SECOND RACE ON FRIDAY THE FIRST OF FIVE ALLOWANCE RACES ON A GOOD QUALITY CARD
Race 2 for 3-year-old filly sprinters on Friday at Golden Gate is the first of a quintet of allowance races on a quality-filled program. Race 2 features the return of Electric Lettuce, who makes her first start in 3 months for trainer Blaine Wright after a third-place finish behind stakes winner Sally’s Sassy and next out allowance winner Rousing Jewel in January. As a 2-year-old last summer, the LNJ Foxwoods homebred by Straight Fire displayed enough precociousness and talent to be entered in multiple stakes races throughout the summer.
“The three months off [from January to present day] wasn’t by design,” said Wright. “The races we were entering in weren’t filling.”
Wright and his team can be commended for helping get Electric Lettuce to relax in her races. As a younger filly, she possessed a “Go! Go! Go!” mentality, setting fast fractions and running as fast as she could for as long as she could. Although Team Wright has successful gotten Electric Lettuce to learn the different between “running fast” and “racing”, she draws the rail on Friday, which many horsemen and handicappers alike would agree is an undesirable spot to break from in a one-turn race.
“We’ve been working with her for a while to get her to settle down, relax, and finish in her races,” said Wright. “She’s done that the last two times.”
Electric Lettuce is 9-2 on the morning and picks up the services of William Antongeorgi III for the first time. Armando Ayuso rode Electric Lettuce in her last two starts but winds up on 2-1 morning line favorite Miss Bellimbusto, an O.J Jauregui trainee who blitzed a starter allowance field on February 24 and takes the next logical step up in class to the first level allowance condition. Earlier in her career, the $40,000 sale purchase by Bucchero broke her maiden in a maiden special weight.
A recent maiden winner, Em N Holl’s Fiesta, has always been well thought of by her connections. Last time out, the daughter of Cat Burglar won a maiden special weight race by open lengths for trainer Mike Lenzini. She faces winners for the first time on Friday.
“She came out of that maiden win great,” said Lenzini. “There’s some speed in this race for her to stalk. We’re going to sit off [the pace] and go get ‘em down the lane. That’s what I’m hoping to see, anyway.”
Another impressive maiden winner, Just a Little Luck, handily defeated Em N Holl’s Fiesta in a large field of 11 others on March 11. Em N Holl’s Fiesta was 4-1 while Just a Little Luck won the race at double the price. She freshens up after the big maiden win for trainer Andy Mathis and makes her second start of her 2023 campaign.
Black Zabat is a perfect 3 for 3 sprinting after a high-level maiden claiming win and a pair of starter allowance victories for trainer Manny Badilla. She figures to be part of the pace and gets the acid test in this spot. How About a Fresca, who cuts back from a route to a sprint and makes her second start off a claim by Sammy Calvario, completes the field.
Four other allowance races follow the second race. About a half hour later, Race 3 is a first level allowance at one mile on the Tapeta. Ten the Smart Way stretches out in distance and could get loose on the lead. She faces recent allowance winner Twilight Empire, the well-bred Momma Mocca, and hard knocker La Vikina, among others.
Race 4 is the signature race of the day: a second level allowance at one mile on the turf. Stakes winner Jimmy Blue Jeans will be the one to catch on the front end and is up against Long Lance, a third-place finisher on March 19 behind 2021 Pacific Classic winner Tripoli and 2022 Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap winner Lammas. Tim McCanna trains Long Lance and Rimprotector, a half sibling to multiple Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 placed router Fullsome. Stakes placed Kennebec, Harmon, and Shotgun Express complete the field.
Race 6, a five-furlong turf dash, attracts the speedy sprint specialist Lotsa Pepper, the well-traveled Queen Molotov, Santa Anita California-bred allowance winner The Great Haynes, veterans Marilyn’s Smile and Hot Rageous, comebacker Tura Lura, and price horse Swanee.
Race 7, the last of the five allowance races, is a first level allowance at five and one-half furlongs on Tapeta. Smiling Molly ran a career best race in her first start on Tapeta under trainer D. Wayne Baker’s condition program and seeks another win at the aforementioned level. The ultra-consistent A Dime for Me, well-bred Lady’s Sermon, impressive recent winner Tamantari and past allowance winner Perfect Stories are four of the nine runners entered.
First post on the Friday race card is 1:45 PM. On Saturday, Golden Gate also has a 1:45 PM start time.
ED MOGER JR AND CLASSY STILLETO BOY READY TO ROLL IN OAKLAWN HANDICAP
On Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs Arkansas, the Ed Moger Jr. trained Stilleto Boy makes his first start since a triumphant victory in the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap on March 4. Stilleto Boy is listed at 8-1 on the morning line in the $1,000,000 Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, for 4-year-olds and up at the one mile and an eighth distance. The Oaklawn Handicap goes as Race 10 of 12, with post time set at 5:06 central time/3:06 pacific.
Oaklawn is the site where Stilleto Boy broke his maiden two years and (about) a week ago on April 17, 2021. He’s gotten a lot better since then and conquered much greater accolades: a victory in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows in July of 2021, a runner up finish behind unofficial Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit in the Awesome Again Stakes that same year, a first-place finish in the Grade 2 Californian, back-to-back third place finishes in the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park, and of course, the recent Santa Anita Handicap victory.
Life hasn’t changed much for Stilleto Boy. Per usual, he has trained great and holds good weight. He continues to enjoy his favorite treat around the barn-horse cookies-and possesses his usual spunk and good energy.
“He’s doing great,” said Moger Jr. from Arkansas on Thursday. “He’s all class. He travels, shows up, and just takes everything in. He’s a great traveler. He flew into Oaklawn on Tuesday and got here in good shape. It rained a little bit [on Thursday] but the track should be good on race day.”
Stilleto Boy, owned by Ed’s brother Steve, will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard for the ‘Big Cap triumph.
RAGER LOOKS TO REBOUND AFTER UNLUCKY TRIP IN RECENT START
In his most recent afternoon appearance three weeks ago, 2021 Oakland Stakes winner Rager was, as the old phrase goes, “all dressed up and nowhere to go,” boxed in behind horses with no room to fully stride out and run his fastest. He hit the wire sixth but would have been battling for the win with a smooth journey.
This Sunday in Race 5 at Golden Gate, Rager seeks to rebound in a second level allowance race at five and one-half furlongs. Earlier in the season, Rager won at this level and was the runner up in his next start behind one of Northern California’s top sprinters in Star Racer. Regular rider Assael Espinoza retains the mount for trainer Tim McCanna.
Five other rivals face Rager on Sunday. Highland Ghost emerges as a legit threat. Two starts ago, the California-bred ran third in the El Dorado Shooter Stakes and was last seen finishing fifth in an ultra-tough second level allowance race down the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.
War Games freshens up over two months for veteran conditioner Cliff DeLima after a fourth-place finish behind Star Racer and Rager in February. The quick son of Cyclotron is a stakes placed sprinter who has never finished off the board in six races at the five and one-half furlong distance. He figures to be prominent on the pace. Lmlooknformischief, a multiple first level allowance winner, was fourth on April 2 and ran on well down the stretch in his first start against second level allowance company. He gets another crack at the condition on Sunday.
The Blaine Wright trained pair of Executive Chef and Top Executive complete the field. Executive Chef makes his second start off a layoff after a double-digit length loss on April 2. Last year, the then 3-year-old won the Auburn Stakes at Emerald Downs and, in a seperate race at Golden Gate, was a head short of defeating Midnight Mammoth, who has since turned out to be an above average allowance horse and is entered to race in a graded stake at Santa Anita this weekend. Top Executive hasn’t been seen since a summer campaign at Emerald. As a 3-year-old in 2021, Top Executive won a trio of stakes and, in 2022, placed fourth in the Longacres Mile at two turns.
9 races end the racing week on Sunday. Like Friday and Saturday, first post on Sunday is 1:45 PM.
INAUGURAL GOLD RUSH CHALLENGE HANDICAPPING CONTEST SET TO TAKE PLACE ON GOLD RUSH WEEKEND SATURDAY, APRIL 29
On Saturday, April 29, horseplayers are invited to participate in the inaugural Gold Rush Challenge Handicapping Contest. Players who wish to participate must have an Xpressbet account and an account balance of $1,000.
The Gold Rush Challenge is a live money contest. The buy-in to play in the tournament is $1,000. $250 of that money goes into the prize pool while the other $750 is for the individual player’s bankroll. 100% of the $250 entry fee will be paid out in prizes.
The races players can wager on in the tournament are all of Golden Gate’s races on Saturday, April 29. Permitted wagers for the tournament are as follows: Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta, and Daily Doubles. Players must wager, at minimum, their entire $750 bankroll during the contest, but there is no maximum betting amount: players may wager as much as they want, including winnings from their bankroll, whenever they wish.
The top finishers in the contest will earn, along with cash prizes, entries into the 2024 National Horseplayers Challenge (NHC) in Las Vegas. Along with the NHC Entry, airfare and hotel accommodations are included. Players can participate in the Gold Rush Challenge Contest from different venues: online on their Xpressbet Account, at Santa Anita Park, or at Golden Gate. For those who wish to play on site at Golden Gate, those players will be eligible to win bonus awards. The highest finishing player on-site at Golden Gate receives $2,500 while the second highest finishing player will earn $1,000.
Online registration (through Xpressbet) opens on Tuesday, April 25 at approximately 12:00 PM ET. Entries will be accepted up until the start of the fifth race at Golden Gate on April 29. On Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, Golden Gate will have six stakes races, including the $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile and the $100,000 California Derby.
For more information, please visit our website at https://goldengatefields.com/events/gold-rush-challenge-the-handicapping-contest/#.ZEIZwOzMKqA .
For all of the official rules, please visit the following link: https://www.xpressbet.com/images/pdf/1000_Gold_Rush_Challenge_Official_Rules_-_2023___V3.pdf
CLAIMS REPORT
Friday
Race 3: Tiger’s Arrow (New trainer Genaro Vallejo…New owner Blue Sky Training Center)
Race 4: Dad Bob (Owner/Trainer D. Wayne Baker)
Race 4: Dr. Flash Dancer (Terry Johnson…Laurie Johnson)
Race 4: Two Twelve (Owner/Trainer Victor Trujillo)
Race 6: Nickel Nickel Nine (Jonathan Wong…MVJET Stables)
Race 7: Big Fame (Ellen Jackson…John Watson)
Race 7: Liam’s Secret (Eddie Rich…Hoof Pick Racing Partners LLC)
Race 7: St Helena (Guillermo Preciado…Danuario Ramirez Garcia)
Saturday
Race 2: Cali Conquest (Ed Moger Jr…Al Pitchko)
Race 3: Bandera Azteca (Isidro Tamayo…Sergio Salguero)
Race 4: Gettin Sideways (Reid France…Williamson Racing LLC)
Race 5: Head Start (Owner/Trainer Sergio Perez)
Race 7: Hunters Ghost (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables and TAK Racing)
Sunday
Race 2: Big Stick (Owner/Trainer Isidro Tamayo)
Race 2: Pollo d’Oro (Owner/Trainer Sergio Morfin)
FINISH LINES: 9 races are on the docket for Saturday afternoon. Race 4, a first level allowance on the turf for filly and mare routers, goes as the feature race. Another intriguing event on Saturday is the finale, Race 9, with a full field of maiden special weight sprinters, while two additional maiden special weight races on Saturday add quality to the program…Nominations closed for Gold Rush Weekend Saturday stakes races last night. Nominations will be published this afternoon…Nominations for the Campanile Stakes and Silky Sullivan Stakes on Sunday close tonight at midnight. Nominations for those two stakes will be published tomorrow afternoon. $43,622 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six on Friday afternoon.