CALIFORNIA DERBY WINNER STALKING SHADOW TRIES TURF IN ALCATRAZ STAKES
California Derby winner Stalking Shadow is back and ready to play in the marquee race of the week at Golden Gate, the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes for 3-year-olds. The one-mile turf race will be run on Sunday, with entries and post positions set to be drawn on Thursday.
Stalking Shadow, trained by Jonathan Wong, has racked off three consecutive victories on Tapeta. The son of Minister’s Wild Cat makes his career debut on turf and looks to keep his win streak intact.
“The only question is how he’ll handle the turf,” said Wong. “In the past he hasn’t been a great work horse, but his last two works [since the California Derby] have been lights out. You could put a brick wall in front of him and he’d run right through it. He’s doing really, really well right now.”
Other formidable foes line up to take a crack at Stalking Shadow. Seattle Bold was nipped at the wire by Stalking Shadow in a March 26 allowance race, and most recently finished as the runner up behind None Above the Law in the Silky Sullivan Stakes for California-breds. His only career effort on turf resulted in a fourth-place finish, at Santa Anita, behind next out Grade 3 placed colt Hockey Dad. Always well regarded by his connections, trainer Jamey Thomas hopes Seattle Bold has what it takes to turn the tables on the prohibitive favorite.
“We’re going to put blinkers on him for this race,” said Thomas. “In his last few starts, after he turns for home, he’ll try to get over to the rail. He lugs in a little bit. We’re hoping the blinkers will help straighten him up. In his last couple of workouts, he’s worn blinkers and he’s worked really well.”
The Blaine Wright trained Top Executive tries two-turns for the first time after an upset victory against allowance foes at Golden Gate on April 8. Top Executive broke his maiden in a stake at Emerald Downs last summer, the King County Express, and was making his first start of 2021 in the aforementioned April 8 allowance. Top Executive’s dam, the Pure Prize mare Severn Shore, was stakes placed at a mile and an eighth, and his stallion Street Boss has produced route horses like Arkansas Derby winner Danza and multiple Grade 3 winner Social Paranoia.
“He’s got plenty of miles in him,” said Blaine Wright, who indicated Top Executive has been training to route ever since his allowance win. “Wheeling back in two weeks [for the California Derby] from five and a half furlongs to a mile and a sixteenth was a little too quick, so we skipped the race and pointed for this one [The Alcatraz.] He worked seven furlongs the other morning. I don’t think the route of ground will be an issue for him.”
Intriguing prospect Top Harbor is out of 5-time stakes winning mare Reba Is Tops and, like Stalking Shadow and Top Executive, also sports a stakes victory on his resume. After breaking his maiden at first asking as a 2-year-old in June, Top Harbor returned to win the Everett Nevin Stakes one month later. Following the stakes triumph, Top Harbor was given the rest of 2020 off.
As a 3-year-old, Top Harbor has run twice. In his first start off the layoff, he completed the bottom half of the exacta in an April allowance race, finishing a length and a quarter behind Top Executive. His most recent afternoon appearance resulted in a third-place finish in the Silky Sullivan Stakes.
“His mother was a good turf horse,” said Top Harbor’s trainer, Tim McCanna. “Last time out [in the Silky Sullivan] he was coming back in two weeks-a little quick. I think he’s coming into this race better than he was in his first two races this year. He’s ready to go.”
Jungle Cry, trained by Steve Specht, runs back in this restricted 3-year-old race after finishing third against older company in a first level allowance last month. The son of Animal Kingdom posts a razor-sharp 1:13.20 bullet six-furlong workout leading up to his career debut around two turns. Recent starter allowance winner J.T.’s Watch is also expected to enter.
EL CAMINO REAL DERBY WINNER ROMBAUER SCORES UPSET IN PREAKNESS
2021 El Camino Real Derby winner Rombauer surprised the racing world, while equally delighting the Golden Gate Fields racing community and fanbase, with a spectacular victory over Midnight Bourbon and Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit in last Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. Top Southern California jockey Flavien Prat was aboard for trainer Michael McCarthy and owner/breeders John and Diane Fradkin.
Rombauer, stalking the pace under Prat early, tracked early leaders Medina Spirit and Midnight Bourbon before producing an explosive rally down the lane, passing the aforementioned pair at the eighth pole and drawing away to win the second leg of the Triple Crown by three and a half lengths. The final clocking for the mile and three-sixteenths, 1:53.62, was the eighth fastest time since the Preakness distance was changed to 9.5 furlongs in 1925. Rombauer earned a 102 Beyer speed figure for his win.
Rombauer shipped from Maryland to Belmont Park on Monday morning, where plans are for him to train at the Elmont, New York racetrack in hopes of running in the one mile and a half Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 5. All reports indicate that Rombauer has shipped well and came out of the Preakness in good order.
Rombauer is the fourth horse to pick up the “El Camino Real Derby-Preakness Double.” Tank’s Prospect won the El Camino Real Derby in 1985 and, three months later, scored a surprise win in the Preakness. One year later, Snow Chief won the El Camino Real Derby and returned to pick up the gold prize in the Preakness. In 1994, Tabasco Cat prepped for his Triple Crown journey in the El Camino Real, won the race with Hall of Famer Pat Day aboard, and went on to win both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes in the spring.
In 2019, The El Camino Real Derby was given an enticing incentive. Beginning that year, the race winner was offered an all-expenses paid, free berth to the Preakness, as long as he or she was Triple Crown nominated. With Rombauer nominated to the 2021 Triple Crown series, he earned the aforementioned free berth. 2019 El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate also used his free ticket to compete in the Preakness but failed to hit the board in Baltimore.
After a third-place finish in the Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland in April, the Fradkin family and McCarthy opted to skip the Kentucky Derby and point for the Preakness. Said Diane Fradkin, “We won the El Camino Real Derby. That was our Derby.”
Isn’t it nice when a good plan comes together?
LOCALS COCO BEE AND DYNASTY OF HER OWN FACE SHIPPER SHE’S SO SPECIAL IN THURSDAY FEATURE
In an allowance that looks like a minor stake on paper, six filly and mare sprinters sign up to compete in the featured sixth race this Thursday at Golden Gate Fields.
The 9-5 morning line favorite is Dynasty of Her Own, who sports a perfect 5 for 5 record on the all-weather Tapeta. Most recently, the Kentucky-bred by Shanghai Bobby split the field in the Camilla Urso Stakes on turf. She’ll be sprinting one furlong farther (six furlongs) on Thursday.
“She’s a really class filly,” sand Wong. “Last time she had excuses. She didn’t break all that great, was last and just had too much to do. She was making up ground in the end. It’s a total “cross out” race. We know she really likes the Tapeta. We entered her to run in the Grade 2 [Desert Stormer] at Santa Anita last week but the race didn’t fill. This race popped up and she’s ready to run. She is a very versatile filly, so she can go to the lead if nobody goes out there or we can take back and track if someone else wants to go fast up front. I’m going to leave it up to [jockey] Kyle [Frey].”
6-year-old mare Coco Bee makes her first start off a three-month vacation for trainer Blaine Wright after a pair of second level allowance victories in the winter. Coco Bee has shown ability since Day 1, says Wright.
“She runs well fresh,” said Wright. “She’s ready for a summer campaign. There are a couple of stakes races at Emerald Downs in the next month or two that we’d like to run in. After this race at Golden Gate, we’ll be trying to get her some blacktype in those races. She will most likely be off to the breeding shed after this year, so picking up blacktype would be really good for her as she moves into her life as a broodmare.”
Like Dynasty of Her Own, Coco Bee has shown she can be successful while implementing various running styles. In her second lifetime win, she went gate to wire. This past January, she won a race making a last to first dash in midstretch.
One familiar face ships North for a return to Bay Area racing. She’s So Special, who makes her second start off a seven-month layoff for trainer Peter Miller, takes a drop in class after a fourth-place finish against stern company in the Mizdirection Stakes on turf at Santa Anita. Last year, She’s So Special sprinted in a restricted 3-year-old allowance race at Golden Gate and dominated her competition, hitting the wire five lengths clear of the runner up finisher. Evin Roman rides for the first time.
Others entered include 2019 Bear Fan Stakes winner Princess Vivian, 2019 Fleet Treat Stakes victor Hollywood Hills, and stakes placed mare Gotham Desire. All three runners have finished behind Coco Bee and Dynasty of Her Own in prior races this year and look to rebound against the big two.
Race 6 on Thursday, May 20 (Allowance at six furlongs on Tapeta for fillies and mares)
#1 Princess Vivian (Jockey Catalino Martinez…Trainer Sergio Ledezma…10-1 morning line)
#2 Hollywood Hills (Frank Alvarado…Steve Sherman…6-1)
#3 Gotham Desire (Assael Espinoza…Ed Moger Jr…6-1)
#4 She’s So Special (Evin Roman…Peter Miller…2-1)
#5 Dynasty of Her Own (Kyle Frey…Jonathan Wong…9-5)
#6 Coco Bee (Irving Orozco…Blaine Wright…4-1)
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week:
Thursday
Race 2: Red Dahlia (New trainer Isidro Tamayo…new owner(s) Peter McGoldrick & John Tipton)
Race 4: New Every Morning (Frank Lucarelli…Lucarelli Racing Corp.)
Race 7: They’re Grrreat (Frank Lucarelli…Lucarelli Racing Corp.)
Friday
Race 4: Wahasha (Quinn Howey…Leon Scott)
Race 5: Hot Encounter (Blaine Wright…Casa Loma Stable)
Race 5: Tristram Speaker (Quinn Howey…Boardshorts Stables LLC)
Race 8: Nip Nap (Owner/Trainer Eddie Freeman)
Race 8: That’s My Story (Frank Lucarelli…Richard Bachand Jr.)
Saturday
No claims
Sunday
Race 4: Backstreet’s Back (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)
FINISH LINES: Two promising 3-year-old fillies displayed an exciting stretch battle in the opener on Preakness Day Saturday. Day Plan (by Carpe Diem) nosed out Torrey’s Girl (Can the Man) in a head-to-head matchup for the final quarter mile of the race. Said trainer Jonathan Wong of Day Plan, “Last year, she was training better than any 2-year-old I had. She had a couple issues though, so we had to put her on the sidelines for a little bit. We’ve always like her.” Said trainer Jamey Thomas of Torrey’s Girl, “She ran a really good race. Jonathan’s filly looks pretty nice. I was proud of how my filly ran.”…Jockey Armando Ayuso won 3 races on Sunday, including the featured nightcap with Shadrack. Ayuso also won 2 races on Saturday and another on Friday…This Friday, multiple Grade 3 placed runner Paige Anne makes her 2021 debut in Race 2, an allowance race for filly and mare routers. The Simon Callaghan trainee finished second in the Remington Oaks (G3) and Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) last year…On Saturday at Santa Anita, California Oaks winner Pizzazz returns in the Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes on turf. Hall of Famers Mike Smith and Richard Mandella team up with the daughter of War Front…Leg D of the Stronach 5 goes as Race 3 on Friday at Golden Gate…Happy birthday to outrider Ashton Compoy and trainer Terri Eaton, both who celebrate their birthdays in the next seven days…Last Friday and Saturday, the Golden Pick Six jackpot was hit for $71,219 and $10,758, respectively…Nobody hit the jackpot on Sunday, so the carryover amount sits at $7,839 heading into Thursday.