GOLDEN GATE FIELDS STABLE NOTES
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
- PIKE PLACE DANCER KICKS OFF FALL STAKES ACTION
- TRAINER NAVARRE SCORES WITH FIRST TWO GOLDEN GATE STARTERS
- BREAST CANCER AWARENESS DAY THIS SATURDAY
PIKE PLACE DANCER KICKS OFF FALL STAKES ACTION
The first stakes race of the fall meet, the one-mile $75,000 Pike Place Dancer Stakes on turf, drew a cast of nine 2-year-old fillies.
The field is headlined by Southern California invader Multiplayer, who comes off a seventh place finish behind Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender Fatale Bere earlier in the month. Multiplayer’s best performance came two starts ago, when she ran third in The Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes in September. Juan Hernandez has the mount in The Pike Place Dancer for trainer Tim Yakteen.
Four of the nine entrants (Seaside Song, Cash Cannon, Amers and Neon Gypsy) come into this race fresh off of maiden victories while two other runners (Majestic Tica and Our Bold Princess) are maidens themselves.
The Pike Place Dancer will go off as Race 7 on the 9-race card. Post time for the race is 3:45 PM PST.
TRAINER NAVARRE SCORES WITH FIRST TWO GOLDEN GATE STARTERS
Jacqui Navarre is no stranger to the winner’s circle. In fact, 15 of her 27 lifetime starters have gone on to win their respective races. Talk about a remarkable win rate.
“The majority of those wins came at Portland Meadows,” explained Navarre. “I helped out a trainer there.”
In Race 7 last Saturday, Navarre saddled her first Golden Gate Fields starter, 6-year-old gelding Drink Til You Drop. The son of Purim sat at the back of the pack before passing the entire field to win the $6,250 claiming event by a head. The following afternoon, Navarre came back to win Race 4 with Solar Tex, a 7-year-old Tribal Rule gelding who beat a solid group of hard-knocking, 40k claimers. Both Navarre trainees were ridden to victory by veteran pilot Frank Alvarado.
“Frank rode those horses like he was in The Kentucky Derby,” said Jacqui. “It was great…very exciting.”
The win with Solar Tex was especially enjoyable for Navarre.
“I have ridden Solar Tex since he was 2-years-old,” said Navarre. “He’s turned into such a neat horse. To see him develop has been fun. Hopefully we get lucky and win some more races.”
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS DAY THIS SATURDAY
This Saturday, October 28, Golden Gate Fields will go pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Any patron who wears pink to the races will be granted free general admission. Golden Gate Fields will also offer a special $3 cocktail menu, featuring all pink cocktails. All purchases/proceeds will go to Breast Cancer Alliance, a non-profit group which has been dedicated to breast cancer research since 1996.
“We are very pleased to be a part of spreading awareness for this terrible disease,” said Golden Gate Fields general manager David Duggan. “Every little bit [of awareness] helps.”
Nine races are slated for the Saturday program. Gates open at 10 AM and first post time is 12:45 PM.
FINISH LINES: Seattle Serenade drilled a half mile in 50.40 seconds Tuesday morning, his first workout since winning the $50,000 Bulldog Stakes at Fresno. The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee could make his next start in The Grade 3 $100,000 Berkeley Handicap on November 25…Win machines Mended and Percy’s Bluff both won races opening week and came out of their respective starts in good order. Mended tallied her ninth win in a row in the opener on Sunday while Percy’s Bluff defeated a salty group of allowance rivals two races later. Percy’s Bluff, a Washington-bred by Raise the Bluff, has now won 9 of his last 11 starts…Agent Fernando “Shoes” Navarro confirmed Wednesday afternoon that jockey Billy Antongeorgi will fly down to Del Mar to ride Noble Nick in the Marathon Stakes on Breeders Cup Friday…Jockey Aaron Gryder will also be traveling to Del Mar on Breeders Cup week. The veteran rider has been hired as a TV analyst for the Breeders Cup simulcast feed…Juan Hernandez won 6 races in the first 4 days of live racing and sits atop the jockey standings after week 1. Frank Alvarado, Billy Antongeorgi, Rocco Bowen and Ricky Gonzalez recorded three wins apiece and are tied for second in the standings…Trainers Jerry Hollendorfer and William Morey picked up a trio of victories opening week and lead the trainer standings after Week 1…Two carryovers heading into Thursday’s 7-race program: $13,035 in the Super High 5 and $3,671 in the Golden Pick 6 Jackpot wager.
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