OPENING DAY FRIDAY KICKS OFF 19-DAY SUMMER MEET AT GOLDEN GATE
Entries for Day 1 of the 19-day summer meet at Golden Gate Fields were taken, drawn and published Tuesday afternoon. 56 horses were entered on the 8-race card.
A multitude of trainers relayed to track officials that they were delighted to be back at their home base of Golden Gate Fields. Over the last couple months, all Northern California horses, trainers, and their barn help were stabled at either Pleasanton, Sacramento, Del Mar, or nearby farms while Golden Gate took on a renovation procedure involving underground pipes on the backstretch. Horses and the barn crews were welcomed back to the Golden Gate barn area throughout the week of August 8. Last week, over 500 horses recorded published workouts.
“We’re excited to be back up and running,” said Steve Martinelli, who takes over the role of Director of Racing for the first time this meet. “We have a lot of babies [2-year-old horses] on the backstretch. The trainers are rearing up and ready to run their horses. We’re really looking forward to a safe and competitive meet.”
Live racing will be conducted on a Friday through Sunday basis at the upcoming summer meet, with a Labor Day Monday, September 5 race card during the second week of racing. First post each live race day is 1:45 PM PT.
A MAN’S MAN SPORTS TOP FORM IN SEARCH OF FOURTH CONSECUTIVE WIN
New horseplayers and horse people alike quickly learn that there are risks to the claiming game in American thoroughbred horse racing. In the case of longtime Bay Area trainer Jack Steiner, he has never been scared to roll the dice.
Although Steiner has had much success with claiming and improving horses over the years, he did not take credit for the sharp claim of A Man’s Man, an $8,000 buy three months ago. Since Steiner claimed him out of a May 22 race, the 6-year-old Mucho Macho Man gelding has won three consecutive races while steadily climbing the class ladder.
“[Owner] Howard Hammer [Remmah Racing Inc.] was the one who picked him out,” said Steiner. “When Howard looked at this form, he saw the horse had run second at a $20,000 condition. Then he was in for $12,500 and he won. Then he ran for $8,000…and that’s when we claimed him. He had class. It’s ended up being a pretty good gamble.”
After a dominant starter allowance win in his first start off the claim for Steiner, A Man’s Man wheeled back to win a $20,000 claimer at Pleasanton. In his most recent afternoon outing on July 24, A Man’s Man displayed grit and determination to win a hard-fought decision over allowance company at Sacramento.
This Friday, A Man’s Man is entered in the feature race at Golden Gate: an allowance for 3-year-olds and upward at one mile on Tapeta. Regular rider Assael Espinoza will be back aboard.
“We might be asking a lot of a horse who we claimed for $8,000 to win two allowance races,” said Steiner. “The fact of the matter is he’s doing better than ever. He had a nice work last week. I think he’s a confident horse. He’s won a few races in a row and he’s feeling really good. Assael knows him really well, so I’m going to leave the race tactics up to him.”
Race 7 on Friday (First level allowance at one mile on Tapeta)
#1 Govenor’s Party (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…Trainer Dan Franko…morning line odds 6-1)
#2 Lil Miracle Man (Cristobal Herrera…Ellen Jackson…6-1)
#3 Buenisimo (Evin Roman…Steve Sherman…10-1)
#4 Rocktillyoudrop (Frank Alvarado…Ed Moger Jr…12-1)
#5 Claim of Passion (Santos Rivera…Steve Miyadi…10-1)
#6 A Man’s Man (Assael Espinoza…Jack Steiner…5-2)
#7 Sacred Rider (Catalino Martinez…Steve Specht…5-1)
#8 Pour On the Cole (Pedro Terrero…Victor Trujillo…12-1)
#9 Our Bold Prince (Irving Orozco…Eddie Rich…7-2)
STRONG FIELD OF 3-YEAR-OLDS ASSEMBLED FOR SATURDAY FEATURE
A half dozen entrants-all seemingly in with a chance-are entered to run in Saturday’s fifth race, a first level allowance for 3-year-old sprinters at six furlongs on Tapeta. Horseplayers may have a difficult time picking a winner, with many handicapping angles in play.
Super Bill, who draws the rail post position for trainer Jose Bautista, won on debut at Pleasanton in July. That race turned out to be a strong heat. Runner up finisher Smiling At Val returned to win a maiden race at Del Mar while third place horse Arollercoasteride defeat maiden special weight company about a month later at Santa Rosa. A third runner in the race, sixth place finisher You Kidding Me, also won a maiden special weight in his next start.
“We knew he could run before his first start,” said Bautista. “He broke from the rail that day and we sent him because on the dirt the kickback can bother horses sometimes. He drew the rail again [for Saturday’s race], but the Tapeta doesn’t have kickback. I think we can stalk if we need to.”
Trainer Jonathan Wong campaigns a pair of contenders in Boise and Heaven Shines. Boise, the clear class of the race, won the Gold Rush Stakes last year and lost by a head to Il Bellator in the California Derby this past April. After a pair of off-the-board finishes this summer, the son of Temple City cuts back in distance from a route to a sprint while dropping in class to a non-stakes event. He is also entered for the $50,000 optional claiming tag.
“We’ve backed off him a little bit in his morning training because he’s really fit. Hopefully he can lay third or fourth and from there give us his best effort.”
Boise blitzed a maiden special weight group when sprinting five furlongs on turf in his only other career sprint race. Wong believes that getting back to one turn will be to Boise’s liking.
“His first race [sprinting] was very good,” said Wong. “He might end up being a better sprinter.”
Heaven Shines is a speedy gelding from the Wong Barn that figures to be close to the pace. He freshens up about a month and a half after a runner up finish at Sacramento. The last time we saw Heaven Shines compete on Tapeta, he earned a career high Beyer speed figure (83) while dusting a starter allowance group.
“I think he’s a better Tapeta horse,” said Wong. “Besides [Super Bill], there isn’t much front running speed in the race. Hopefully he breaks well and is forwardly placed. Both my horses should be competitive.”
The Jack Steiner trained Stormy Samurai makes his second start off a five-month layoff and figures to get legit support in the wagering. In his seasonal debut on July 22 at Sacramento against older foes, the Kentucky-bred stumbled badly at the break and rushed up to race in a stalking position before fading down the lane. He returns to Tapeta, the surface in which both career wins have come over, and posts a pair of sharp half mile workouts leading up to this start. Stormy Samurai won at this level earlier in his career and, like Boise, is entered for the $50,000 claiming tag.
Rounding out the field are Winter Falcon and Lmlooknformischief. The former defeated the latter (who ran third) in a June 24 race over the Pleasanton main track dirt course. Since their face-off at Pleasanton, both horses tried salty company at Del Mar and finished well behind the winner. Winter Falcon ran in a high-level claimer sprinting on the turf and finished in midfield. Lmlookformischief was a no-show in the Real Good Deal Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds.
9-races made the Saturday overnight. First post on Saturday is 1:45 PM.
Race 5 on Saturday (First level allowance at 6 furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Super Bill (Jockey Alejandro Gomez…Trainer Jose Bautista…Morning Line Odds of 8-1)
#2 Stormy Samurai (Frank Alvarado…Jack Steiner…5-1)
#3 Winter Falcon (Assael Espinoza…Blaine Wright…9-2)
#4 Lmlooknformischief (Pedro Terrero…Faith Taylor..6-1)
#5 Heaven Shines (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong…9-5)
#6 Boise (Brayan Pena…Jonathan Wong…5-2)
DEL MAR WATCH LIST
Several Golden Gate based horses and Bay Area human connections have competed at Del Mar this summer. Below is a list of horses running at the Southern California seaside oval this week.
Friday
Race 2: Creative Romance (Trainer Tim McCanna…Jockey Drayden Van Dyke)
Race 2: She’s So Pretty (Jonathan Wong…Kyle Frey)
Race 5: Jasmine Chieftain (Tim McCanna…Armando Ayuso)
Race 5: Gayles Evening (Jamey Thomas…Diego Herrera)
Race 5: Warm Summer (O.J. Jauregui…Emily Ellingwood)
Race 6: A Little Bit Crazy (Jonathan Wong…Umberto Rispoli)
Race 6: Jessebear (Aggie Ordonez…Kyle Frey)
Race 7: Man Oh Man (Jonathan Wong…Umberto Rispoli)
Race 8: Naughty Nadine (Manny Badilla…Abel Cedillo)
Saturday
Race 1: Holiday Arousal (Trainer Jonathan Wong…Jockey Hector Berrios)
Race 3: Joymaker (Quinn Howey…Ryan Curatolo)
Race 3: Callhercontessa (Andy Mathis…Edwin Maldonado)
Race 4: Stanford Man (Jonathan Wong…Armando Ayuso)
Race 4: Looksgoodonyoutho (Ed Moger Jr…Diego Herrera)
Race 6: Mask Off (Jonathan Wong…Ramon Vazquez)
Race 6: Always Litt (Blaine Wright…Juan Hernandez)
Race 6: Big Spin (Tim McCanna…Erick Lopez)
Race 7: Iconic Sky (Andy Mathis…Kyle Frey)
Race 7: Lexington Humor (Jonathan Wong…Umberto Rispoli)
Race 7: Canam Gal (Bill McLean…Drayden Van Dyke)
Race 10: Table for Ten (Bill McLean…Hector Berrios)
Sunday
Race 7: O’Neills Legacy (Trainer Andy Mathis…Jockey Edwin Maldonado)
Race 7: The Great Haynes (Andy Mathis…Umberto Rispoli)
Race 7: Opening Buzz (Jonathan Wong…Kyle Frey)
Race 7: Vasco (O.J. Jauregui…Ricky Gonzalez)
Race 7: Queen Molotov (Ramon Vazquez…Jamey Thomas)
Race 8: Empire House (Jonathan Wong…Ricky Gonzalez)
FINISH LINES: Trainer Jeff Engler, who is usually based in the Midwest but shipped his string to Del Mar for their Ship and Win bonus program this summer, will saddle his first Golden Gate Fields starter on Saturday. Myfavoritedaughter, a 4-year-old filly, races in Friday’s eighth race, a first level allowance at one mile on Tapeta. Engler also sends turf router Maqamat in Race 7 on Sunday, a maiden 20k claimer…10-pound apprentice Welfin Ruany Orantes has three scheduled mounts on Sunday. Orantes began his race riding career over the summer at Sacramento and has won two races from 13 mounts so far…Assignation and Strike At Dawn exit the Luther Burbank Stakes at Santa Rosa and are the ones to beat in the feature race on Sunday, a one-mile-and a sixteenth route for filly and mares…Leading Golden Gate trainer Jonathan Wong won 3 races on Thursday at Del Mar…Trainer Andy Mathis has had a sensational Del Mar meeting, having won 7 races from 28 starters so far…Speaking of Mr. Mathis, happy belated birthday to him; he celebrated a birthday last week.