MANDATORY PAYOUT IN THE GOLDEN PICK SIX ON STRONG “OPENING DAY” CARD
It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for: Opening Day! The 2021 Golden Gate Fields Winter/Spring meet commences this Friday, January 15 and runs through Sunday, June 13. To kick off the meeting, track officials announced earlier this week that there would be a mandatory payout on Friday in the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager. The Golden Pick Six is a 20-cent minimum bet and covers the last six races each day.
On Friday, the Golden Pick Six sequence goes as races 3-8, with post time for the first leg (Race 3) set at 1:49 PM PT. There is a $26,201 carryover heading into the Opening Day Pick Six, with a six figure “new money” pool projected to be added into the pot.
67 horses were entered in the six-race sequence, equating to 11.1 horses per race. 59 of those horses made the main body of their respective fields, averaging out to 9.8 horses per race. The remaining 8 horses were put on an “also eligible” list, meaning their races “overfilled” and would need defections in order to run on Friday.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WINNERS SET TO TAKE ON STAKES COMPANY ON CAL CUP DAY AT SANTA ANITA
This Saturday, Santa Anita Park hosts Cal-Cup Day, showcasing some of the fastest and most talented California-breds on both ends of the Golden State. 5 of the 11 races are stakes events, and a handful of Northern California winners compete in these races in hopes of earning major cash and a stakes victory to their resumes.
Race 4 is the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at six furlongs on grass. Drawing the outside post in the field of 9 is Nardini, a newly turned 5-year-old mare conditioned by Andy Mathis. The daughter of Acclamation won a pair of allowance races at Golden Gate Fields last year before running third in the California Distaff in October. World renowned jockey Joel Rosario has the assignment for the first time, which should only be considered a positive.
Steve Sherman sends out 2020 Pike Place Dancer Stakes winner I’m So Anna in Race 6, the $200,000 California Cup Oaks. Last time out in the Soviet Problem Stakes at Los Alamitos, she broke from the outside post in a field of 10, was wide on both turns, but still fought on gallantly to hit the wire fourth in a better than looked effort. She draws a much more desirable post position this time and gets back to turf, with regular rider Ricky Gonzalez back aboard.
Mischievous Path was an eight-length romping winner of a Golden Gate maiden special weight in October and makes his 2021 debut in Race 7 on Saturday, the $200,000 California Cup Derby. Mischievous Path has been prepping for this race down south under the watchful eye of new trainer Carla Gaines, who conditions for Mischievous Path’s owner and breeder Irving Racing Stable. At Golden Gate, the son of Curlin to Mischief was trained by Greg James. He makes his first start going a route of ground in the California Cup Derby while also trying dirt for the first time.
Race 8 is the big one: the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic. One horse likely to get support in the wagering is Indian Peak, now in the Brian Koriner stable. Indian Peak, previously trained by Quinn Howey, was one of the top 3-year-olds at Golden Gate in 2020, winning a pair of allowance races in decisive fashion and running third in the El Camino Real Derby. He then shipped to Santa Anita and scored a victory in the $150,000 Snow Chief Stakes. Heck Yeah, who ships south for Steve Sherman, has terrific recent form and also looks like a legit player in the Turf Classic. Although his last two wins have come at Golden Gate over the main track Tapeta, he won a stake on turf at Santa Anita in 2018. Joel Rosario rides Indian Peak while Drayden Van Dyke hops aboard Heck Yeah.
Bettor Trip Nick rounds out the list of Northern California stakes horses on Saturday. He’ll be going postward in Race 9, the $150,000 California Cup Sprint, for dirt sprinters at six furlongs. He lost by a large margin in his most recent afternoon appearance, the Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar, but was a much better than looked second to the talented Baja Sur in the El Dorado Shooter Stakes at Golden Gate two starts ago. As a 2-year-old in 2019, Bettor Trip Nick won the Golden Nugget Stakes and Gold Rush Stakes while in the barn of Bill Delia. Quinn Howey currently trains and employs Drayden Van Dyke to ride.
EL CAMINO REAL DERBY, SAN FRANCISCO MILE HIGHLIGHT WINTER/SPRING MEET STAKES SCHEDULE
Twelve races comprise the 2021 Winter/Spring meet stakes schedule at Golden Gate, released earlier this week by Director of Racing/Racing Secretary Patrick Mackey and his crew.
The 40th running of the 9-furlong El Camino Real Derby is the first race on the list. To be run on Saturday, February 13, the El Camino Real Derby offers a $100,000 purse and gives the winner 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. For the third straight year, the victor of the El Camino Real Derby will also be granted a free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, at Pimlico Racecourse in Mid-May.
The second annual Gold Rush Weekend, featuring the highest quality racing possible in Northern California, is your appetizer before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs one week later. A two-day event, Gold Rush Weekend is set to take place on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25.
Six stakes are stretched across the April 24 program, including the feature race of the Winter/Spring meet: the $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at one mile on turf. The $100,000 California Derby for 3-year-olds is also a well-respected race, along with the $75,000 California Oaks for 3-year-old fillies and the $75,000 Lost In The Fog Stakes for the fastest sprinters on the grounds. The Camilla Urso, a five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares, and the Golden Poppy for female turf routers completes the half-dozen stakes in what is expected to be an epic afternoon of racing.
The Sunday festivities awards connections who support the California-breeding industry. Both co-featured races are a part of the “Gold Rush Series,” a sequence of stakes races throughout the year for horses that were bred and or sired in California. The Silky Sullivan Stakes, a $75,000 one-mile turf race, is named after the “last to first” fan-favorite in the late 1950’s. The Campanile Stakes, also a one-mile grass affair with a $75,000 purse, is restricted to fillies.
3-year-olds who run well against stakes company in April are likely to eye the May 23, $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes as their next possible target. Sophomores are also eligible to compete against older horses in the prestigious $100,000 All American Stakes on Memorial Day Monday, May 31, while the traditional closing weekend Albany Stakes for turf sprinters will be run on Saturday, June 12.
2021 GOLDEN GATE FIELDS WINTER/SPRING MEET STAKES SCHEDULE*
Saturday, February 13: $100,000 El Camino Real Derby (for 3 YO’s at one mile and an eighth on Tapeta)
Saturday, April 24: $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile (for 3 YO’s and up at one mile on turf)
Saturday, April 24: $100,000 California Derby (for 3 YO’s at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta)
Saturday, April 24: $75,000 California Oaks (for 3 YO fillies at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta)
Saturday, April 24: $75,000 Lost In The Fog (3 YO’s and up at six furlongs on Tapeta)
Saturday, April 24: $75,000 Camilla Urso (Fillies and Mares 3 YO’s and up at five furlongs on turf)
Saturday, April 24: $75,000 Golden Poppy (Fillies and mares 3 YO’s and up at one mile and a sixteenth on turf)
Sunday, April 25: $75,000 Silky Sullivan (California-bred 3 YO’s at one mile on turf)
Sunday, April 25: $75,000 Campanile (California-bred 3 YO fillies at one mile on turf)
Sunday, May 23: $75,000 Alcatraz (3 YO’s at one mile on turf)
Monday, May 31: $100,000 All American (3 YO’S and up at one mile on Tapeta)
Saturday, June 12: $50,000 Albany Stakes (3 YO’s and up at five furlongs on turf)
*all info provided is subject to change
FINISH LINES: Happy birthday to trainer Aggie Ordonez, who celebrates her birthday tomorrow. A belated happy birthday wish to conditioner Jedd Josephson, who celebrated his birthday a couple of days ago…Rocktilyoudrop, an impressive maiden winner for trainer Bill Delia in October, has been privately purchased by owner Gary Barber and trainer Peter Miller and makes his first start for the aforementioned new connections in Race 3 on Saturday at Santa Anita…2019 El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate is bound for the Pegasus Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park next week after a flashy win in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at The Great Race Place on January 2…Leg E of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 on Friday…The Golden Hour Late Pick 4 and Golden Hour Double is back in play with Golden Gate’s resumption of live racing. The ‘Double combines the last race at Santa Anita with the last race at Golden Gate while the ‘Pick 4 mixes the last two races at Santa Anita with the final two races at Golden Gate…First post at Golden Gate on Friday and Sunday is 12:45 PM while Saturday has a first post time of 12:15 PM. We also have a Monday holiday race card this week, with first post that afternoon also 12:45 PM.