NOMINATIONS FOR 2023 GOLD RUSH WEEKEND STAKES CLOSE NEXT WEEK
We’re just 15 days away from the biggest racing weekend every year in Northern California: Gold Rush Weekend. With that, nominations for the half dozen stakes races on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 29 close next Thursday, April 20 at midnight. Nominations for two California-bred stakes on Sunday, April 30 close 24 hours later on Friday, April 21.
“We’ve already seen some nominations come through the racing office,” said Golden Gate Fields Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Steve Martinelli. “It’s still early in the process. Most of the trainers will nominate their horses next week. We’ve got a good group of local horses lining up for these stakes and, like past years, we’re projecting plenty of entries from Southern California.”
The six stakes races on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday:
- The signature race of the day: the $250,000 San Francisco Mile for 3-year-olds and up at one mile on the turf
- The $100,000 California Derby for 3-year-olds at one mile and a sixteenth on the Tapeta
- The $75,000 California Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at one mile and a sixteenth on the Tapeta
- The $75,000 Golden Poppy Stakes for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at one mile and a sixteenth on the turf
- The $75,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 6 furlongs on the Tapeta
- The $75,000 Camilla Urso Stakes for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 5 furlongs on the turf
The two stake races on Gold Rush Weekend Sunday:
- The $75,000 Campanile Stakes for California-bred or sired 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf
- The $75,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-bred or sired 3-year-olds at one mile on the turf
For additional info and or to nominate to a stake, please contact Stakes Coordinator Lisa Jones at (626) 388-8062 or by e-mail at lisnpac12@hotmail.com.
TURF RACING RESUMES AT GOLDEN GATE ON FRIDAY
Race 5 on Friday is a one-mile, high level maiden claimer that begins the Late Pick 4. It’s also the first turf race of the year at Golden Gate.
The last turf race conducted at Golden Gate came last fall. Per usual, Golden Gate took a hiatus from turf racing in the winter months of January, February, and March.
“In 2022, we started turf racing in mid-March,” said Steve Martinelli. “This year we got a lot more rain, especially in February and March, so we had to wait a little bit longer. The turf course is in great shape. Our [track maintenance] crew has done a great job working on the course and keeping a close eye on things to make sure it’s good to go.
Some trainers have horses that they may feel are better on turf than Tapeta,” explained Martinelli. “Sometimes, horses take time off in the winter and come back for the second half of the meet, so we’ve got some horses like that getting back into it.”
REGARDLESS OF SURFACE, PACE WILL ALWAYS MAKE GALLANT WARREN’S RACE
For the last couple of years, 6-year-old gelding Gallant Warren has been a formidable competitor at the first level allowance ranks. Heading into a March 25 allowance, though, he had failed to hit the board in his two most recent races at the first level condition. Nonetheless, Gallant Warren rebounded on the 25th, rallying from far out of it before losing by a narrow nose to Southern California shipper Crosby Beach, a stakes placed router in 2021.
Handicappers will pose the question: what exactly made the difference on March 25? Trainer Tim Bellasis is confident he knows the answer.
“In those two races [where he finished out of the money], he didn’t have any pace to run at,” said Bellasis. “He doesn’t have a kick. He just grinds along and stays on. I mean, in one of those races-the mile and a quarter one-they went 1:43 for the mile. 1:43! Last time, two horses dueled out there and went super-fast, which was perfect for him. All we needed was that race to be another quarter stride and he would’ve got there.”
Gallant Warren, who primarily races on the main track Tapeta, gets to turf in Race 8 this Saturday in the signature race of the afternoon: a first level allowance at the one mile and a sixteenth distance. In six tries over the lawn, Gallant Warren has only won once. Every other effort resulted in an off-the-board finish.
“I don’t think the surface is an issue,” said Bellasis. “He just needs the speed to run at. If we get that, we’ve got a shot.”
Jockey Irving Orozco, who won five races between last Saturday and Sunday, was aboard Gallant Warren last time out and retains the mount in Race 8.
10 other entrants are signed on to compete. Morning line favorite Lost in Space will need to work out a good trip from the far outside post position. The Southern California invader trained by Simon Callaghan raced in the 2021 California Derby, failed to pass a runner, and was given a little less than two years off after that. He returned to the races on February 5 of this year in a downhill turf sprint at Santa Anita and finished in midfield. Conundrum, the second choice on the morning line at 3-1, finished about a length and a half behind Gallant Warren for second on March 25 and makes his career debut on turf this Saturday. Other main contenders include Supermazel, looking to increase a win streak to three consecutive victories after a pair of gate to wire wins on the Tapeta, One Fast Bro, a recent fast-finishing starter allowance winner at Santa Anita, and Chief Wild Eagle, stakes placed in the Alcatraz Stakes over this turf course last year.
9 races made the Saturday overnight. First post is 1:15 PM.
Race 8 on Saturday (First level allowance at one mile and a sixteenth on turf)
#1 Gallant Warren (Jockey Irving Orozco…Trainer Tim Bellasis…Morning line odds of 10-1)
#2 Supermazel (William Antongeorgi III…Steve Sherman…6-1)
#3 One Fast Bro (Armando Ayuso…Quinn Howey…5-1)
#4 Enos Slaughter (Cristobal Herrera…Marcelino Trujillo…20-1)
#5 Table for Two (Santos Rivera…Victor Trujillo…20-1)
#6 Chief Wild Eagle (Frank Alvarado…Tim McCanna…12-1)
#7 Big Flame (Evin Roman…Victor Trujillo…10-1)
#8 Acclider (Alejandro Gomez…Jesus Ramos…15-1)
#9 Wellswort (Brayan Pena…Simon Hobson…20-1)
#10 Conundrum (Alexander Chavez…Mike Lenzini…3-1)
#11 Lost in Space (Assael Espinoza…Simon Callaghan…5-2)
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
Friday
Race 6: Thanks Maggio (Gary Greiner…Renee Greiner)
Race 7: Rachel’s Coach (Sergio Ledezma…Ledezma and Michael Shand)
Saturday
Race 3: Irish Royalty (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)
Race 7: The Calabrese Kid (Owner/Trainer Sergio Perez)
Sunday
Race 2: Que Sera Sir Ralph (Terry Johnson…Reynaldo Gonzalez)
Race 3: Blossoming (Owner/Trainer Reed Saldana)
Race 4: Crown Kitten (Genaro Vallejo…Blue Sky Training Center)
Race 4: Damn the Torpedoes (Ed Moger Jr…Terrance McFarlane)
Race 8: Sherilinda (Tim McCanna…Pat LePley)
Race 9: Winter Falcon (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables and Clay Sides)
FINISH LINES: Friday offers an 8-race card with first post at 1:15 PM. Sunday has a 9-race card beginning at 1:15…Along with an 11-horse allowance race in Race 8 on Saturday, a full field of 12 maiden special weight entrants ends the day…The Ed Moger Jr. trained Stilleto Boy worked the second fastest of 49 workers at the five-furlong distance on April 8, finishing five panels in 1:00.20. He has one more workout this weekend before shipping to Oaklawn Park for the $1,000,000 Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 22…Santa Anita takes a week off from live racing this week. With that, the Golden Hour Late Pick 4 and Double wagers will be back in play beginning next Friday, April 21, when Santa Anita resumes live racing…$19,724 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Friday.