You know it’s summer time when the Fair Circuit is back in action. The longest fair meet of the year is at Pleasanton, and they are slated to begin their 4 week meet this Friday (June 14th- July 7th). Pleasanton is a 1 mile dirt track, and was constructed all the way back in 1858. It is unfortunate that the number of tracks on the fair circuit have diminished, but it is still something that NorCal horseplayers look forward to every year. The tracks on the 2019 calendar are Pleasanton, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Ferndale, and Fresno. This Year’s Pleasanton meet is headlined by 2 Stakes races. They are the 50k Oak Tree Sprint on July 4th and the 100k Everett Nevin Stakes on July 6th.
The Oak Tree Sprint is for 3yos and Up going 6f. This division is always competitive in Northern California. Three horses that I think could show up here are Touched by Autism, Summersimage, and Tribal Storm.
The Everett Nevin Stakes is run at 5.5f for 2yos and is restricted to Cal-breds. While there have only been 3 2yo races this year in Northern California, there is usually a lot of competition in this race. I am sure there will be a few quick turn backs from Pleasanton 2yo winners and there is also the occasional maiden that runs in these spots. Also, SoCal usually tends to have a strong hand in this race too. The Norcal horses to watch for this race are winners Bulletproof One, Jedi Knight, and Smokin Hot Bobbie.
We have seen some nice 2yos run at Pleasanton over the last few years. The ones that come to mind are G1 Breeders Cup winner She’s a Tiger, Grade 3 winner Stay’s in Vegas, and 5x Stakes winner Smokey Image. I am sure we are going to see some of the horses from the ‘NorCal 2yos to Follow‘ blog run at this meet.
Sometimes track bias can change, but Pleasanton is a track that seems to always play kindly to speed (and the rail too). Racing on this dirt surface is very different than the tapeta at Golden Gate Fields. Looking at a horses prior dirt form is something to pay attention to when handicapping this meet. Also another thing that I have noticed about the fair circuit is that class jumps are not quite as prevalent as they are at Golden Gate Fields.
The trainer standings are usually always compact because it is only a 4 week meet. Last year’s winner was Bill McLean, who hit at a very strong 41% clip. There were 7 trainers within 2 wins last year. Irving Orozco won more comfortably in last year’s jockey standings, and is definitely one to watch this year– he has ridden very well since coming back from injury.
3 Trainers to watch
- Jonathan Wong- Coming off a red-hot winter/spring meet at Golden Gate Fields. Wins at a career 28% and is an incredible 74% ITM at Pleasanton.
- John Martin- Finished up the Golden Gate Fields Winter/Spring meet strongly. Has won at a 31% clip over the last 5 years at Pleasanton.
- Ari Herbertson- Won at 25% last year at Pleasanton and was 13/16 (81%) ITM.
All 3 trainers are very good with claiming and spotting horses, which is a recipe for success on the fair circuit.
3 Jockeys to watch
- Juan Hernandez- Always up there for the riding title, no matter the meet.
- William Antongeorgi- Won above 22% in 2 of the last 3 Pleasanton summer meets. Riding very well as of late and climbed into the top 3 in the standings of the Winter/Spring meet at Golden Gate Fields after a slow start.
- Irving Orozco- Saw him back in the saddle later in the Winter/Spring meet at Golden Gate Fields. Finished at 30 wins from 157 starts (19%). Finding his form again and also won the Pleasanton riding title last year.
I will be doing some previews, recaps, and 2yo pedigree notes throughout the meet. Stay tuned and follow along on the blog/ twitter page.
NorCal Horse Racing News 