‘Horses to Watch’ highlights horses that should be followed for potential wagering options in the future. Virtual stables or stable mail are good tools to help you follow along.
There are only 2 horses featured on this week’s list, and they ran in back-to-back races.
Kelly (Feb 10: Race 7) Closed well into a loose leader that set a slow pace up front. Had an uncomfortable trip on the backstretch– was in-tight, which resulted in the rider having to pull hard. Once she settled in, she made a strong run to be a clear 2nd. She is definitely one to look for next time.
Coco Bee (Feb 10: Race 8) Got away from the gate a half step slow, and was forced to sit off the pace. She won at this level last out going wire-to-wire, but doesn’t necessarily need the lead. However, she was much further back then I would have thought, as she sat 2nd to last on the backstretch. On the turn, she continued to drop through the field and was in last entering the stretch. It looked like she was going to finish near last, but she was able to find another gear late and leveled off nicely to run 4th. The Blaine Wright trainee also had a wide trip from the 10 post. The top 2 finishers were close to the pace as it was not the quickest up front. Seemed like she figured it out late, just needs to get off to a better start next out.
After winning 4-races yesterday, it took just 24 hours for Jonathan Wong to accomplish this incredible feat again. One of these 4 wins came in race 8, which was the 6f Allowance feature. I Love Romance sat in the 3rd position from the far outside post, and ran home strongly to record a neck victory over the stubborn Maycee Jo. It was a very nice ride from jockey Luis Ocasio, who is riding at a strong 19% clip for the meet. Previously her best form prior was on the turf, and she was looking to transfer it to the main track. She was coming off a career best win at the 20k level, and was jumping into the deep end with Allowance fillies here– this new test proved to be no problem for her. The 4yo daughter of Black Seventeen keeps climbing the class ladder, and is continuing to get better. Not to go unnoticed, the other 3 wins for Wong came in races 4, 6, and 9 with Johnny Reb, Thorn Hill Cat, and Private Marini respectively.
‘Horses to Watch’ horse Mr. Diplomat got his diploma, as he graduated from the maiden ranks in the opener. Trainer Blaine Wright saw some potential after the debut, and decided to step him up into protected company. He sat on the rail, stalked the pace, and kicked on in the stretch to win by 3 lengths.
3yo filly Swing Thoughts was able to win an Allowance in Race 5. It was her first try around two turns, and she seemed to relish it. She rated the pace in a wide position all the way around, and then rallied very strongly late to win by a convincing 2 lengths. The Ed Moger trained daughter of U S Ranger has now claimed her 4th win from 13 starts.
Jockeys: Catalino Martinez had a huge 3-win day and continues to sit in 3rd in the standings. The top 2 in the standings, Abel Cedillo and Juan Hernandez, each won a pair on the Sunday program.
Cedillo *45* 2. Hernandez *36* 3. Martinez *23*
Trainers: Jonathan Wong extended his already impressive lead after an 8-win weekend. Blaine Wright was able to claim outright 2nd after taking the opener.
Wong *34* 2. Wright *12* 3. Hollendorfer *11*
Handle on Sunday’s 9-race program reached an impressive $3,245,122! That is great to see, and hopefully Golden Gate Fields can keep the momentum going into El Camino Real Derby Week.
There will be a new ‘Horses to Watch’ list on Wednesday, so be on the lookout for that.
Live racing will resume Thursday with a 7-race card. First post is at 12:45pm.
Race 1:
Mr. Diplomat J:Martinez T:Wright $4.20 $2.40 $2.10
Persistence J;Amador T:Delia $3.40 $2.60
Bourbon Traffic J:Solis T:Delia $3.00
Race 2:
P H Factor J:Alvarado T:Rivelli $7.00 $3.80 $2.20
Nolongerahobby J:Hernandez T:James $3.20 $2.20
Classy Chasie J:Gonzalez T:McCanna $2.40
Race 3:
Midnight Special J:Hernandez T:Hess, Sr. $5.80 $3.00 $2.20
Jonathan Wong picked things up, right where he left off. Coming off a banner year in 2018 with 128 wins and just over $1.95 million in earnings, Wong has kept a hot hand to start the 2019 season. He came into today with a sizable lead in the trainer standings, and was hitting at a strong 27%. Wong was able to win an impressive 4 races on today’s 10-race card. He took the 3rd with Mad Luther, the 5th with Aotearoa, the 6th with Macho Gabacho, and the 7th with Madame Mousse. Wong has now jumped up to a 19-win lead and has reached 30 wins (29%) for the meet. He is poised for another huge year with the stock he has in the barn, and it would not surprise me to see this talented trainer have another 4-win day this meet.
The feature today was race 9, and it was won by Lymebyrd. This was a First Condition Allowance for 4yos and up going 1m on the main track. He was coming off a strong Starter Allowance win, and was 3rd to Mugaritz two races back. He had solid form lines, and continued to move forward today. The Angelo Tekos Jr tainee relaxed early on and waited for the pace to come back to him. Things set up well in front, and he finished up strongly to win by 2.5 lengths going away.
Also, to not go unnoticed, we saw a visually impressive debut winner for the Andy Mathis barn in Early’s Kid. She got away from the gate slowly in this 6f race, and made a move on the turn weaving through traffic. She found another gear late and kicked on very strongly to win. The time did not come back that quick, but the manner in which she did it was impressive. This is a 3yo daughter of Richard’s Kid, and is a half to Bear Fan Stakes Winner, The Spiral Jetter. There is a lot of precocity in this pedigree too, as her dam’s 1 career race was a 9-length debut win.
Jockeys: Abel Cedillo had a strong day with 3 winners– he had a natural pick 3 in races 7, 8, and 9. Both Catalino Martinez and Luis Ocasio scored 2 wins on the card.
Cedillo *43* 2. Hernandez *34* 3. Martinez *20*
Trainers: Jonathan Wong had a monster 4-win day.
Wong *30* T-2. Wright, Hollendorfer *11*
Live racing resumes tomorrow with a 9-race Dollar Day card. First post is 12:45pm. It is a stacked card, and the feature (race 8) is a very deep allowance race.
Race 1:
West Coast Indy J:Martinez T:Rondan $18.00 $5.40 $3.20
Burnthewhiteflag J:Cedillo T:DeLima $3.00 $2.40
Pepper Magic J:Hernandez T:Trujillo $2.60
Race 2:
The Pet J:Antongeorgi T:Freeman $4.40 $2.80 $2.10
Frisky Fox J:Cedillo T:Hess, Sr. $6.40 $3.20
Her Hush Money J:Alvarado T:Rivelli $2.60
Race 3:
Mad Luther J:Ocasio T:Wong $3.80 $2.40 $2.10
Lucky General J:Alvarado T:Specht $3.40 $2.60
Peppers Ace J:Gomez T:Trujillo $2.60
Race 4:
Early’s Kid J:Couton T:Mathis $4.60 $3.20 $3.00
Tibby Gee J:Cedillo T:McLean $5.20 $3.20
Miss Monique J:Orozco T:Lucarelli $5.00
Race 5:
Aotearoa J:Martinez T:Wong $6.80 $4.00 $2.80
Perfect Come Back J:Cedillo T:McCanna $6.80 $3.40
Eagle Screams J:Ceballos T:Bonde $2.20
Race 6:
Macho Gabacho J:Ocasio T:Wong $9.60 $5.20 $3.60
Close to Midnight J:Couton T:Meier $9.00 $6.00
Make Money for Me J:Martinez T:Delia $3.40
Race 7:
Madame Mousse J:Cedillo T:Wong $4.20 $2.60 $2.20
Miss Pretty J:Henry T:Tamayo $3.60 $3.00
Our Favorite City J:Herrera T:Monroe $3.60
Race 8:
Plum Wild J:Cedillo T:Hess, Sr. $9.20 $4.00 $2.40
May Song J:Gomez T:Moger, Jr. $3.20 $2.20
Gracious Me J:Hernandez T:Wright $2.20
Race 9:
Lymebyrd J:Cedillo T:Tekos, Jr. $8.40 $4.20 $3.00
Arch Prince J:Quinonez T:Koriner $3.60 $2.60
Run Like Rhett J:Martinez T:Wong $4.00
Race 10:
Madi’s Thunderbird J:Hernandez T:Moger, Jr. $6.80 $3.60 $3.20
Race 4 on the card was a 1st condition Allowance race for 4yos and up going 6f on the main track. Sweet River Baines was the even-money favorite, and lived up to the public’s hype. He sat off quick fractions under jockey Frank Alvarado, and once he was asked in the stretch, he took off and exploded home to a comfortable 3-length score. This 5yo gelding son of Stroll claimed his 3rd career win today. It was his 2nd start since July, and trainer Tim McCanna did a good job having him ready to go. 2nd place went to the late running Tomahawk Tuesday, who made a bid up the inside. Rounding out the trifecta was El Chavo Del Ocho– he had an abysmal start to the race and still was able to make a good account of himself. The pace in this race completely fell apart as the 2 pace-setters ran last and 2nd to last. The fractions were 22.25 45.25 57.80 with a final time of 1:10.28.
Indian Head Nickel went wire-to-wire in the 2nd to narrowly break his maiden, scoring a 15/1 upset. This 4yo son of Indian Evening is trained by Ellen Jackson, and was ridden by Cristobal Herrera.
Trainer Steve Specht did a great job in today’s 5th race, as his runners ran 1st and 2nd. Lucky’s Last Song took them all the way up front, and Mountain Dance was able to stay on well for 2nd on his debut.
We saw a very visually impressive win by the big class dropper Amba in race 6. She was stuck on the inside and was finally able to find room late to kick on for a 4-length victory.
Jockeys: All 8 races on today’s program were won by different jockeys.
Cedillo *40* 2. Hernandez *33* 3. Martinez *18*
Trainers: Like the jockeys, it was a wide open day for the trainers with 8 different trainers winning.
Live racing resumes tomorrow with a 10-race card. First post is at 12:45pm. There are some very compelling races. In the 3rd race, William Morey is debuting an Uncle Mo 3yo 1/2 sister to G1 winner Romance Is Diane. Also, Golden Gate Debutante winner Tomlin is running in the G2 Las Virgenes Stakes tomorrow at Santa Anita.
Wong *26* T-2. Wright, Hollendorfer *11*
Race 1:
Pattyville J:Monroy T:Wright $5.60 $3.00 $2.40
Another Redhead J:Gomez T:DeLima $6.60 $3.20
One Smart Gal J:Cedillo T:Thomas $2.20
Race 2:
Indian Head Nickle J:Herrera T:Jackson $33.60 $10.80 $3.60
Cosa Nostra (IRE) J:Antongeorgi III T:Martin $3.00 $2.10
Reckless Gravity J:Couton T:Gallagher $2.10
Race 3:
Rideo J:Martinez T:Delia $3.40 $2.80 $2.20
Tiz Titus J:Cedillo T:Wong $4.80 $3.60
My Friend George J:Monroy T:Badilla $3.60
Race 4:
Sweet River Baines J:Alvarado T:McCanna $4.20 $2.60 $2.20
Tomahawk Tuesday J:Couton T:DeLima $4.20 $2.60
El Chavo Del Ocho J:Martinez T:Wong $3.20
Race 5:
Lucky’s Last Song J:Gonzalez T:Specht $3.60 $2.60 $2.20
Mountain Dance J:Alvarado T:Specht $6.60 $3.60
Bubba Bay J:Solis T:Sherman $3.40
Race 6:
Amba J:Hernandez T:Haley $11.20 $5.60 $4.20
Dressed in Prada J:Cedillo T:Miranda $4.00 $3.00
Tiz Seeking a Win J:Antongeorgi III T:McLean $6.20
Race 7:
Cash Limit J:Amador T:Hansen $13.00 $5.20 $3.00
Turnaround J:Antongeorgi III T:Herbertson $3.60 $2.60
Springtime Dance was finally able to put it all together in her 6th career start. The William Morey trained mare sat in a stalking position behind the loose leader, and exploded in the stretch to win Race 7 by an impressive 5 lengths. After running for 8k last time, she dropped down to the 5k maiden claiming level today– she was still able to stop the clock in a solid 58.54 for 5f. Juan Hernandez kept his hot hand going, as this race capped off a 3-win day on the 7-race card. This daughter of Spring At Last appeared to be coming into the race in good form, as she worked a 5f bullet in 1:00.3 on January 19th, it was the quickest of 40 works at the distance on the day. Not sure where we will see Springtime Dance next, but she seems to be a progressive type that is steadily improving.
Also, in today’s 2nd race, International Diva was able to make it 2-straight wins. Jonathan Wong has done a good job with her, as she had 2 wins and a 2nd in their 3 starts together. After her going-away win today, she was claimed for $3200 by trainer Felix Rondan.
Jockeys: Juan Hernandez had an impressive day, as he bagged 3 wins on the card. Leading jockey Abel Cedillo had a solid day with 2 wins.
Cedillo *39* 2. Hernandez *32* 3. Martinez *17*
Trainers: William Morey and D Wayne Baker were both able to win 2 on the day. Morey took the 5th with Spider Jorgensen and the 7th with Springtime Dance. Baker won race 4 with Fabriana and race 6 with Invertigo.
Wong *25* 2. Hollendorfer *11* 3. Wright *10*
Live racing continues tomorrow with an 8-race card. First post is at 12:45pm. The 5th race is Leg E of the Stronach 5 wager that has a guaranteed pool of $100k. Lastly, nominations for the El Camino Real Derby closed today.
Race 1:
Ironic Ron J:Herrera T:Meier $40.20 $11.60 $4.00
Wasco J:Monroy T:Sherman $2.40 $2.10
Kona Breeze J:Antongeorgi III T:Ordonez $2.20
Race 2:
International Diva (IRE) J:Cedillo T:Wong $3.00 $2.20 $2.10
‘Horses to Watch’ highlights horses that should be followed for potential wagering options in the future. Virtual stables or stable mail are good tools to help you follow along.
A Little Bit Cocky (Jan 31: Race 6) Was making a sustained run up the inside in the stretch, and got shut off completely– had to check hard and lost all hope of being able to win the race. He ended up finishing 6th, but it was a much better than looked effort. Also, it was his 1st start off of a layoff. Fits well at this 6250n2l level and should have every chance to win next out.
Check Out (Feb 2: Race 10) Showed some early foot out the gate to gain position from the inside post. Got shuffled back, and steadied a bit while being boxed in from the far turn to the 3/16 pole. Came flying late for a very close second. Should get the job done next out at this level with a clean trip. Rail post definitely seemed to hurt this most recent try.
Richiesinthehouse took them gate to wire in the no-condition Allowance sprint on Super Bowl Sunday at Golden Gate Fields. After breaking alertly, the Larry Rivelli trainee showed his customary speed and was sent to the lead. Sunset Dragunn tried to go with him early, but it would ultimately be his undoing, as he could only manage to finish 4th in the field of 5. Jose Valdivia Jr saved enough for the stretch drive after throwing down swift fractions of 21.68 for the 1/4 and 44.14 for the 1/2– he finished up the 6f in a fast 1:09.18. To show just how fast he ran, he finished over 1.2 seconds faster than the field of 40k claimers in race 6. The final margin of victory for this 5yo son of Sidney’s Candy was 1 1/2 lengths. Also, he is now an impressive 7 for 8 lifetime in synthetic sprints. I would imagine his aim for the meet is going to be the 75k Lost In The Fog Stakes on Gold Rush Weekend. Runner up in today’s 4th was stakes winner, Summersimage. 3rd place went to the rail runner Algenon.
In today’s 6th race, Malibu Alex was able to grind away to a neck victory in this 40k claiming sprint. There were a lot of familiar runners in the field, and it was a highly competitive spot. The William Morey trainee, Malibu Alex, is an honest type, and has now earned his 4th win from 20 starts. He ran the 6f in 1:10.40. Runner up was pace-setter and former Lost In The Fog Stakes winner, Quick and Silver. Rounding out the trifecta was Mal Verde.
Jonathan Wong was able to get a 1st-off-the claim winner in today’s 5th race with Golly G by Jiminee. Adding blinkers made a big difference, as she was closer to the pace than usual– Abel Cedillo sat on the rail behind the leader, tipped her out to the 2 path in the stretch, and kicked home to win by 3/4 of a length.
Jockeys: Jose Valdivia Jr had a riding double on this 8-race card.
Cedillo *37* 2. Hernandez *29* 3. Martinez *17*
Trainers: Larry Rivelli had another strong showing, as he and Jose Valdivia Jr teamed up for a double on the day.
Wong *24* 2. Hollendofer *11* 3. Wright *10*
On Wednesday, there will be new ‘Horses to Watch’ list, so be on the lookout for that.
Live racing will resume Thursday with a 7-race card. First post is at 12:45pm.
Race 1:
Many Lights J:Hernandez T:Hollendorfer $6.40 $3.40 $2.40
Vacaville Special J:Duran T:Rivera $4.00 $2.40
Blessed Lady J:Orozco T:Monroe $3.00
Race 2:
Rivzinthehouse J:Valdivia, Jr. T:Rivelli $3.40 $2.60 $2.10
Rough Passage J:Aragon T:Aquino $5.60 $2.60
General Mach Four J:Gomez T:Howey $2.10
Race 3:
On Fire J:Amador T:Martinez $19.00 $8.80 $3.60
Racing Ray J:Orozco T:Puentes $17.20 $4.80
Tiz Indy J:Cedillo T:Martin $2.40
Race 4:
Richiesinthehouse J:Valdivia, Jr. T:Rivelli $3.20 $2.20 $2.10
Summersimage J:Cedillo T:Perez $3.40 $2.40
Algenon J:Hernandez T:Offield $2.60
Race 5:
Golly G by Jiminee J:Cedillo T:Wong $4.60 $2.80 $2.20
C C the Bartender J:Monroy T:Sherman $2.80 $2.10
Regal Lady J:Herrera T:Bellasis $2.40
Race 6:
Malibu Alex J:Gomez T:Morey $7.80 $3.80 $2.40
Quick and Silver J:Amador T:Wright $3.20 $2.40
Mal Verde J:Hernandez T:Wright $2.20
Race 7:
Drink Til You Drop J:Alvarado T:Trujillo $7.00 $4.00 $3.40
Preacher’s Bluff J:Couton T:DeLima $5.20 $3.60
Looks Good N a Tux J:Cedillo T:Calvario $5.60
Race 8:
Cinderellas Prince J:Couton T:DeLima $33.00 $15.40 $9.00
After coming off of 2-straight wide trips at this 20k claiming level, Sequentially was finally able to put it all together. He was put on the ‘Horses to Watch’ list after having a 5-wide trip throughout in his last start. Today’s trip was much different, as Pedro Flores decided to press the lead from the outside post. He out-dueled and kicked away from Hill Croome late in the stretch and held off the horses running from the back. The 5yo son of Forestry now has 2 wins and 2 seconds since transferring to the Steve Specht barn. The fractions for the race were slow early (22.52, 45;47), and it turned into a sprint for home– Sequentially was able to stop the clock in 1:09.74 for 6f.
The finale on the card was a 25k Maiden Claimer for 3yo fillies going 5 1/2f on the tapeta. Union Smartie was coming off a debut 2nd at the 8k level and her trainer Tim Bellasis showed confidence by jumping her up to a 25k tag. Today, she went to the front and never looked back. She clicked through fractions of 21.83 for the 1/4 and 45.67 for the 1/2, and still had enough in the lane to hold off a late-charging Check Out. This daughter of Unionize is progressing nicely, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her protected in a Starter Allowance next out.
There was a scary moment in the 8th race today as Dreaming About You got bumped, and clipped heels turning for home. It resulted in Pedro Terrero getting dumped and stumbled on by the filly. Here is the latest update on Pedro after the incident. It looked like it could have been a lot worse, but our prayers go out to Pedro, and we are hoping for a safe and speedy recovery. Also, all reports are that Dreaming About You came out of the race ok.
Jockeys: Hugo Herrera had a nice day taking 2 races on the 10-race card.
Cedillo *36* 2. Hernandez *28* 3. martinez *17*
Trainers: Tim Bellasis had 2 wins on the program. He and Hugo Herrera teamed up for a double.
Wong *23* T-2. Wright, Hollendorfer *10*
Live racing resumes tomorrow with a 8-race card. Tomorrow’s card has a Super Bowl Special First Post of 11:15am.
Race 1:
Hennessy On Tap J:Herrera T:Meier $17.60 $7.00 $4.40
Brilliant Richie J:Cedillo T:Rivelli $3.60 $2.80
Bombay All Day J:Monroy T:Sherman $3.80
Race 2:
My Last Shot J:Henry T:Greiner $8.20 $5.20 $2.60
Go Bobby Go J:Monroy T:Taylor $7.40 $4.00
Forever the Chief J:Couton T:DeLima $2.60
Race 3:
Hi Skool Sweethart J:Gomez T:Taylor $5.20 $2.40 $2.10
City of Pearls J:Cedillo T:Hollendorfer $2.40 $2.10
Odessa J:Duran T:Monroe $2.40
Race 4:
Mommy Rose J:Solis T:Miyadi $3.80 $2.60 $2.10
Blue Chip Betty J:Martinez T:Howey $3.40 $2.60
She’s in Luck J:Ceballos T:Winick $2.80
Race 5:
Sophia Del Sol J:Monroy T:Sherman $4.80 $3.00 $2.20
Vonhra J:Amador T:Sywak $6.20 $3.60
Minister’smistress J:Solis T:Baker $3.40
Race 6:
Passion for Papa J:Amador T:Trujillo $9.40 $3.60 $2.80
Her Again J:Hernandez T:Steiner $2.20 $2.10
Norwegian Spy J:Peterson T:McCanna $3.60
Race 7:
Lady At the Barre J:Herrera T:Bellasis $21.20 $14.00 $9.20
Duzle Worpz J:Gonzalez T:Amescua $14.60 $7.40
Lil Indian Annie J:Terrero T:Jackson $3.40
Race 8:
Cherlynn J:Duran T:Monroe $22.60 $11.80 $5.40
Champ for Justice J:Sanguinetti T:Taylor $47.60 $11.00
Cash for Cass J:Hernandez T:Hollendorfer $4.80
Race 9:
Sequentially J:Flores T:Specht $5.40 $3.40 $2.60
Cannonball Comin J:Hernandez T:Moger, Jr. $10.80 $6.40
Hill Croome J:Cedillo T:Wong $2.80
Race 10:
Union Smartie J:Herrera T:Bellasis $11.60 $5.80 $4.00
After running competitively in high level claiming and optional claiming races in 2018, Lovenseek was looking to start his 2019 campaign the way he finished last year’s. In his last start, he was in for 20k and drew off to an easy win on the turf– trainer Jack Steiner saw that he had strong prior form and decided to put a claim in for him. Making his first start for the new barn, Lovenseek jumped up to the 32k level and went back to routing on the main track. Like last time, he went straight to the lead and never looked back– he finished well to win by a length. This 7yo son of Unbridled’s Song is now a solid 5 for 9 lifetime over the tapeta surface. If he can continue to build off of today’s run, he could prove to be a shrewd claim for Jack Steiner and owner Randy Marriott. Coming in 2nd was the late running Secreto Primero– he found some trouble at the top of the stretch, and by the time he got a clear run, it was too late. 3rd place went to Dano’s Dream.
After breaking his maiden last out, Mo Dinero was protected today in a 6f 50k Starter Allowance that went as race 3. He was able to build off his last win by winning today’s heat. The Jonathan Wong trainee stalked the pace on the inside and saved enough for the stretch drive to win by a length going away. He is continuing to improve and should take another step forward in his next start.
Also, race 5 on the program was a 5 1/2f 12.5k Starter Allowance for Fillies and Mares 4yo and upward. Lady Chrome stalked the pace and finished with a flurry in the lane to draw off and win by an impressive 4-lengths. The heavy favorite, One Eyed Momma, was taken out of her usual running style and could only manage to run 6th.
Jockeys: Juan Hernandez and Julien Couton each had 2 wins on today’s card. Couton has been riding very well this meet as he is winning at a solid 20% clip.
Cedillo *36* 2. Hernandez *28* 3. Martinez *17*
Trainers: All 8 races today were won by different trainers. Jerry Hollendorfer has hopped into a share of 2nd place after taking the 2nd race with Braddock.
Wong *23* T-2. Wright, Hollendorfer *10*
Live racing will resume tomorrow with a 10-race card– first post is at 12:45pm. The .20 Jackpot Pick 6 has a carryover of $88,004.
Race 1:
Charlie Cowden J:Alvarado T:McLean $7.20 $4.00 $2.60
Babe Didrikson was a filly that was always thought highly of. In her first 2 career starts she was bet down to favoritism in full 12 horse fields. Today was no different, as she went off as the even-money favorite. She was put on the ‘Horses to Watch’ list after a rough trip in her last start. In both prior starts, she broke slow and showed some greenness. She stepped up in company and trip today, as she ran in an open Maiden Special Weight going 1m over the main track. The added distance seemed to do the trick for this daughter of Grazen– she was able to relax and get into a comfortable stride early. Jockey Juan Hernandez got away fine from the gate and angled to the outside on the backstretch. On the turn, she made a big eye-catching move to the lead and was able to hold on gamely in the lane. She was very green in the stretch, but was able to win this one off her raw ability. There is a lot of upside here, she just turned 3 years old and is still improving. If anybody can straighten her mind out, it’s her trainer William Morey. I look forward to seeing how she progresses, and being a cal-bred gives her more options for the future. Rounding out 2nd and 3rd in this race were the William Delia runners Queen Del Prado and Karsavina.
The 2nd race on the card was won emphatically by the Hollendorfer trainee, Wish You Were Mine. She had previously won at this Starter 50k level, and was bet down to 3/5 in today’s outing. She took control of the race early on and would open up impressively in the stretch to win by 5 lengths. She has really improved since running in a 5k maiden claimer over the summer.
Also, the 3rd race on the card was won nicely by the dropper, Of Note. The Ari Herbertson trainee ran some strong races in 2018, but just couldn’t seem to find her form in her last start. The drop to 20k today seemed to do the trick and also a perfect ride from William Antongeorgi didn’t hurt. She went to the lead and ran them all off their feet to score by a measured 5 lengths. Trainer Ari Herbertson did a nice training job with this daughter of First Samurai– since being claimed for 12.5k in May, she won 3 races and had 2 seconds from 8 starts. After today’s race, she was claimed for the 20k tag by Larry Rivelli.
Jockeys: The top 2 jockeys in the standings each had 2 wins on this 7-race card. Abel Cedillo won races 1 and 4, while Juan Hernandez won races 2 and 5.
Cedillo *36* 2. Hernandez *26* 3. Martinez *16*
Trainers: All 7 races were won by different trainers today. Jerry Hollendorfer made up the exacta in race 2 with Wish You Were Mine and Our Slick Chick. Also, trainer Guillermo Preciado had the exacta in Race 6 with 30/1 Ur Not Our Presidnt and Lil Awecim.
Wong *22* 2. Wright *10* T-3. Hollendorfer, Delia *9*
The Late P5 pool reached a total of $182,935 and paid $5,744.60 for .50. Congrats to everyone that hit it! Also, the .20 Golden Pick 6 Jackpot has a carryover of $82,800 and the Super High 5 has a carryover of $3230.
Racing resumes tomorrow with an 8-race card. First post is at 12:45pm.
Results:
Race 1:
English Royality T: Badilla J: Cedillo $4.00 $2.80 $2.10
Priest Lake T: Specht J: Alvarado $8.00 $3.20
Heavenly Holiday T: Wong J: Ocasio $2.10
Race 2:
Wish You Were Mine T: Hollendorfer J: Hernandez $3.40 $2.20 $2.10
NorCal Horse Racing News 