ALLOWANCE ON FRIDAY HAS EL CAMINO REAL DERBY IMPLICATIONS
3-year-old colts and geldings route one mile in the co-featured seventh race on Friday. For the horses that put up a strong showing, they may find themselves in the El Camino Real Derby starting gate on Saturday, February 12.
8-5 morning line second choice Il Bellator is an intriguing item from the Jose Bautista stable. The Kentucky-bred son of Shackleford comes off a decisive maiden victory in his first career start at two turns in November. The second-place finisher in the race, Del Mo, returned last week to easily defeat maiden special weight routers. On Friday, Alejandro Gomez fills in for Il Bellator’s regular jockey Catalino Martinez, who suffered a shoulder injury two weeks ago.
“We always thought Il Bellator would be a better router,” said Bautista. “He’s doing really well. Alejandro got on him on Sunday morning and he really likes him. If the pace isn’t too fast, we can be on the lead, but I think we’re going to be stalking the pace. He’ll work out a good trip.
If he runs first or second-as long as he runs a good race-we’re looking to run in the El Camino Real Derby,” concluded Bautista. “Honestly, I think he’s a really nice horse. We’re excited about him.”
Set to tackle Il Bellator are a pair of legit contenders that try routing for the first time. One of them is the 7-5 morning line favorite, Unraptured, who blew the doors off his competition in a maiden special weight sprint on the Tapeta last October. In his next and most recent start on December 11, he finished a nose behind next out allowance winner Highland Ghost and first-place finisher Love’em N Leave’em in a five-furlong turf dash. Love Candy, trained by Ed Moger Jr, finished fifth in the aforementioned turf sprint and is also entered to compete in the Friday co-feature.
Tim McCanna, who conditions Unraptured, also saddles Brookys Tapit. By top stallion Tapit, Brookys Tapit is the first foal out of stakes winner and six-figure earner Brookys Star. Brookys Tapit broke his maiden for a $20,000 tag in November and wheeled back one month later for a gate-to-wire score against starter allowance company. This Friday’s assignment will be his toughest task yet.
Washington stakes winner Midnight Mojo and Dimmi Quando exit the Gold Rush Stakes on December 4. Both runners finished towards the back of the field and find class relief in Friday’s seventh race.
Eight races are on the docket for Friday, with first post slated for 12:45 PM. Golden Gate offers 4-racing days this week: our regularly scheduled Friday through Sunday programs and a special holiday card on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday.
Race 7 on Friday: Allowance (for 3-year-olds at one mile on Tapeta)
#1 Brookys Tapit (Jockey Assael Espinoza…trainer Tim McCanna…morning line odds of 12-1)
#2 Midnight Mojo (Kevin Orozco…Blaine Wright…10-1)
#3 Il Bellator (Alejandro Gomez…Jose Bautista…8-5)
#4 Unraptured (Armando Ayuso…Tim McCanna…7-5)
#5 Love Candy (Ruben Fuentes…Ed Moger Jr…7-2)
#6 Dimmi Quando (Santos Rivera…Dan Franko…20-1)
GOLDEN GATE SHIPPERS TRAVEL SOUTH FOR CAL-CUP DAY AT SANTA ANITA
The phrase “it pays to be a Cal-bred” rings true on Saturday afternoon, when Santa Anita Park offers a full card of races for California-bred or sired horses. Five of the 10 races on the program are stakes events, with a combined total of $900,000 in prize money up for grabs in the quintet of stakes. A number of Golden Gate-based racers fit the conditions for Saturday’s stakes and make the trip south for a try at a sizeable check.
In the signature race on the program, the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic, old-pro Camino Del Paraiso faces tough customers in the one mile and an eighth turf-affair. The newly turned 9-year-old by Suances haswon in four of his last five starts against Northern California stakes company. He freshens up after his lone loss in said sequence: a runner up finish behind next out winner Freeport Joe in the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap. Camino Del Paraiso drew post position five of eight and is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line. Jockey Ricky Gonzalez teams up with trainer O.J. Jauregui.
In the $200,000 California Derby, for 3-year-olds at one mile and a sixteenth on dirt, Jauregui tightens the girth on Highland Ghost, a son of Shaman Ghost who enters the ‘Derby fresh off a two-length allowance score against sprinters on December 31 at Golden Gate. Although Highland Ghost has run well on turf and synthetic, we know he likes dirt too; he broke his maiden on the Pleasanton dirt main track. His only career race at two turns resulted in a third-place finish against allowance company last fall. He has improved greatly since then. Highland Ghost will be ridden by one of the top riders in the nation, Flavien Prat, and breaks from the rail post position.
The $200,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Oaks attracts a pair of Northern California players. Pike Place Dancer Stakes winner Vaping Angel makes her 2022 debut, having not raced since the aforesaid stakes triumph in October. Trainer Felix Rondan employs Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who will have to work out a good trip from the 12 post position. Breaking from post 2 is Ellamira, who most recently won the Golden Gate Debutante for trainer Steve Specht and tries routing for the first time. Tyler Baze is scheduled to ride. The California Derby for 3-year-old males is run on dirt, but the one-mile ‘Oaks for 3-year-old fillies takes place on the Santa Anita turf course.
Two additional Bay Are entrants are part of a full field in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, run down the distinctive hillside turf course at approximately six and one-half furlongs. Bear Fan Stakes winner Rebalation and runner up finisher Nardini clash once more in this $150,000 stake. The former is out of the stakes winning turf mare Reba Is Tops and has shown a lethal closing kick from off the pace for trainer Tim McCanna, while the latter makes her second start off a lengthy layoff and will be in peak condition for trainer Andy Mathis. Kyle Frey hops aboard Rebelation while Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux steers Nardini.
In other Santa Anita stakes news, the Grade 3 Astra Stakes on Monday attracts a duo of Golden Gate contenders. Allowance winners Reiwa (trained by Jonathan Wong) and Scherzo (Manny Badilla) face a trio of local players in the one mile and a half turf marathon for fillies and mares.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
Friday
Race 1: Ruler of Angels (New owner/trainer Marcelino Trujillo)
Race 3: Our Bold Prince (New trainer Tim Bellasis…new owners Bellasis, Smartt and Schanz)
Race 4: Loud Fusaichi (Blaine Wright…Wright Racing Stable LLC, Dermody and Kenneally)
Race 9: Breaking the Code (Blaine Wright…Seamist Racing LLC, Wright Racing, Becker & Becker)
Saturday’
Race 1: Seaside Dancer (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 2: Bandeena (Jack Steiner…Randy Marriott and Steiner)
Race 3: Lucas McCain (Isidro Tamayo…Lenberg, Tamayo and Wickman)
Race 9: Jays Angel (Owner/Trainer Dan Franko)
Race 9: Rock N Roll Song (Quinn Howey…Leon Scott)
Sunday
Race 1: Harbor Kitty (Owner/Trainer Jim Gilmour)
Race 4: K P Silver Bullet (Jonathan Wong…Clay Sides)
Race 4: Surplus (Isidro Tamayo…The Quarter Company LLC)
FINISH LINES: Heading into Week 3 of the Winter/Spring meet, Irving Orozco and Pedro Terrero are tied with 13 wins apiece atop the jockey standings…Jonathan Wong paves the way in the trainer standings with 7 wins. Isidro Tamayo sits in second place with 5 victories. Bill McLean, Steve Sherman and Blaine Wright have accrued 4 wins apiece and are tied for third…Undefeated 3-year-old filly Lady’s Sermon takes on four other rivals for trainer Steve Specht in the co-featured fourth race on Friday, a one-mile allowance. This will be the first time Lady’s Sermon races a route of ground. Pedigree suggest she will enjoy it, being out of 7-time route winner and multiple stakes champion Lady Railrider. Morning line maker Steve Martinelli has tabbed Lady’s Sermon at even money. The second choice on the ‘line is 5-2 stablemate Sen Sen, last seen running third in the Golden Gate Debutante…Saturday’s marquee event is the eighth race. For starter allowance company, it attracts an above average group for the level. Strut to the Wire has been working quickly in preparation for his 2022 debut off a long layoff for trainer Mike Lenzini. He runs well fresh; in his first career race he won by 8. His only other start resulted in an off the board finish on dirt. Doncic invades for Southern California trainer Vladimir Cerin and seeks a win on Tapeta. Gator Shining comes off a solid runner up finish at Del Mar for trainer Quinn Howey while Refi Now, now in the barn of D. Wayne Baker, broke his maiden in November of 2020 at Del Mar and makes his first start in 13-and-a-half-months… Sunday’s nightcap, Race 9, is the highlight of the day. Table for Ten and Tom’s Surprise finished one-two at this level on December 26 and enter Sunday’s feature as the two likely favorites in the race…$5,972 is carried over into Friday’s Golden Pick Six jackpot wager…Happy birthday to trainer Aggie Ordonez, who celebrates her birthday on Saturday.