MATHIS RUNNERS TO EMPLOY DIFFERENT RUNNING STYLES IN SATURDAY CO-FEATURE
Trainer Andy Mathis saddles a quarter of the eight entrants in this Saturday’s co-featured eleventh race: a first level allowance at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. 2-1 morning line favorite Angel’s Advocate draws the outside post while 5-1 shot The Great Haynes is positioned in gate five.
“When I’ve got two horses in the same race, I just want them to run their race,” said Mathis. “You don’t want to see them compromise each other’s chances though.”
Luckily for Mathis, both of his entrants will be employing different running styles. 7-year-old mare Angel’s Advocate, who finished second at this level two starts ago and was last seen easily defeating high level claimers, prefers to be in front. She sports a nearly perfect 4 for 5 record in as many starts on the Golden Gate main track Tapeta.
“Over time, we’ve tried a few different things and found out what she wants to do,” said Mathis.
“She likes to be up on the pace, and she likes this synthetic surface.”
On the contrary, The Great Haynes is likely to be stalking the speed. The daughter of Haynesfield was last seen finishing third, beaten just three quarters of a length at this condition on November 26.
“She’s really sharp right now,” said Mathis. “I thought she was a little bit unlucky last time. She had to wait behind horses.”
Neither Mathis entrant is a lock to win. The Jonathan Wong trained Sheza Girly Girl was last seen suffering a far from ideal trip against stakes company. That afternoon, she steadied behind horses at the five-furlong marker before closing good ground down the lane to finish a length and a half behind race winner Chancery Way in the Bear Fan Stakes. She has won at this level once before and attempts a second win at the condition.
Luxury Liner, who defeated Sheza Girly Girl in a November 6 race at this condition, seeks to rebound after an off the board finish in the Bear Fan Stakes. The Nick Alexander homebred makes her third start off a seven-month layoff for trainer Steve Miyadi. Alexander and Miyadi also campaign Rose Dawson, who removes blinkers after a double-digit length loss at this condition at Del Mar last month. In January of 2022, Rose Dawson scored an impressive victory in the California Oaks for state-breds at Santa Anita. Since then, she has failed to win in five consecutive afternoon appearances.
Avery Blue won a California-bred maiden special weight at Santa Anita on turf in the fall. Since then, she has since finished off the board in two consecutive tries against state-bred allowance foes. She makes her Tapeta debut against open company for Hall of Fame conditioner Neil Drysdale.
Shezarunaway makes her second start off about a five-month layoff and will need to improve to win. In her last start, she broke slowly but came on well down the lane to finish in midfield. Mischievous Curlin rounds out the field. After a two-length loss behind Luxury Liner on November 6, the Faith Taylor trainee failed to fire in a two-turn turf route race three weeks later. She freshens up and gets back to sprinting on Saturday.
A sizeable twelve race program is on the docket for Saturday. First post is 11:15 AM.
Race 11 on Saturday (First level allowance for fillies & mares 3 YO and up at six furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Avery Blue (Jockey Armando Ayuso…Trainer Neil Drysdale…Morning line odds of 10-1)
#2 Mischievous Curlin (Irving Orozco…Faith Taylor…15-1)
#3 Rose Dawson (Alejandro Gomez…Steve Miyadi…4-1)
#4 Luxury Liner (Santos Rivera…Steve Miyadi…7-2)
#5 The Great Haynes (Kevin Radke…Andy Mathis…5-1)
#6 Sheza Girly Girl (Frank Alvarado…Jonathan Wong…6-1)
#7 Shezarunaway (William Antongeorgi III…Dan Markle…20-1)
#8 Angel’s Advocate (Assael Espinoza…Andy Mathis…2-1)
8-YEAR-OLD VETERAN HONEYMOONZ OVER STILL HAS PLENTY HE CAN ACCOMPLISH
Honeymoonz Over makes his 69th lifetime start in the marquee second race of the day on Friday at Golden Gate: a $32,000 claimer for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. The newly turned 8-year-old gelding has won 17 races with 13 seconds and 11 third place finishes. According to trainer D. Wayne Baker, Honeymoonz Over is all racehorse.
“He’s just a cool horse,” said Baker. “In the barn he’s quiet. He likes his carrots and likes being pet. On the track, he’s bouncy. He’s a good feeling horse. He tries hard every race.”
Baker, who lost Honeymoonz Over at the claim box in 2021, reclaimed the son of Congrats in February of last year and has since won three races with him, including a first level allowance on November 20. He has not raced since then.
“I didn’t want to run him back in three weeks,” said Baker. “I could have run him in a race before the end of the fall meet but decided to give him a little time to freshen up. He’s trained regularly and is doing as well as he always does.”
Honeymoonz Over draws the rail in a field of five. Baker is not overly concerned.
“[Jockey William Antongeorgi III] will have to play it by the break,” said Baker. “We might be the speed of the speed in there. Last time, he drew the inside and got the rail trip.”
Honeymoonz Over is listed at 9-5 on the morning line. The 7-5 morning line favorite is I’m Corfu, who finished third as the favorite behind Honeymoonz Over on November 20. Like Honeymoonz Over, I’m Corfu is an eight-year-old gelding.
Another old pro in the mix is Torpedo Away. A 10-time winner from 38 lifetime starts, Torpedo Away failed to make an impression in the Oakland Stakes on November 19 and faces a lighter group this Friday. Two starts ago, the Washington bred beat a salty group at this $32,000 condition.
Blazing Jamie was a determined maiden special weight winner on September 25 but has finished well behind in his last two starts against allowance company. Amanofmystature was also well behind the top three in a recent allowance race and rounds out the quintet.
9 races made the Friday overnight. First post is 11:45 AM.
Race 2 on Friday ($32,000 claimer at six furlongs on Tapeta)
#1 Honeymoonz Over (Jockey William Antongeorgi III…Trainer D. Wayne Baker…Morning line odds of 9-5)
#2 I’m Corfu (Armando Ayuso…Isidro Tamayo…7-5)
#3 Blazing Jamie (Silvio Amador…Cliff DeLima…6-1)
#4 Torpedo Away (Alexander Chavez…Blaine Wright…5-2)
#5 Amanofmystature (Cristobal Herrera…Marcelino Trujillo…12-1)
SPECHT ENTERS 3, MATHIS ALSO REPRESENTED ON CAL CUP DAY AT SANTA ANITA
California-breds shine on Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita with a full card of races solely restricted to horses sired or bred in the Golden State. Half of the ten races are stakes events. Par to the course every year, a strong Northern California contingent have shipped south to take on the locals on Cal Cup Day 2023.
The sixth race on the card is the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at about six and one-half furlongs on the downhill turf course. Drawn outside in the field of nine is Tam’s Little Angel (10-1 morning line), last seen finishing third in the Bear Fan Stakes last month. Tam’s Little Angel was victorious in the She’s A Tiger Stakes at Pleasanton in 2022 and has placed in two additional stakes at Golden Gate over the course of her career. The Larry and Marianne Williams homebred is trained by Steve Specht and will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli. Also entered in the Filly and Mare Turf Sprint is Bear Fan Stakes second place finisher Big Summer (4-1).
Specht, Rispoli, and the Williams’ team up with Passarando in Race 7, the $200,000 California Cup Derby for 3-year-olds at one mile and a sixteenth on dirt. Passarando scored a flashy victory in his most recent afternoon appearance, the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes, and defeated next out 7-length allowance winner Chase the Chaos in the process. Passarando became a stakes winner in October when defeating Giver Not a Taker in the 7-furlong Golden State Juvenile at Santa Anita. Passarando is 2-1 on the morning line for the California Cup Derby while Giver Not a Taker, also entered in the ‘Derby, looks to turn the tables on Passarando and has been installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite.
The nightcap and co-featured race of the day is the nine-furlong $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic presented by City National Bank. The first and second place finishers in a December 11 Golden Gate allowance are entered. Royal ‘n Rando (8-1), who won the race by a length and a quarter, clashes once more with Kings River Knight (6-1), who had to settle for second at odds of 4-5.
Royal ‘n Rando, the third entrant on the Santa Anita card for Specht and the Williams family, won the Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate last year and placed second in the Snow Chief Stakes. Kings River Knight makes his stakes debut in the ‘Turf Classic but is unbeaten on grass and has never finished worse than second in six lifetime starts for trainer Andy Mathis. Umberto Rispoli rides Royal ‘n Rando while Frankie Dettori has the assignment aboard Kings River Knight.
First post at Santa Anita on Saturday is 12:00 PM.
CLAIMS REPORT
Friday
Race 3: Performative (New trainer Jack Steiner…New owner Remmah Racing Inc.)
Race 3: Zhivago (Gary Greiner…Renee Greiner)
Race 8: Stoic Luna (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)
Monday
Race 2: Carson’s Legacy (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)
Race 4: Sacred Beauty (Reed Saldana…Johnny Taboada)
Race 4: Stateforest (Reid France…Hat Trick Racing)
Race 6: Hot Rageous (Ed Moger Jr…Doug Kline)
Race 7: Colormemoney (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)
Race 7: Darksaber (Owner/Trainer James Gilmour)
Race 7: Uncle Wilbur (Guillermo Preciado…Hector Ramiro Preciado)
Race 8: Ottawa Fire (Jonathan Wong…Madden Racing and MJVET Stables)
Race 9: Rocktillyoudrop (Ed Moger Jr…Al P. Pitchko)
FINISH LINES: The co-featured ninth race on Saturday is a second level allowance for filly and mare routers. Among those entered: the stakes placed pair of Clockstrikestwelve and Scherzo, and Trojan Clubhouse, who hasn’t raced since May but enters with a five-race win streak intact…A large field of 11 three-year-old fillies compete on Saturday in Race 10, a maiden special weight. Entered is Daddysruby, a half sibling to stakes placed Daddysprize and allowance caliber racer Murphys Tiger. Carmel by the Sea was purchased for $280,000 and makes the trip north for Southern California based conditioner Peter Eurton. Vintage and Lady of the Light are first time starters with ability, Tessa makes her first start in North America after eight races in Europe, Like No Other looks for a better trip after stretch trouble in her career debut, and Fourth Street is knocking on the door for a win. So is Rose of Mooncoin, a half sibling to stakes winner Cool Mountain Lad…11 races end our racing week on Sunday. First post is 11:15 AM…The feature race on Sunday is Race 10: a first level allowance at one mile. 11 fillies and mares entered to race…Among those in the nightcap on Sunday, for 3-year-old maidens, is the Blaine Wright trained first time starter El Bromista, a $160,000 2-year-old in training sale purchase by Practical Joke. Tim McCanna sends out firster Zeus’ War, a 2021 Keeneland sale graduate by Dialed In who dropped the hammer at $190,000… $7,818 is the carryover amount for the Golden Pick Six jackpot wager on Friday…$5,964 is carried over into the next race on Friday in which the Rolling High Five wager is offered…We send belated birthday wishes to jockeys Assael Espinoza and Irving Orozco as well as trainer Steve Specht, all who celebrated their birthday on December 30…Finally, a special happy birthday shoutout to all of our racehorses, who turned one year older in racing age on New Year’s Day!