‘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 Lonna At the Top (Jan 26: Race 9) She broke from the rail in a field of 10 on debut. She got away from the gate a bit slow, and was also impeded a bit by the horse on her outside. After falling behind a good 10 lengths in this 5.5f race, she settled on the inside and began to make a move on the turn. She encountered a little trouble at the top of the stretch, but would find an opening and run on very strongly for 2nd. She is also the first foal out of multiple stakes winner Luscious Lonna. I can assure you that she will not be 36/1 the next time she runs.

Singingintheheat (Jan 27: Race 4) Dropped in for 3200 here and carved out very quick fractions for this level. For the 5 1/2f race, the 1/4 went in 21.84 and the 1/2 went in 45.04. He finished a close 3rd, losing by a neck. After the race, he was claimed by the Hess barn, who is 21% 1st off the claim.

Sparcat (Jan 27: Race 9) Took a lot of money here off a strong 3rd in the debut. Squeezed at the break and was forced to settle in last behind this field of 11. Also, he had to check a few times on the backstretch. He then went 6 wide on the turn and was swung into the 10 path at the top of the stretch. In the lane, he cut to the inside and found a bit more trouble to finish up in 9th. He’s a very big horse, and his pedigree shows he could handle a route of ground. No matter the distance next out, this 3yo gelding is one you should keep an eye on.

January 25:

Race 5 on the card was won by the Tim McCanna trained Classy Chasie. He made a strong closing run on the rail to win by a head over Moon House– Ricky Gonzalez gave this son of Creative Cause a tremendous ride. Classy Chasie was coming off of a 3rd behind the talented Anothertwistafate. His win now makes it 3 next-out winners from that December 9th maiden race.

The 7th race was the feature, and it was a 62.5k Allowance/ Optional claimer going 1 1/16m on the tapeta. Mithqaal sat a patient trip on the rail behind the leaders. As the pace began to collapse up front, leading jockey Abel Cedillo wheeled him out into the 3-path and kicked clear to win by 1 length. His prior form was much stronger on the turf, but it was no surprise to see a son of Speightstown find success on the all weather surface. Trained by Jonathan Wong, Mithqaal now has 7 wins from 32 starts. Respect the Hustle ran a strong 2nd at big odds, and his last race going 5f definitely tightened the screws for this route run. 3rd place went to Montu– he did a good job to hold on for 3rd after being close to the quick fractions early.

Jockeys: Both Alvarado and Cedillo scored 2 wins on the day.

Trainers: Midwest trainer Larry Rivelli had a huge day with 3 wins on the card– he took races 3, 6, and 8.

January 26:

Trainer Quinn Howey did a great job having He’s a Habanero ready to win off of a 1-year layoff. He got away from the gate slowly and Catalino Martinez made a move on the backstretch to get him back into a solid position. This son of Peppered Cat finished up strongly in the lane to break his maiden. He ran the 5 1/2f in 1:03.51.

The 8th race on the card was a 6f 50k Starter Allowance on the main track. American Currency was rated in a perfect position behind the leader and was able to sweep past him on the turn under Juan Hernandez. He took the lead at the top of the stretch and cruised to a dominant 4 length victory. It was his first win since being claimed for $16,000 by John Martin back in November.

Perla Rose swept the field off their feet in the 5 1/2f finale by 2 lengths. She went to the front under an aggressive ride by Catalino Martinez, and never looked back. This 3yo daughter of Run Brother Ron broke her maiden in her 4th lifetime start. Debut runner A Lonna At the Top had a very eventful trip and showed a lot of promise by closing fast for 2nd. 3rd place went to the favorite, Tanya Komarova.

Jockeys: Catalino Martinez had a very strong day– he had 3 wins from 5 mounts. Also, William Antongeorgi had a nice day with 2 wins on the card.

Trainers: Both Jonathan Wong and John Martin bagged 2 winners.

January 27:

It was prices galore on Dollar Day Sunday at Golden Gate Fields. 45/1 and 68/1 winners bookended the card.

Silken Queen has steadily improved for trainer Victor Trujillo after being claimed for 6,250 back in August. Since the claim, she has won at the 12.5k claiming level, and now at the Starter 50k level. In the 8th race on the card, she broke from post 8 and was sent off at odds of 11/1. She stalked the pace on the outside, and had a nice sustained bid in the stretch to win by a head. Silken Queen ran the 6f in 1:11.59.

Thankfully, horses do not know their odds when they’re running. Race 9 on the card was a 5 1/2f Maiden Special Weight for 3yos. Coming off some slow-timed drills, In Our A was sent off at odds of 68/1. This son of Idiot Proof broke very alertly and showed a lot of early speed to secure a spot just behind the leader. Jockey Cristobal Herrera took control of the race on the turn and had enough saved for the stretch to win by 1 length. The Ellen Jackson trainee stopped the clock in 1:04.19.

Jockeys: 7 of the 9 races on the card were won by different jockeys. Leading jockey Abel Cedillo had 2 wins on the day- he won race 5 aboard Carnaby Cat and race 8 aboard Silken Queen. Cedillo extended his lead to 10 in the standings.

1. Cedillo *34* 2. Hernandez *24* 3. Martinez *16*

Trainers: All 9 races on the day were won by different trainers. Jonathan Wong expanded his lead to 12 in the trainer standings.

1. Wong *22* 2. Wright *10* 3. Delia *9*

There will be a new ‘Horses to Watch’ list dropping on Wednesday, so be on the lookout for that.

Racing resumes on Thursday with a 7-race program– first post is 12:45pm. Also, due to the big prices on Sunday’s card, there is a $32,733 Late P5 carryover (races 3-7). Along with the P5, the .20 jackpot Golden Pick 6 has a $77,127 carryover.

‘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.

Warm Endowment (Jan 17: Race 5) She was making her first start since November, and was dropped in for a 20k tag. The winner of the race set a super slow pace up front (50.98 for the 1/2 and 1:15.73 for 3/4). Warm Endowment sat in last and was about 6 lengths off the loose leader. She was caught 4 to 5 wide on the turn and finished up nicely on the outside for 2nd. She has shown her best form on grass, but is still formidable on the All Weather. She fits well at this level and should be tough next out going 2nd off the layoff.

Rely on Me (Jan 17: Race 6) She debuted here in a 5k Maiden Claimer, and was sent off at odds of 24/1. She was very outpaced early in this 5f dash, and fell a good 12+ lengths off the lead. However, she seemed to figure things out in the lane and finished up very nicely to end up 5th. Probably needs more than 5f, but should improve with a race under her belt.

Maycee Jo (Jan 19: Race 8) Caught a flier from the gate and tried to take the field gate-to-wire. Went a very swift 22.44 for the 1/4 and 45.13 for the 1/2. She ran a strong 2nd against a solid 1st level allowance field. This was her first start since October, so she should get a lot out of this for next time. Also, her form shows she likes going 5f on grass, but this run on the tapeta was very solid. 6f might be pushing it for her, but she could still be developing. One to watch in her next race.

The feature on Monday’s card at Golden Gate Fields was Race 7, and it was a first condition allowance going 1 1/6m on the main track for 4yos and up. The Jonathan Wong trained Mugaritz was able to get his 2nd straight win since returning off a 9 month layoff. Mugaritz had zero success to start his career in Southern California, but the barn change and addition of blinkers has made a world of difference for this 4yo son of Dialed In. Since the change to the Wong barn, he is now an impressive 4 for 7 with a stakes placing. Jockey Abel Cedillo sat patiently in 2nd behind the leader and began to make his move for the lead on the turn– he was loaded entering the stretch, and had enough to hold off the late-running Alsatian. Mugaritz continues to improve, and has been a fun horse to follow since his Golden Gate debut in a 20k maiden claimer. He is versatile and has conditions left, so there are many potential options for his next race.

It took awhile for Desert Myst to make the races, but the patience was worth the wait, as this 4yo filly won impressively on debut. She had a solid work tab and trainer Bill Morey does a good job with first time starters (17% with his last 42 firsters)– she was sent off at odds of 2/1. Today she broke well and sat in a stalking position under jockey Chester Bonnet. She made a strong move on the turn and kicked on very impressively to win by a wrapped up 2 1/2 lengths. The 5 1/2f race was clocked in a swift 1:03.46. She is by Breeders Cup winner Desert Code, and is a half sister to turf sprint debut winner, Summer Wine.

Jockeys: Abel Cedillo had another strong day– he won 3 of the 8 races on the card. Also, Julien Couton makes it back to back 2 win days.

1. Cedillo *29* 2. Hernandez *22* 3. Martinez *12*

Trainers: Jonathan Wong extended his lead after having 2 wins on the card. Along with Mugaritz, he also won the 3rd race with International Diva.

1. Wong *18* 2. Wright *10* 3. Delia *9*

There will be a new Horses to Watch list on Wednesday, so be on the lookout for that.

Live racing will resume on Friday with an 8-race card– first post is at 12:45pm.

The Irish-bred (by way of Italy) was able to get the job done as the favorite in Race 8 for Southern California trainer Patrick Gallagher. The race was a first level Allowance for older fillies and mares going 1 1/16m on the main track. She ran a good second on the lawn at Golden Gate in her last start, and today’s race marked her first try on an all weather surface. Jockey Julien Couton was able to put her in a nice spot, sitting in second just behind the leader. She began to make a move on the turn, but was not making a lot of progress, and in the stretch it appeared like she was not going to run on much. However, she was able to get her feet under her and find a second gear to get up and win by a neck– she showed a lot of determination. Pace-setting Miss Super Saint ran a valiant race at 34/1 to just miss on the line. Up for 3rd was Gettin Sideways, who made a strong run from the back. Nonna Gianna was stakes placed in Italy, where she ran the first 5 races of her career. She is steadily improving and it will be interesting to see if this daughter of Havana Gold will come back to Golden Gate Fields for her 3rd straight race.

Race 6 on the card was a 6f Allowance/ Optional Claimer for 3yos. The Smolich homebred by Old Fashioned was able to make it back to back wins. Trainer Steve Specht has Unbridled’s Skye in strong form– she is a half sister to stakes-winning local horse Krsto Skye. Sadly the favorite Big Ceas was pulled up on the turn and had to be euthanized. Condolences to all of his connections.

The 4th race on the card was a 2-turn MSW for fillies 4yo and up. It was won handily by Southern California shipper Miss Voluptuous. Her 5 length wire-to-wire win was the first of two on the day for Patrick Gallagher.

Jockeys: Abel Cedillo and Julien Couton each bagged 2 winners on the day. Cedillo has expanded his lead to 4 in the standings.

1. Cedillo *26* 2. Hernandez *22* 3. Martinez *12*

Trainers: Patrick Gallagher had a double on the day with Miss Voluptuous and Nonna Gianna. Blaine Wright moved into 2nd outright after taking the opener with Abdication.

1. Wong *16* 2. Wright *10* 3. Delia *9*

Live racing continues tomorrow on MLK Day with an 8-race card. First post is at 12:45pm.

Hollywood Hills continues to improve for trainer Steve Sherman, as she won her 4th consecutive today. Race 7 on the card was a 40k Allowance/ Optional Claimer going 6f on the main track. She sat last of the field of nine and waited patiently on the rail for the race to unfold in front of her. Jockey Austin Solis began to ask her on the far turn, where she moved up the rail steadily. In the stretch she showed her potent kick and was able to run down pace-setting Boomchicaboom. After dead-heating with Hollywood Hills last time, Empressive Cat could only manage 3rd today. The fractions for the race were 22.52 45.37 57.59 1:10.66. This 3yo daughter of Hoorayforhollywood is a home-bred for owner George Krikorian and now has 5 wins from 7 starts. She broke her maiden in August in a $12,500 claimer by 4 lengths at Golden Gate Fields. Hollywood Hills was able to build a lot of confidence in Starter Allowance races, and is now winning races at the allowance level. She continues to improve, and having been able to use her conditions has allowed for her to grow a lot.

Some notable results on the rest of the card:

The 8th race, a first condition allowance, was won by Royal Descendent. Making her 1st start since September, and now under the care of trainer Andy Mathis, she was able to stalk the pace and run on gamely in the stretch. The class relief helped, as she was running in a G3 down south over the summer.

Also, in the 3rd race today, Midnight Flower took them gate-to-wire winning by an impressive 4 lengths. This was her 1st win in 3 starts for trainer Andy Mathis. The blinkers seemed to help, and she could appreciate a route of ground in the future– she is by Midnight Lute out of an AP Indy mare.

Lastly, in the 2nd race, Katya Antipova won her 3rd consecutive race. She is trained by William Delia and took the 8k claimer by a neck at odds of 11/1.

Jockeys: Juan Hernandez had a huge day winning 3 races on the 9-race program– he had wins in the 1st, 3rd, and 8th. Also, Catalino Martinez and Abel Cedillo had strong days winning 2 races each.

1. Cedillo *24* 2. Hernandez *22* 3. Martinez *11*

Trainers: Jonathan Wong and Andy Mathis each bagged 2 winners on the day. Wong won the 4th with Private Marini and the 5th with Johnny Reb. Mathis won the 3rd with Midnight Flower and the 8th with Royal Descendent.

1. Wong *16* T-2. Wright, Delia *9*

There will be live racing on Dollar Day Sunday with a 9-race program starting at 12:45pm. And there is also an 8-race card on Monday for MLK Day.

Making his 39th career start, the 8 year old Vronsky gelding was bet down to even money favoritism in the 6th race– it was an Allowance race going 6f over the main track. Sir Vronski sat a patient trip under Alejandro Gomez on the rail behind the leader Mikes Tiznow. He was left with some work to do in the stretch, but ultimately was able to run him down in time to win his 22nd career race. Since being claimed for just $3200 in 2016 by owner Allen Aldrich and trainer Quinn Howey, he has been able to rattle off 14 wins. Over the last 2 years alone, he has managed to win over $174k in prize money. Also, a fun pedigree fact is that he is the 1/2 brother to multiple graded stakes winner Sircat Sally. Sir Vronski might be 8 years old, but he is still running at a high level and winning races– he is a fan favorite, and I am looking forward to seeing the rest of his 2019 season. 

Some other notables on the card:

Win machine Mr. Twinery, took the 2nd race (5 1/2f 12500 Starter Allowance) to make it 4 straight wins. He showed his customary early speed, and wired the field to win by an easy 5 lengths. The Hollendorfer trainee is now 10 for 15 lifetime. 

If you follow the Golden Gate circuit, you are probably familiar with the winner of race 5. The 2017 Lost In The Fog Stakes winner, Quick and Silver, took them all the way as he was able to hold on by a diminishing neck. Stablemate Mal Verde just missing on the line gave trainer Blaine Wright the exacta in this 40k claiming heat. The speedy veteran Quick and Silver now has 15 of his 16 lifetime wins over this tapeta surface. 

Jockeys: 

Abel Cedillo and Catalino Martinez each took 2 races on today’s card. Cedillo has now widened his lead in the jockey standings to 3. 

1. Cedillo *22* 2. Hernandez *19* 3. Ocasio *10*

Trainers:

All 8 races on the program were won by different trainers. Leading trainer Jonathan Wong won the opener to extend his lead to 6 in the trainer standings.

1. Wong *14* T-2. Wright, Delia *8*

Live racing resumes tomorrow with a 9-race card to start the 3rd day of this 5-day race week– first post is 12:45pm. It is a fun card with some great betting races. Empressive Cat and Hollywood Hills square off in a rematch (after their dead-heat) against a very competitive field in race 7. 

Mayor Cobb has been a horse we have talked about quite a bit on this blog site. As pointed out on ‘Horses to Watch’, the Jonathan Wong trainee did not have a great trip/setup in his last race (where he was narrowly defeated). Today’s race was another 50k Starter Allowance going 1m over the main track. Jockey Abel Cedillo was a bit more aggressive than last time and got him into the race earlier. Mayor Cobb made a move on the far turn and had a nice sustained run in the lane to get up in time over the first time routing Nolongerahobby. The ride today was key, as he was able to get the jump on Angelo’s Pride this time. Nolongerahobby ran a solid 2nd after doing the dirty work up front, and it looks like he has found a home routing. Coming off his victory at this level at long odds, Angelo’s Pride ran on well for 3rd– he could have made things very interesting if he was able to switch onto his correct lead in the stretch.

I’m not sure where we could see Mayor Cobb next, as there are a few ways the connections could go. I am sure there is an allowance race coming up in the condition book, which would be the logical spot. He showed some promise on the turf in his maiden win, but unfortunately there isn’t any turf racing until late March/early April. The waters in the El Camino Real Derby look deep, but his run in the Gold Rush Stakes (behind a next-out G3 placed horse) was promising and he has the pedigree to get the 9 furlongs– I could maybe see him spoiling the party underneath. He’s got the local connections, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see them take a shot.

Another performance to look at on today’s card was from Oyster Shooter in the opener. This 3yo filly by Flame Thrower made her debut in a 12.5k maiden claiming race for trainer William Delia. After breaking slow, she showed a very nice kick in the lane to score by 5 lengths.

Jockeys: It was nice to see William Antongeorgi get back to form, as he had a strong day winning 2 out of the 7 races. Abel Cedillo took the lead by 1 in the jockey standings after winning the last race aboard Mayor Cobb.

1. Cedillo *20* 2. Hernandez *19* 3. Ocasio *9*

Trainers: Jonathan Wong keeps on rolling, as he took today’s 4th and 7th races. Debbie Winick lit up the tote board in race 6 after winning with 29/1 shot She’s in Luck.

1. Wong *13* 2. Delia *8* 3. Wright *7*

Live racing continues tomorrow on the 2nd day of this 5-day race week. There is an 8-race card with a first post of 12:45pm.

‘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.

Rye (Jan 10: Race 5)- He made a good account of himself in his first start since May. This sprint race appeared to be one that trainer William Morey wanted to get under his belt, before running him in a 2-turn race next time out. He is a stakes winner going long on the grass and it would not surprise me if his next start was down south. Early on he was outpaced and sat in last on the inside. He was wheeled to the outside in the stretch and ran on strongly to be 4th beaten by 5 lengths (earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure). Also, this was a very nice allowance field filled with stakes runners. The most important thing to me however, was his gallop out– he galloped out a mile past the field. He clearly wants 2-turns and should be competitive wherever he shows up next.

Brilliant Richie (Jan 11: Race 8)- Didn’t sit the most comfortable trip on the rail, and didn’t find room to run until around the 1/8th pole. He finished up well and was able to run on for second. It seems like the synthetic is his best surface, as he ran 3rd in his only try on it on debut. Should be very competitive if he stays at this maiden 8000 level next time out.

Sequentially (Jan 12: Race 9)- Got away from the gate a bit slow and sat 2nd to last on the backstretch. On the far turn he made a big 5-wide move into contention and was able to sustain that run in the stretch to come up a head short. Not sure how big of a price he will be, but he is definitely one to keep an eye out for next time (especially if he stays at this level).

Mr. Diplomat (Jan 13: Race 9)- Made a nice account of himself in his career debut. On the backstretch he sat 8th out of 9 horses and seemed relaxed. On the turn, he made a very nice move going 5 wide and finished full of run in the stretch. He got a lot of education out of this debut and was 2nd to a hard-trying maiden in Mo Dinero. His trainer Blaine Wright is also a solid 18% with 2nd time starters. This son of Mr. Sidney ran a 58 Beyer Speed figure, and I could see him protected next time out. No matter where he shows up, he is one to follow.

1/12/2019:

Race 1 on the card was won by ‘Horses to Watch’ horse, Boot Scootin Kid. She was kept in the clear on the outside by Juan Hernandez and was able to get up in time in the stretch– she paid $6.40 to win.

Jockeys Juan Hernandez, Abel Cedillo, and Francisco Duran each won two races on the card.

Hernandez and Cedillo have both pulled away to a sizeable lead in the jockey standings, and it has been great to see them go back and forth at such a high level– they both have 19 wins so far this meet. Cedillo, who won this meet last year, has won with 19 of his 89 mounts, for a win percentage of 21%. He’s also a very strong 50% ITM. Hernandez has been a top rider on this circuit for many years, and has continued that trend so far this meet. While having 21 fewer starts than Cedillo, he has still continued to produce– winning an impressive 19 races from 68 starts (28%).

Sherrie Monroe had a very nice day, winning race 3 with Cherlynn and race 6 with No Spin Zone. Also, Steve Specht was able to run 1-2 in the 8th with Heavenly Holiday and Priest Lake respectively.

1/13/2019:

The Jonathan Wong trained Bronzino was very gritty and game as he wired the field of 16k claimers in race 5. Luis Ocasio was very patient on the lead and was able to slow down the tempo, leaving him enough in the tank to hold on. Not only did Wong win this race, but he also had the exacta– Aotearoa ran a strong race to lose by a head.

In the 7th race, the Andy Mathis trained Pulpit’s Dirty Red broke his maiden and stopped the clock in a solid 1:03.30 for 5 1/2f. This 8k maiden claiming race was a half a second faster than the 20k claiming fillies and mares in the previous race. Also, runner up Wasco ran a very solid race off the long layoff for trainer Steve Sherman.

Trainer Jonathan Wong and jockey Luis Ocasio had a huge day, as they teamed up to win 3 races on Sunday. They took the 5th with Bronzino, the 6th with I Love Romance, and the 9th with Mo Dinero. The Fall Meet winning trainer, has now claimed the outright lead in the trainer standings. Wong has 11 wins from 46 starters and has a win percentage of 24%. He is going to be very tough to catch with his high win percentage and high volume of horses in the barn. Ocasio is a very solid 8/38 and is winning at a 21% clip.

Not to go unnoticed was Alejandro Gomez winning races 3 and 7 on the card. He has had a very nice start to the meet (8-51; 16%), and is tied for the 3rd spot in the jockey standings with Luis Ocasio.

Jockeys:

T-1. Cedillo, Hernandez *19* T-3. Ocasio, Gomez *8*

Trainers:

1. Wong *11* T-2. Wright, Delia *7*

A new ‘Horses to Watch’ list will be dropping sometime on Wednesday, so be on the lookout for that.

Live racing at Golden Gate Fields will return on Thursday with a 7-race program. First post is at 12:45pm.