HARMON POINTING TO SAN FRANCISCO MILE AFTER FRONT RUNNING VICTORY
According to trainer Monty Meier, 6-year-old gelding Harmon will point towards the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on Saturday, April 30 after a gate-to-wire victory against allowance company last Saturday. Harmon was sent off at 7-2 odds-the fourth choice in the field of six-and defeated Golden Gate stakes winners American Farmer and Freeport Joe.
“We’ll point for the ‘Mile,” said Meier. “We’ll nominate and see what the race looks like. He came out of his race [on Sunday] well and he’s a pretty happy camper back at the barn.”
In last Sunday’s fourth race, a one-mile open allowance race, Harmon was sent to the lead by jockey Julien Couton. He set the pace by a measured length throughout the first three quarters of the race before opening up a couple of lengths on the competition turning for home. The son of Cairo Price finished to the wire with plenty left in the tank, hitting the winning post a length and a half clear of runner up finisher Nowhere Man.
“I told Julien in the paddock, ‘Break him out of [the gate] and make them chase you. In the last few races, we keep chasing them,’” said Meier. “Julien and the horse get along really well. Julien always comes by the barn and gives him cookies and hugs.”
Harmon has been a successful acquisition since being claimed for $32,000 in March of 2021 by owners Michael Bean and Donna Perrone. While under the care of his current connections, Harmon has won three allowance races, is stakes placed, and has picked up earnings just shy of $75,000
“He’s just a really classy horse,” said Meier. “He’s fun to ride-I gallop him-and he’s full of energy in the mornings.”
On Saturday, Meier celebrated a birthday. It was fitting that Harmon, the stable star of the Meier barn, would give him a late present one day later.
24 hours late? No problem. I’m sure Meier doesn’t mind.
IMPRESSIVE MAIDEN WINNER UNTO THEE FACES A CLASS TEST FRIDAY
Eye-catching maiden winner Unto Thee faces winners for the first time and receives a bump up in class in the marquee race of the day at Golden Gate on Friday, a first level allowance for 3-year-olds. Seven runners entered in the five-and-one-half-furlong sprint, which goes as Race 6 on an eight-race card.
Sent off at odds of 3-5 in his career debut on January 30, Unto Thee went to the front and sent moderate fractions. He was eventually passed down the lane and settled for second. Following the race, trainer Jonathan Wong decided to make “the ultimate equipment change.”
And with that, Unto Thee is forever a gelding.
“He was getting pretty studish,” said Wong. “Even so, he wasn’t 100% cranked first out. [His first] race came up and we decided to enter and give him an out.”
Unto Thee showed major improvement in his second lifetime start six weeks later, speeding to the front before opening up the lead down the stretch and hitting the wire about four lengths clear of the runner up finisher.
For the maiden victory, Unto Thee earned a 77 Beyer speed figure. Compare the aforementioned speed figure with other figures posted by major players in Friday’s feature race-all but one whose best numbers are in the high 60’s-and that signifies Unto Thee is fast enough to be a major threat. Drawing the rail post position, says Wong, aggressive tactics will be employed.
“He’s got natural speed. Drawn inside, I hope he breaks well and can just go on with it,” said Wong. “When we first got him, he was training okay. Not great…just okay. A couple works before his first race, we really started to see the lightbulb turn on. Now, he’s a really good work horse.”
Unto Thee is one of two runners bred and owned by Jason Hall and trained by Wong. The other, Unreal, is a son of 2016 Breeders Cup Turf Mile winner Tourist who broke his maiden by open lengths in a five-furlong turf sprint last November. That day, he stalked the pace before unleashing his move to the lead. He took three months off and returned against a salty group of allowance foes at Santa Anita on February 26, showing speed before fading to midfield in the final furlong. Although facing an arguably easier field in his second start against proven winners, he races over the main track Tapeta for the first time.
“He came up with a quarter crack after his first race, so he got the time off he needed to heal from that,” said Wong. “For his last race at Santa Anita, the owner wanted to run him on turf again because he won his first race on turf. He trains good on the Tapeta, so I think he should be fine over it [in a race]. He’ll be stalking the pace.”
A quintet of rivals challenges the Wong-trained pair. They include the top two finishers in a March 18 race at this level, Big Papa Steve and Northvale Road. The former gelding got the better of the latter three weeks ago, finishing a half-length apart at the finish. Both California-breds can win at the first level allowance condition twice before forfeiting their chance to run at the level without being in for the optional $50,000 claiming tag. Coincidentally, Big Papa Steve was the winner of a January 30 maiden race-the same maiden race Unto Thee finished second in. Little Casino, who ran fifth and was never threat to Big Papa Steve or Northvale Road on March 18, is also entered.
Nuestro Engreido cuts back from a route to a sprint. The last time the son of Cat Burglar competed at one turn, he finished third at this condition. The Felix Rondan trainee has the most experience out of any racer in Friday’s sixth race, with 13 starts to his name. In his last three races, all against route company, he was not competitive to win. His most notable effort out of that trio of races was a seventh-place finish in the El Camino Real Derby.
Command a Premium, who led every step of the way in a determined effort on March 6 against California-bred maiden company, completes the field. Command a Premium is out of the broodmare Saturday Premium, a multiple sprint winner who has already produced two full winning siblings to Command a Premium. One of them, Premium Forest, is a 14-time winner.
Race 6 on Friday (First level allowance at 5.5 furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Unto Thee (Jockey Evin Roman…Trainer Jonathan Wong…morning line odds of 8-5)
#2 Unreal (Brayan Pena…Jonathan Wong…9-2)
#3 Command a Premium (Julien Couton…Greg James…12-1)
#4 Northvale Road (Silvio Amador…Ed Moger Jr…6-1)
#5 Little Casino (Assael Espinoza…Blaine Wright…6-1)
#6 Big Papa Steve (Armando Ayuso…Reid France…3-1)
#7 Nuestro Engreido (Santos Rivera…Felix Rondan…10-1)
REBALATION VS. SADIE BLUEGRASS: ROUND 2 ON SUNDAY
The last time stakes winner Rebalation and hard knocker Sadie Blugrass traded punches, the latter prevailed by a narrow neck over the former. They square off once more as the two mares to beat in the signature race of the day this Sunday, a second level allowance for filly and mare sprinters at five and one-half furlongs.
Rebalation, winner of the Bear Fan Stakes last December, enters Sunday’s main event fresh off a first level allowance win on March 12. That afternoon, she displayed her customary “back of the pack to front” flying finish, inhaling foes down the stretch and racing past second place finisher Doggy Dreams in the last few strides. The reliable jockey/trainer of Frank Alvarado and Tim McCanna team up with the daughter of Acclamation.
Sadie Bluegrass, who sports an ultra-consistent 20-11-3-3 lifetime record for trainer Jonathan Wong, was the neck victor over Rebalation in a starter allowance race on February 13. She sat close to a quick pace and got the first jump on Rebelation, who came flying from behind but ran out of real estate in the dying stages of the race. Sadie Bluegrass put up an uncharacteristically poor performance in her most recent afternoon appearance at Santa Anita on March 5, stalking the pace and fading in a starter allowance on turf.
Among the heavy hitters’ main competitors on Sunday is a stablemate to Sadie Bluegrass, Empire House, who has finished as the bridesmaid to Dynasty of Her Own and The Pharaoh’s Girl in her last two starts. Both aforementioned sprinters are gearing up for a start in the Camilla Urso Stakes on April 30. Empire House was purchased for a whopping $500,000 as a yearling and sports career best form.
Maybe I Will exits the Irish O’Brien Stakes at Santa Anita while Tip Top Gal is a stakes place sprinter who was last seen finishing third behind The Pharaoh’s Girl and Empire House. Both runners can be competitive if they show up with their “A+ effort.”
The first race on Sunday afternoon is slated for 1:50 PM. On Friday and Saturday, first post is 1:15 PM.
Race 8 on Friday (Second allowance for fillies and mares at 5.5 furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Do You Hear That (Jockey Alejandro Gomez…Trainer Quinn Howey…morning line odds 12-1)
#2 Tip Top Gal (Francisco Monroy…Quentin B. Miller…8-1)
#3 Maybe I Will (Catalino Martinez…Blaine Wright…9-2)
#4 Ima Happy Cat (Pedro Terrero…Dan Markle…8-1)
#5 Empire House (Armando Ayuso…Jonathan Wong…6-1)
#6 Rebalation (Frank Alvarado…Tim McCanna…2-1)
#7 Sadie Bluegrass (Brayan Pena…Jonathan Wong …3-1)
#8 I’ll Do It For You (Pedro Flores…Quentin B. Miller…50-1)
#9 Annie Graham (Assael Espinoza…Steve Miyadi…15-1)
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
FRIDAY
Race 4: Daniella Bella (New trainer Ed Moger Jr…new owner William Meikle)
Race 6: Il Capitano (D. Wayne Baker…Wong’s Stable)
SATURDAY
Race 2: Emerald Magic (Reid France…Lamonte Isom)
SUNDAY
Race 2: McGeorge (Jack Steiner…Randy Marriott)
Race 5: Foster Boi (Tim McCanna…Mary Ellen Silva)
Race 9: Pappy Boyington (Reid France…Lamonte Isom)
FINISH LINES: 10 races made the Saturday overnight. Among them: a second level allowance for filly and mare turf routers at 8.5 furlongs (Race 4). Recent first level allowance winners Midnight Flower and Trojan Clubhouse bump in class while stakes placed Reiwa and hard-tryer Scherzo are also entered in the field of six…Also on Saturday, a field of 11 first-level allowance routers entered to compete in Race 8. Rocks and Salt seeks his second consecutive allowance win, old-pro Shot of a Lifetime looks to duplicate a smashing starter allowance victory last month, and class droppers Wine and Whisky and Descartes add to a contentious group. 2021 California Derby winner Stalking Shadow is also part of the field…In Our A wheels back in three weeks after a victory against second level allowance sprinters and competes at the same level in Sunday’s seventh race. Also entered is the Victor Trujillo trained Kiwi’s Dream, who finished second in the 2020 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile and was the runner up in the Wickerr, All American, and Rolling Green Stakes that same year. He hasn’t raced since an off-the-board finish in the 2021 San Francisco Mile…Shortly after Fulsome won the Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile last Saturday at Oaklawn, little brother Rimprotector ran third in the Golden Gate fifth race, a maiden special weight at one mile for 3-year-olds…$17,218 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Friday…Leg D (the second to last leg) of the Stronach 5 wager is Race 3 at Golden Gate on Friday…Happy birthday to jockey Kevin Orozco, who celebrates his birthday next Wednesday.