WONG MAY HOLD THE ACES IN BOTH DIVISIONS OF THE GOLDEN GATE DEBUTANTE
The Friday feature at Golden Gate Fields is a stakes race. Or shall we say…stakes races. Last Saturday afternoon, Racing Secretary Patrick Mackey made the decision to run split divisions of the Golden Gate Debutante after the race overfilled with 15 runners. In both halves of the Debutante, leading trainer Jonathan Wong sends out major players, including an intriguing first-time starter in Division 1 that will likely get bet.
Division 1 of the Debutante, for 2-year-old fillies on the Tapeta at 6-furlongs, goes as Race 6 on a 9-race program. Wong sends out Uncorked and Mimajoon. Uncorked, making her career debut, is a daughter of Uncle Mo that was purchased by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds for $330,000 as a yearling. The dam of Uncorked, Sis City, won the Grade I Ashland at Keeneland in 2005 and two other Grade 2 races that same year. Sis City has produced three winning siblings to Uncorked, including Grade 3 winner Second City. Uncorked sports a flashy work pattern with two bullet drills that stand out on the page.
“She can run. She’s ok,” said Wong with a smile. “Honestly, she’s shown us a lot of talent in the mornings. She’s not the quickest away from [the gate] but she makes up for it pretty fast. She might not be 100% cranked for this one, but I didn’t really want to run her on the grass first time out and I didn’t want to have to ship her. This race came up and the timing is good. [Jockey] Evin [Roman] has worked her from the beginning and really likes her.”
When asked about strategy for Uncorked, Wong noted that Roman will have to play it by the break.
“It looks like there’s plenty of pace in the race. If she sat off the speed, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. She’s worked behind horses in the mornings. I just hope she runs to what we think. I think she’s going to be pretty special.”
Mimajoon broke her maiden for owner/breeder Scott Herbertson in a five-furlong turf dash on November 13. When earning the maiden diploma, she broke sharply, went to the lead, and completed the five panels in 58 seconds flat. She wheels back in two weeks for a try against stakes company, and Wong expects her to be up close to the pace.
“This is a big step up in class,” said Wong. “I was really happy to see her win first out because she can run, but she’s still got some quirks we need to work out with her. I think there’s a lot of talent there that we haven’t tapped into yet. I really believe she’s going to be a better older filly because she’s still learning.”
In the second division, Race 8, Shoppingforpharoah and I Am Yours (both owned by Tommy Town) represent Team Wong. Shoppingforpharoah, a $300,000 sale purchase by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, broke her maiden by almost three lengths in her most recent start, a five-furlong turf sprint on November 12 at Del Mar. Shoppingforpharoah is out of a stakes placed dam who is a sister to Grade 1 winner Power Broker. She is also from the same female family as Grade I winners Miss Shop and Trappe Shot.
“She began her training at Golden Gate, actually. She was training like a really good filly,” said Wong. “We took her down to LA and she trained just okay on the dirt-not as good as on the Tapeta. Being by American Pharoah, his progeny have done really well on turf, so we decided to run her on the grass. She’s done everything right; she’s a really classy, professional filly. She came out of her last race so well that we decided to give her a shot here. Drawing the rail, our hand is forced. She’s really quick so assuming she breaks well, I think she’ll be able to clear [on the lead.]”
I Am Yours, a filly by Quality Road who dropped the hammer at $100,000 as a yearling, broke her maiden at Fresno on dirt in the first career start. She regressed in her next race over Tapeta, running fourth in a field of four against allowance company on November 13.
“It’s possible she might just be a better dirt horse. Time will tell,” said Wong. “With her, we’re probably going to take her towards the rear and make one run. If we could pick up [a stakes placing], that would be good.”
Wong isn’t the only trainer who saddles more than 2 entrants. Veteran Steve Specht sends out maiden winners Tam’s Little Angel (Division 1) and Sen Sen (Division 2), and Ellamira (Division 2), who exits the November 13 allowance race. That day, she finished as the runner up. One additional intriguing local entrant is Code Ribbon, who ran third in the Pike Place Dancer Stakes routing on grass and cuts back in distance for trainer Jacqui Navarre. The last time we saw Code Ribbon sprinting on the Tapeta, she won a first level allowance race.
A handful of Southern California shippers make the van ride north for the Debutante. Division 1 Southern California contenders include the Luis Mendez trained Drizella, who has run exclusively against California-breds. Baby Steps broke her maiden at Santa Anita sprinting five furlongs on turf for trainer Ryan Hanson. Rose Maddox won her first career race sprinting at Golden Gate for trainer Steve Miyadi and returns to the Bay Area after a runner up finish against California-bred allowance fillies going a mile at Santa Anita.
Along with Shoppingforpharoah, the only other Southern California entrant in Division 2 is Royal O’Haigain, who won her first race by open lengths in June at Santa Anita but failed to hit the board in a stakes race one month later. She makes her 3-year-old debut in the Debutante for Luis Mendez, with Southern California apprentice Diego Herrera slated to ride.
Race 6: Division 1 of the $50,000 Golden Gate Debutante (for 2 YO fillies at 6 furlongs)
#1 Drizella (Jockey Ruben Fuentes…trainer Luis Mendez…morning line odds of 4-1)
#2 Uncorked (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong…9-5)
#3 Miss Union (Santos Rivera…Isidro Tamayo…6-1)
#4 Mimajoon (William Antongeorgi…Jonathan Wong…10-1)
#5 Rose Maddox (Irving Orozco…Steve Miyadi…7-2)
#6 Tam’s Little Angel (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht…12-1)
#7 Baby Steps (Pedro Terrero…Ryan Hanson…9-2)
Race 8: Division 2 of the $50,000 Golden Gate Debutante (for 2 YO fillies at 6 furlongs)
#1 Shoppingforpharoah (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong…1-1)
#2 Sen Sen (Armando Ayuso…Steve Specht…10-1)
#3 Tiz a Tiger (Santos Rivera…Bill McLean…20-1)
#4 I Am Yours (Irving Orozco…Jonathan Wong…12-1)
#5 Code Ribbon (Frank Alvarado…Jacqui Navarre …7-2)
#6 Ellamira (Catalino Martinez…Steve Specht…6-1)
#7 Royal O’Haigain (Diego Herrera…Luis Mendez…5-1)
#8 Gold Rush Gal (Francisco Monroy…Isidro Tamayo…20-1)
CAMINO DEL PARAISO IN TOP FORM HEADING INTO THE BERKELEY HANDICAP
8-year-old gelding Camino Del Paraiso looks to end his 2021 with a grand slam home run in the marquee race of the Golden Gate fall racing season this Saturday, the $100,000 Berkeley Handicap for 3-year-olds and upward at one-mile and a sixteenth.
Camino Del Paraiso, trained by O.J. Jauregui, has won two Golden Gate stakes this year: the Rolling Green on turf and the Joseph T. Grace on Tapeta. Five of Camino Del Paraiso’s nine lifetime wins have come on the Golden Gate main track synthetic.
The local player most likely to give Camino Del Paraiso a run for his money is Jungle Cry, who enters after an off-the-board finish against tougher company in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita. Two races ago, Jungle Cry came up a neck short to Camino Del Paraiso in the Rolling Green. Although 2 of 3 career wins for Jungle Cry have come on turf, he broke his maiden on the Tapeta in March. Other local contenders include Wine and Whisky, who ran fourth in the Joseph T. Grace, and recent allowance winner Freeport Joe.
A trio of Southern California shippers add some spice to the field. Extra Hope, trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, hasn’t raced since a poor effort sprinting in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes on March 6 at Santa Anita. His best races have come routing. Last year, he won the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes, and beat eventual Grade 2 winner Express Train in a one-mile allowance race. Prepping for the Berkeley, Extra Hope possesses two stamina building drills; he worked 7 furlongs on the morning of November 10 and drilled one mile 7 days later. He is listed on Steve Martinelli’s morning line as the 8-5 favorite. Sash failed to fire in the Bulldog Stakes over dirt at Fresno and tries Tapeta for the Mark Glatt barn. He sports a 1 for 4 lifetime record over synthetics, with all 4 starts over the aforesaid surface coming as a younger horse while he raced in Europe. Big Fish rounds out the list of Southern California entrants, returning to the Bay Area for David Hofmans after a second-place finish to Camino Del Paraiso in the Joseph T. Grace.
The Berkeley goes as Race 8 on a 9-race program this Sunday at Golden Gate.
Race 8: $100,000 Berkeley Handicap (for 3 YO’s and upward at one mile and a sixteenth)
#1 Extra Hope (Jockey Evin Roman…trainer Richard Mandella…morning line odds of 8-5)
#2 Sash (Frank Alvarado…Mark Glatt…5-1)
#3 Camino Del Paraiso (Catalino Martinez…O.J. Jauregui…2-1)
#4 Jungle Cry (Pedro Terrero…Steve Specht…4-1)
#5 Wine and Whisky (Cristobal Herrera…Felix Rondan…15-1)
#6 Freeport Joe (Assael Espinoza…Gloria Haley…20-1)
#7 Big Fish (Irving Orozco…David Hofmans…10-1)
GOLDEN GATE FIELDS TO RAISE CLAIMING, MAIDEN CLAIMING, AND STARTER ALLOWANCE PURSES $3,000, UP TO 30% IN INCREASES, BEGINNING DECEMBER 26TH
Track officials announced last week that, beginning Sunday, December 26, all starter allowance, maiden claiming and claiming races at Golden Gate Fields will receive purse increases of $3,000. For most of these races, the increase ranges from 20% to, at the highest, 30%.
“We’re really pleased to be able to deliver this purse increase to the horsemen at the most appropriate time,” said Vice President and General Manager of Golden Gate Fields David Duggan. “We appreciate our owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys and all of the people who work for them who continue to support our racing product.”
Lower level claiming conditions will see the highest increase, ranging from a 25% to 30% increase per level. Most mid-level claiming purses, both winners and maidens running for a tag, are improving at a 15% to 25% rate. Higher claiming conditions are also set for the same $3,000 purse increase as the lower level races. $40,000 claimers-the highest claiming condition currently offered in Northern California-will elevate from the current $25,000 purse to $28,000. “Non-winners of 2” starter allowance races will bump up an additional $3,000, too (from $19,000 to $22,000), as will all other starter allowance conditions.
December 26, 2021 is Opening Day of the Winter/Spring meet of 2021/2022 at Golden Gate Fields. The Winter/Spring meet begins the day after Christmas and runs through mid-June.
CLAIMS REPORT
Below is a list of claims from last week.
FRIDAY
Race 3: Twirling Derby (New Owner/Trainer D. Wayne Baker)
Race 9: Charming Vintage (New Trainer Jose Puentes…New Owner[s] Antonio Mendoza, Lucia Mendoza and Puentes)
SATURDAY
Race 2: Octavius Prime (Jonathan Wong…Johnny Taboada)
Race 9: Aristeia (Jesus Ramos…Candelario Barragan)
Race 9: Quick Time (Jim Gilmour…Robert Creighton and Sue Gilmour)
SUNDAY
Race 5: Barbarius (Jonathan Wong…MJVET Stables)
Race 9: Quick and Silver (Owner/Trainer Sammy Calvario)
FINISH LINES: In Thursday’s Thanksgiving feature race, Race 5, full siblings American Farmer and Blue Diva race against one another. Both runners were bred by BKB Stables. Stakes-placed American Farmer, a 4-year-old by Bluegrass Cat out of the Quiet American mare Farmers Wife, makes his first start since July. Stakes winner Blue Diva is a 5-year-old mare that freshens up after an 0 for 5 start to 2021…Well done to 3-year-old colt Tesoro, jockey Francisco Monroy and trainer O.J. Jauregui, who finished second to Arkansas Derby winner Super Stock in the $250,000 Zia Park Derby in New Mexico on Tuesday…With 3 weeks left to go at the current fall meet, jockey Pedro Terrero leads the way in the jockey standings with 21 wins. Last Sunday, Terrero won 4 races…Jonathan Wong has the most wins out of any trainer at the current meet with 21…One trainer who has had a sneaky great meet is Felix Rondan, a winner of 5 races from 18 starters (28%). Last Sunday, Rondan won the feature race with Carolina Mia…Tim MCanna has also had a sensational meeting, with 12 wins from 31 starters. Last Saturday, he continued his hot hand with 8-1 upsetter Rager in the Oakland Stakes…Golden Gate offers four racing days this week. Thanksgiving Thursday racing commences with an early first post of 11:15 AM. Friday through Sunday racing kicks off at 12:45 PM PT…Golden Gate Fields comprises 2/5ths of the Stronach 5 wager this Friday: Race 2 (Leg C) and Race 3 (Leg E)…$6,623 is carried over into Thursday’s Golden Pick 6 jackpot wager.