heading into Friday’s card. Last week, one sharp handicapper hit the Golden Pick Six jackpot for over $36,000. You could be the next lucky winner!

September 2, 2019 (Berkeley, Calif.)-Restrainedvengence entered the 2019 Rolling Green Stakes at Golden Gate Fields with just three weeks between races after a hard-fought, neck loss in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs. For the son of Hold Me Back, it was a career-best race. The “short rest” did not phase Restrainedonvengance, though, as the 4-year-old gelding shipped to Golden Gate Fields and trounced the competition in the marquee event of the Golden Gate Summer meet, the $50,000 Rolling Green Stakes for 3-year-old and upward on the grass.

Sent off as the 4-5 post time favorite, Restrainedvengence took the lead early before setting quarter mile fractions of 24.72, 49.70 and 1:13.40 seconds. Winning jockey Juan Hernandez asked the 4-year-old gelding for his best in midstretch before finishing the final sixteenth of a mile in a little over 6 seconds, hitting the wire three and a half lengths ahead of runner up Builder and third place finisher Wicked Old Fashion. Café Flavor, Tortosa, Lymebird and G.G. Ryder completed the order of finish.

“He’s a neat horse,” said winning trainer Val Brinkerhoff. “As soon as I saw they went 49 for a half, I started walking down to the winner’s circle for the photo.”

Restrainedvengence completed the mile and a sixteenth distance on turf in 1:43.93 seconds and picked up his second career stakes win for owners Kelly Brinkerhoff and Bob Grayson Jr. His other career stakes win, the Oceanside Stakes, came on Opening Day at Del Mar in 2018. Restrainedvengence now sports a 4-1-1 record from 16 lifetime starts with career, with earnings just over $220,000.