HOWEY HOPING FOR A GOOD SHOWING IN MONDAY’S ALL AMERICAN
Trainer Quinn Howey is eager to see how his two stable stars, Indian Peak and Navy Armed Guard, fare against older stakes company in the feature race on Memorial Day Monday at Golden Gate, the $100,000 All American.
“I think we’ve got a strong 1-2 punch,” said Howey. “Both horses are training phenomenal.”
Indian Peak, a California-bred son of Comic Strip, has always shown promise. Last year, he won the $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes at Santa Anita for California-breds, and was a better-than-looked third in the 2020 El Camino Real Derby. Most recently, Indian Peak defeated a salty group of second level allowance foes on April 25.
“He likes the Tapeta up here,” says Howey. “He’s got a big, long stride. Last time, [jockey] Assael Espinoza got him in the clear and once he did, the race was over. He’s got a nice kick, but you sort of have to time it right.”
Navy Armed Guard, owned by Travis Boersma’s Boardshorts Stables LLC, was purchased for $60,000 at the 2020 Fasig Tipton Horse of Racing Age sale. Boersma, the co-founder and president of Dutch Bros. Coffee, had a hunch that he would have success with Navy Armed Guard.
“We liked this horse at the sale, and I told Travis that $40,000 is a good number to bid up to,” said Howey. “[Travis] got him for $60,000. His dam’s name is Black Java and Travis said, ‘Coffee’s been good to me. Let’s take our chances.’”
In his only career race over Golden Gate’s Tapeta surface, Navy Armed Guard broke the track record, winning a second-level allowance in a final clocking of 1:35.69 for 8 furlongs. Prepping for the All-American last month, Navy Armed Guard won an allowance race on grass at Turf Paradise.
“I’ve always thought he’s at his very best on synthetics,” said Howey. “[Jockey] Frank [Alvarado] has been on him in his last two works and came back saying he was really excited to ride back. He’s versatile, but I don’t think he’ll be too far off the lead. He’ll probably be stalking.”
The All American is expected to include Anyportinastorm, winner of the Lost in the Fog Stakes on Gold Rush Weekend Saturday, April 24. The last time Anyportinastorm tried two turns, he suffered a heartbreaking, nose loss to Grade I placed Law Abidin Citizen in the 2019 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.
“Anyportinastorm is going to be tough,” said Howey. “But we’ve got two nice horses coming in.”
The All American is part of a Memorial Day Monday card at Golden Gate, with first post scheduled for 1:20 PM. Live racing this week commences on Friday and runs through Monday.
NONE ABOVE THE LAW LAYS DOWN THE LAW IN THE ALCATRAZ STAKES
3-year-old gelding None Above the Law became a two-time stakes winner at Golden Gate last Sunday, defeating nine other rivals in the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes on turf. None Above the Law, who also won the Silky Sullivan Stakes on April 25, is conditioned by Peter Miller.
Jockey Irving Orozco, who was aboard None Above the Law for the first time in the Alcatraz, was impressed with how his mount ran.
“That was a fun ride,” reflected Orozco. “Doing my homework [before the race], I wasn’t sure exactly how much speed there would be.
A few strides out of the gate, I realized that there was going to be a fast pace, and this could set up well for us. At the 3/8ths pole, I thought we had a good chance to win. He’s very professional and light on his feet. He kept the same rhythm the whole way around there and as the speed started to come back to us, I knew we were going to be tough. From there, I kept him in the clear and he came home nice and strong.”
None Above the Law, a son of 2016 Breeders Cup Turf Mile winner Karakontie, earned a 76 Beyer speed figure in both the Silky Sullivan and the Alcatraz, and will likely compete at Del Mar over the summer.
TWO “BABY RACES” ATTRACT FULL FIELDS
A duo of 2-year-old races comprises a quarter of the eight-race program at Golden Gate Fields this Friday. The first of the pair, a 5-furlong dash for 2-year-old colts and geldings, drew ten runners. Ten more 2-year-old fillies are signed up to compete two races later-Race 5-another five-furlong sprint.
Here are some Pedigree “Fun Facts” for each race:
Race 3 (for 2-year-old colts and geldings)
–#3 Diamond Willow (Jack Steiner) is out of the multiple stakes winning router Zenovit. Zenovit won the British Columbia Oaks and Washington Oaks in 2010.
-The first foal by Danzing Candy to make it to the races is #4 Love Candy (trained by Ed Moger Jr.). Danzing Candy, a multiple Grade 2 winning son of Twirling Candy, stands for $5,000 at Rancho San Miguel in San Miguel, California. Moger Jr. also campaigns $10,000 sale purchase #2 Northvale Road.
–#5 Stay Lit (Quinn Howey) is out of the talented mare Light Striker, who won the Long Beach Stakes going a route of ground in 2015. She earned 163k as a racehorse. The second dam of Stay Lit, Lacie Girl, was a five-time stakes winner in the Bay Area, with a sensational lifetime record of 8 wins and 6 second place finishes from 16 starts, with career earnings of just over 314k.
-#6 Stylish Elegance (Frank Lucarelli) is out of 3-time stakes placed mare Kind of Naughty, who compiled a 22-6-6-3 record, with 112k in career earnings.
–The dam of #9 Highland Ghost (O.J. Jauregui) is a half sibling to multiple Grade 2 winner Win Willy (first place finisher of the 2009 Rebel Stakes and 2011 Oaklawn Handicap.) Win Willy earned over $1,000,000 throughout a 6-year-career. Highland Ghost is the first Golden Gate Fields entrant sired by $3.8 million earner Shaman Ghost, who won the 2017 Santa Anita Handicap. Shaman Ghost resides at Adena Springs North in Canada, where he stands at stud for $7,500.
–#10 Hijo Galante (Frank Lucarelli) is a half-brother to the speedy Fast and Foxy, a top filly and mare sprinter at Golden Gate Fields in 2016 and 2017. Fast and Foxy earned 514k, spanned across a 47-race career, and won three stakes races at Golden Gate during that time.
Race 5
–#1 Pontiffany (Jonathan Wong) is the first foal to race by Washington stallion Pontiff, a half-brother to legendary sire Pulpit. Pontiff, by Giant’s Causeway out of Pulpit’s dam, Preach, stands at Roche Farm for a $2,500 stud fee. The dam of Pontiffany, Seattle’s Best Copy, won a stakes race at Emerald Downs as a 2-year-old.
–#2 Irish Wahine (Ed Moger Jr.) is a half-sister to 2019 Silky Sullivan Stakes winner Irish Heatwave. The second dam to Irish Wahine, Amazing Speed, was a 271k earner and 5-time stakes winner.
–#4 Nizhoni Yee (Quinn Howey) is out of a full sister to multiple stakes winner Tornado Betty. Her dam is also a half sibling to recent allowance winner Joymaker and stakes placed Joyboy.
–#5 Miss Ramona (Ronda Davis) is out of a half sibling to Grade 2 winner Conquest Big E.
–#6 Onefineday (Luis Mendez) is out of a productive mare (Callie’s Clown) who has produced eight other winning siblings. Among them: stakes placed runners Blading Gold and Emerald Gold. Digging further into the pedigree, Callie’s Clown is a half sibling to Grade 3 winners Holberg and Undermine.
–#8 Remember Sue (O.J. Jauregui) is out of the 2004 Bay Meadows Oaks winner Crozet. Crozet herself is a sibling to Grade 3 winner and 388k earner Lindsay Jean, who won the Brown Bess Handicap at Golden Gate in 2003.
–The dam of #9 Lion’s Lair (Ed Moger Jr.) is a half sibling to Uncle Sigh, who ran second in the Grade 3 Withers and Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct in 2014. Another half sibling to the dam, Percussion, was a stakes winner and earned 644k.
–#10 My Proposition (O.J. Jauregui) is out of the Tapit mare Propositioned, who in turn is out of 2009 Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies winner She Be Wild (this makes She Be Wild the second dam of My Proposition.) The sire of My Proposition, Grade I placed Straight Fire, was a brilliantly fast 2-year-old that broke his maiden by open lengths while earning a 98 Beyer in the process. A son of Dominus, Straight Fire currently stands at Legacy Ranch in Northern California for $3,500.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
Thursday
Race 2: Northern Quest (New trainer Quinn Howey…new owner Leon Scott)
Race 5: Lolo Paniolo (Tim McCanna…Al Hodge and Tim McCanna)
Friday
Race 6: King of Speed (Craig Dollase…Jeffrey Sengara)
Race 7: Cutetip (Owner/Trainer Selwyn LaGrone)
Race 7: Good Time Dolly (Pablo De Jesus…Cindy Winschell)
Race 8: Anitanewmercedes (Isidro Tamayo…Marron Road Ventures LLC and Tamayo)
Race 8: Lord Wimborne (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing)
Saturday
Race 3: Swanee (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 7: Mr. Pickles (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 7: Space Odessey (Lorenzo Campuzano…Manuela Sosa)
Sunday
Race 2: Big Enough (Rafael DeLeon…RD Race Stable Inc.)
Race 3: Dreamer’s Reality (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 3: Lastbesthope (Pablo De Jesus…Cindy Winschell)
Race 3: Paper Boy (Reid France…France and Lagattuta)
FINISH LINES: For the first time in quite a while, Golden Gate Fields runs a mile and one-quarter race on Tapeta. This Sunday, the eighth race is a 10 furlong affair, going as the second leg of the Golden Hour Late Pick 4, and drew a field of eight…The Manny Badilla trained Fuente is entered to run in the opener at Santa Anita on Saturday…She’s A Lil Flirt, the first progeny of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to win in Northern California, returns in Race 4 on Friday against starter allowance company. Brendan Galvin teams up with jockey Armando Ayuso…El Camino Real Derby and Preakness winner Rombauer is likely to work once before the June 5 Belmont Stakes, according to trainer Michael McCarthy, and will get a new pilot in Hall of Famer John Velazquez. Preakness winning jockey Flavien Prat has opted to ride Kentucky Derby third place finisher Hot Rod Charlie in the Belmont…Good luck to jockey Erick Lopez, who has shipped his tack to Delaware Park for the summer and already won a race on Opening Day…Happy birthday to jockey Cristobal Herrera, who celebrates his birthday on Sunday…$17,391 is carried over into the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager for Friday’s sequence…Leg C (the third leg) of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 on Friday.