SILKY SULLIVAN AND CAMPANILE STAKES HIGHLIGHT UPCOMING WEEK OF RACING
This weekend, two stakes races will be featured on the Sunday “Dollar Day” card at Golden Gate Fields. The Silky Sullivan Stakes, for California-bred or California sired 3-year-old colts and geldings, offers a purse of $100,000. The Campanile Stakes, for California-bred or California sired 3-year-old fillies, has a guaranteed purse of $100,000 as well. Both aforementioned races will be run at one mile on the turf.
The duo of stakes events are part of the “Golden State Series,” which is a series of designated stakes races run throughout the year that are designed `to reward owners and breeders who participate in the California State breeding program. In the Golden State Series, horses who are either bred in California or sired by a California stallion are eligible to compete.
“We are more than excited to be offering a pair of Golden State Series races this Sunday,” said general manager David Duggan. “We are always looking for ways to incentivize the California breeding industry. We want to reward our dedicated horsemen-breeders, owners and trainers alike-who participate in the program.”
The Silky Sullivan lists a cast of 19 nominations. Leading the group of nominees is multiple stakes winner Heck Yeah, a Bob Baffert trainee who most recently won The Echo Eddie Stakes on Santa Anita Derby day. Local horses on the “noms” list include allowance performers Night At the Opera and Unpossible, along with impressive maiden winners Aigle, Daddysprize and J T’s A. T. M.
The Campanile attracted 13 nominees. Pulpit Rider, from the Mike Puype barn, won The California Oaks two starts ago and most recently finished fourth in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes behind El Camino Real Derby winner Paved. The daughter of Lucky Pulpit will likely go off favored if she ships up north this weekend. One Fast Broad, a two-time stakes winner from The Mick Ruis stable, is also nominated for The Campanile. Among the local fillies nominated: impressive maiden victor My Sweet Lou and recent winners Gettin Sideways, Impecunious, Lavadia and Our Bold Princess.
Entries for both stakes events will take place Thursday morning. First post time on Sunday is 12:10 PM.
FINISH LINES: Billy Antongeorgi III (with 60 wins) continues to lead Abel Cedillo (57 wins) in the jockey standings. A tight race in the trainer standing as well; John Martin has 35 wins, one more than Jonathan Wong, who in turn has one win more victory than Jerry Hollendorfer… Trainer Ari Herbertson confirmed that recent Golden Gate allowance winner Pyscho Sister will ship to Churchill Downs to compete in The Grade 2 $300,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile on Kentucky Derby Saturday. Also expected to make the trip from Golden Gate Fields is the Blaine Wright trainee Riser. The grey-son of Mizzen Mast is expected to make his first start of the year in the $200,000 Grade 3 Twin Spires Turf Sprint on Kentucky Oaks Friday…Congratulations to trainer Blaine Wright and owner Peter Redekop, who won with Golden Gate stakes competitor Alliford Bay in the $50,000 Bighouse Belle Stakes at Hastings Racecourse last Sunday. Wright and Redekop also teamed up to run second with 2017 Lost in the Fog Stakes Quick and Silver in The Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural Stakes at Hastings…Jockey Rocco Bowen, who rode at Golden Gate Fields this fall and winter, won four races on the opening day card at Emerald Downs last Sunday afternoon. Bowen is “favored” to win the EMD riding title for the third year in a row.