Joe from The And Away They Joe Show is back to give his selections for Sunday’s card at Golden Gate Fields. He gives his selections for each race and analysis for the ones that catch his eye. Make sure to give Joe a follow on twitter @Andawaytheyjoe.

Take it away, Joe!

Race 1: 2-3-4-6

Race 2: 1-3-5-2

Race 3: 4-5-6-1
We went for E Z Star Maker a couple of weeks ago and she surprised for second and big odds. I’m happy to take a chance on her again only because she can provide the early speed once more. She is going back up to the 8000 claiming level, but I think she will still be improving third off the claim and layoff. Tougher task at hand but she has potential to spring another close to the finish result.

R4: 4-5-3-2
I’m The Hero will make her local debut today and ran very impressive to win leading all the way on the Santa Anita turf. The Keeneland grad shows one of the best speed figures amongst this field and showed a lot of bullets in her most recent workouts. Only concern is that she had issues coming out of the gates before her most recent win. If she breaks out of the gates well this time around, she will be the one to beat.

R5: 5-1-6-3

R6: 6-5-4-3

R7: 7-6-2-5

R8: 2-4-1-6

R9: 8-10-7-5

Value Bet: Race 3 E Z STAR MAKER

Best Bet: Race 4 I’m The Hero

Good luck!

Joe from The And Away They Joe Show is back to give his selections for Sunday’s card at Golden Gate Fields. He gives his selections for each race and analysis for the ones that catch his eye. Make sure to give Joe a follow on twitter @Andawaytheyjoe.

Take it away, Joe!

R1: 1-5-3-4
Golden Victory is trying the lower level Maidens for the first time after being in bigger Maiden Claiming races in Southern California. All of Golden Victory’s runs though have been underwhelming and that is why I’m going against this one. Beaten favorite and has only had a third as his best placing. Paper Boy and Sizzling Indian could improve having a second start and out of the two I prefer Paper Boy after his last effort in the same level. Ran third to Zero Bucks Given and while green coming out the gate, rallied to nab a third. Watch the market for the new comer Fromajacktoaking.

R2: 5-6-1-3

R3: 5-4-2-3

R4: 2-6-1-4

R5: 5-7-2-1

R6: 6-1-3-4

R7: 8-7-9-2

R8: 8-2-1-7
This is one of the wide open races on the card with a lot of horses trying to keep their winning streak alive. In the big field I’m going with Our Bold Prince on top. This is an interesting one as they tried to put him in a claiming race in his penultimate start, where he ran third without being claimed. They put him in a higher level allowance race and won as the favorite. Coming back off a layoff back in January and showing signs of improvements since his two runs, not to mention a lot of bullets in his work outs. You might get a sneaky price on this gelding. But if you were to play the horizontal bets like a pick 4, it is a race where you should spread.

R9: 4-7-3-2

Best Bet: 
Race 3 : 5 Joy Maker

Value Bets: 
Race 1: 1 Paper Boy

Race 4: 2  Raiderette

Race 8: 8  Our Bold Prince

Good luck!

Joe from The And Away They Joe Show is back to give his selections for Sunday’s card at Golden Gate Fields. He gives his selections for each race and analysis for the ones that catch his eye. Make sure to give Joe a follow on twitter @Andawaytheyjoe.

Take it away, Joe!

R1: 2-3-4-5

R2: 6-2-5-3

R3: 1-5-3-4 
Watch the market on the Tecova who is the only first time Starter in this field but is second favorite on the Morning Line. 

R4: 3-5-2-4
E Z Star Maker could be a value play in this race. This Mare won a lot of races at Emerald Downs back in 2018- 2019. She has won at higher levels before this one and in this race this is going to be the lowest level she has been at in a while. With a completely wide open race if you were to play any horizontal bets she is one to consider. I think second off the layoff will be a big improvement for her.

R5: 1-3-5-6

R6: 6-3-4-1
Unusual Mischief has ran well in his last two races, even getting a step up in class. The last two times he ran, he was at big odds and still showed a display of heart with those efforts. He’s one that tries to find the line even from far back and can run late in the stretch. Should include in exotics.

R7: 2-1-5-4

R8: 4-6-2-1

R9: 2-3-4-5

Best Bet:
Race 8: 4 Shot of a Lifetime

Value Plays:
Race 4: 3 E Z Star Maker  

Race 6: 6 Unusual Mischief 

Good Luck!

This year’s El Camino Real Derby lived up to the hype as we saw Rombauer get up in the final strides to run down the filly Javanica. Jockey Kyle Frey took back to last early and settled Rombauer into a comfortable stride, then he began to make his move heading into the far turn behind a 24.00, 47.81, 1:12.20 pace. Frey got carried out 5w on the turn and in the lane, Rombauer began to get stronger as race got longer to get up in time. It was a very impressive effort and you have to give props to his trainer Michael McCarthy for having him ready to go 1 1/8m off a 90-day layoff. The final time was 1:51.64, which was good enough for an 84 Beyer Speed Figure. Javanica ran a very brave race to be second and was so close to becoming the 2nd filly ever to win the Derby. She loved the added distance and it will be interesting to see how she progresses throughout the rest of the year– maybe a race like the Bourbonette at Turfway would be a good spot for her next. The most shocking part about this year’s Derby was that Govenor’s Party ran 3rd at 119/1 odds. He had a wide trip throughout, and still kept finding in the stretch– he seemed to take to the added distance. It’s My House was looking very strong entering the stretch after leading every step of the way, but began to hit a wall in the final 1/8th of a mile. He ran very well off a maiden sprint win to be 4th and is definitely a local horse to follow going forward, especially when you consider where the other 2 speed horses finished in here. 5th place finisher Waspirant had a ground saving trip but once they hit the turn he was under a ton of urging and could never pick up. When It’s My House began to open up, Petruchio had no answers– he couldn’t go with him and dropped back to finish 6th. Maybe he just didn’t take to the tapeta? While Tesoro was near the pace in his debut, he found himself near the back in here as the fractions were much quicker. The waters were way too deep and I’d assume we’ll see him back against maiden company. Play Chicken sat a 3-deep trip near the pace but quickly backed out of it once they hit the turn.

Rombauer received 10 Kentucky Derby points for his win, which puts him at 14 total (6th overall). Along with the points, he also gained a free birth into the G1 Preakness Stakes. I have not seen any plans for his next race, but I will update the Twitter/IG page once it gets announced.

Dynasty of Her Own remains unbeaten at Golden Gate Fields.

Last year’s California Oaks winner Dynasty of Her Own made her Northern California return a winning one in Friday’s 3rd race. It was her second start of 2021 and she was coming off of a 5th place effort in the Kalookan Queen Stakes at Santa Anita. On Friday she rated behind the speed under Evin Roman, and was able to kick home strongly in the stretch to stop the clock in 1:03.32 for 5.5f– she earned a career best 87 Beyer Speed Figure for her win. She has shown an affinity for the tapeta and she is now a perfect 4/4 over it. Her trainer Jonathan Wong has done a great job with her as the multiple stakes winning filly improves her record to 5 for 8 lifetime. Dynasty of Her Own has wins going short, long, on dirt, and on tapeta– she’s proven to be very versatile. The class relief helped on Friday, but it does seem she is bound for stakes races in the near future. I have no clue where she is going to run next, but I am excited to see it as I think she is in for a strong year after that career best performance.

Horses to Watch

It was a busy 5-day race week last week, and there were three horses that stuck out to me for this list. These horses are ones that I think are worth giving an extra look to next time they run.

Babe Didrikson (2/13- Race 7): Finished 4th by 2 lengths behind Sadie Bluegrass in this race. Anybody that follows racing in Northern California knows how talented of a filly Sadie Bluegrass is, and even though this was her first route race, she is going to be tough to run down if you give her a loose lead on a slow pace. Babe Didrikson was caught wide throughout and found herself near the back of the field on the backstretch. Between the ground loss and being stuck behind a slow pace, I think she made a very good account of herself in here.

Unbridled’s Skye (2/13- Race 9): This 5yo gelding was making his first start since October and did not have the most comfortable of trips in here. On the turn he encountered some trouble and found himself stuck behind a wall of horses. Not to mention, the pace was very slow up front with the 1/2 clocked in 46.25 for this 5 1/2f race. He was left with way too much to do and finished on decent enough in the lane. I think he will benefit a lot next time out with this race under his belt.

Crookhaven Lass (2/15- Race 7): Had a brutal trip in here. Was boxed in from when they entered the turn up until inside the 1/8th pole. She looked loaded the whole way and once got out she ran on well to be a late closing 2nd. I don’t expect her to be a maiden much longer at this level, just needs a clean run.

Updated Jockey/ Trainer Standings- Top 5s

Thank you for reading the blog. Please follow NorCal Horse Racing News on Social Media for the latest updates on racing in Northern California. Twitter/Instagram: @NorCalHRNews.

Joe from The And Away They Joe Show is back to give his selections for Sunday’s card at Golden Gate Fields. He is trying out a new format this week and I think you guys will like it. Make sure to give Joe a follow on twitter @Andawaytheyjoe.

Take it away, Joe!

With the fallout of the El Camino Real Derby, We can try to build the Bankroll more on Sunday! 

$= Best Bet
$$= Value Bet

R1: Maiden Claiming $20000 (1 Mile)
6-1-4-3

R2: Claiming $6250 (5 1/2 Furlongs)
3($$)-1-2-5
Smile For Ashley Could provide upset value. With him winning by almost 2 lengths after a huge class drop from a maiden special weight, he dueled on the inside and drew clear despite having some pressure from the outside. My only concern is Big Foot City also has a lot of speed too and is a better horse than the field Smile For Ashley faced before. It will be a real test for Smile For Ashley but if he does take a clear lead he has upset potential. Watch out for Catch a Cold One to run on late as well.

R3: Maiden Special Weight $30000 (1 Mile 1/16)
2($)-3-4-5
A lot of Southern California shippers here, and some trying the Golden Gate Tapeta for the first time but I’m going to go with Mulholland Highway as my best bet. He has a lot of experience at this level and almost broke his maiden in the last start but disappointed as the favorite getting nipped at the wire. Gets Kyle Frey on board and has speed figures that are on par with all the Southern California Shippers in this race. 

R4: Claiming $6250 (1 Mile)
5-6-1-2

R5: Allowance $4000 (1 Mile)
3($$)-5-4-6

R6: Allowance $50000 (6 Furlongs)
1-5-2-3

R7: Allowance $12500 (6 Furlongs)
2-4-5-1

R8: $25000 Allowance Optional Claiming (1 Mile 1 1/16)
1-4-2-3

R9: Allowance $31000 (1 Mile 1 1/16)
3($$)-10-8-7

Good Luck!

A competitive group of 3yo’s will contest this year’s El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. A lot is on the line, as the winner will receive 10 KY Derby points and a birth to the 2021 Preakness Stakes (must be TC nominated). The El Camino Real Derby is scheduled to go as Race 8 (4:37pm) and will be contested at 1 1/8m on the main track. I am going to go over each runner in the field and also post any notable replays/ workouts. Hopefully this analysis can help you with your selections. Let’s get into it!

#1 Positivity (Julien Couton/ Patrick Gallagher): This 3yo son of Paynter has been keeping solid company in Southern California. He looked to have a ton of upside after his first 3 races, but since he has stretched out to route races his form has been lacking. In December he finished 6th in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity behind Spielberg after breaking slow. Last out he had a 4 wide trip in the Cal Cup Derby and ended up 5th by 7 lengths. Seems to have more tactical speed than the pps show. His trainer Patrick Gallagher won the 2013 El Camino Real Derby with Dice Flavor.

#2 Waspirant (Assael Espinoza/ John Shirreffs): After breaking his maiden over the summer at Del Mar, Waspirant jumped straight into the G1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita and finished 4th. He had a 4-5 wide trip that day and made a big move on the turn before understandably fading. He was put on the shelf after that race until the G3 Sham Stakes in January. In the Sham, he finished a distant 4th behind Life is Good and Medina Spirit. Should find this group easier and pedigree suggests he will handle the distance. Goes 2nd off the layoff for trainer John Shirreffs who won the 1999 El Camino Real Derby with Cliquot.

#3 Tesoro (Catalino Martinez/ O.J. Jauregui): This is quite the jump up in class for Tesoro, who is making his 2nd career start in the Derby. He made his debut in a MSW on January 24th and while he crossed the line 1st, he is still technically a maiden because he was DQd to last after drifting out. He sports a strong 5f bullet in 1 min flat on February 5th. Seems like a horse that will like the distance and has the pedigree to handle it. His last speed figure was very slow and needs to improve a lot. Maybe one to follow down the road.

#4 It’s My House (William Antongeorgi III/ Jamey Thomas): Looks to have the best chance of the local horses on paper to win this year’s Derby. Is coming off just a maiden win, but his last race was solid and I liked how he fought on in the lane. The stretchout from 6f to 9f is going to be tough to navigate. Wheels back in 2 weeks. Think we will see him setting the pace, but has proven he can sit off of it. Needs to take a big step forward on Saturday. But hey, you can’t win it if you’re not in it.

#5 Petruchio (Iriving Orozco/ Richard Mandella): Son of Into Mischief has improved his speed figures in all 5 starts. Was last seen running a strong 3rd behind Spielberg in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity. Has run well on both dirt and turf, so don’t think the tapeta will be much of a problem for him. He is coming off a strong 6f work in 1:13.40, should be fit an ready to go. Trainer Richard Mandella is great at bringing horses along and I think this one could take another step forward on Saturday.

#6 Play Chicken (Evin Roman/ Doug O’Neill): Won his debut going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita in October. He would run his next 3 races on the dirt in state-bred Stakes races. Ran bad in 2 of them, but did manage to win the King Glorious Stakes at Los Alamitos. Should handle the tapeta as he has wins on two surfaces, plus Square Eddie progeny can run on anything. Comes in off a solid 6f work in 1:14.80 at Santa Anita. Play Chicken has some tactical speed and I would expect him to be near the pace early. Trainer Doug O’Neill won the 2016 El Camino Real Derby with Frank Conversation.

https://www.xbtv.com/video/chasing-fame/chasing-fame-outside-and-play-chicken-worked-6-furlongs-at-santa-anita-park-on-february-7th-2021/

#7 Javanica (Frank Alvarado/ Eoin Harty): She is looking to become just the 2nd filly ever to win the Derby (Paved won it in 2018). I don’t think surface or distance will be a problem at all. Her dam won over $658k and was a G2 winner over the All Weather in Dubai and Javanica is also a 1/2 sister to G1-Placed Antoinette, who won the Saratoga Oaks last year. She is coming off strong 2nd place efforts in the Blue Norther Stakes and G3 Jimmy Durante Stakes. I really like how well she was running on at the end of those races. See her settling midpack and making a run late.

#8 Governor’s Party (Cristobal Herrera/ Daniel Franko): Broke the maiden for a 40k tag at Del Mar after being promoted from 2nd because of a DQ. Had a very wide trip in the King Glorious at Los Alamitos and finished 10th. Came back to Golden Gate Fields in his most recent start and scored a 1/2 length win in a Starter Allowance race. The waters get much deeper here and is well behind many of the others on figures.

#9 Rombauer (Kyle Frey/ Michael McCarthy): Is going to attract a lot of the money in here and has the prior credentials to warrant the short price. Has not run since a 5th place effort behind Elusive Quality in the G1 Breeders Cup Juvenile. I know he got a big setup that day, but he did run well. 2 starts back in the G1 American Pharoah he was caught wide, made a strong move on the turn, and stayed on well to be a close 2nd. Do not think the distance or surface will be a problem at all for him. Twirling Candy progeny can run on anything and he has been finishing off his 2-turn races really well. Also, his trainer Michael McCarthy knows how to win an El Camino Real Derby as he trained Paved to victory in 2018. Rombauer was scratched out of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes for this spot, so should be fit and ready to go. Comes in off a sharp 5f bullet in 59.40 at Santa Anita.

Selections: 9-7-5-3

#9 Rombauer: Will be the deserving favorite in here. Class of the field and has been pointing to this race. Should love the added distance. Getting leading rider Kyle Frey aboard doesn’t hurt either.

#7 Javanica: Love how she finishes off her races and don’t think 9f will be a problem. Seems handy and think she sits a good trip. Should get the jump on the closers. Aiming to be the 2nd ever filly to win this race.

#5 Petruchio: Has improved in every start and could take a step forward in here. Ran a nice 3rd behind Spielberg last time. In good hands being in the Mandella barn. Running style seems versatile.

#3 Tesoro: Decided to toss him in for 4th here. Think he could clunk up and catch the superfecta. Seems like a horse that should like the distance and can’t say that about some of the others in here.

Best of luck to everyone on Saturday!

This is the first Sunday Selections write-up on the blog page. Big shout out to Joe @AndAwayTheyJoe for taking the time to handicap and give his analysis on all 8 races. I highly recommend checking out his podcast, The And Away They Joe Show for Horse Racing— he has many great interviews with top jockeys, trainers, and presenters from around the world. Take it away, Joe!

First off, I would like to thank Nick @NorCalHRNews for the privilege to contribute to NorCal Horse Racing News. 

Here are my thoughts on each race:

Race 1: $5000 Claiming (5 1/2 Furlongs)
Nice and True had a very impressive victory in her last race first off the claim. Even drawing the wide gate was on the speed and took them gate to wire. You do have other horses drawn beside her in Real Keeper and Royal Alexei who are also front runners and if they do get into a speed battle it will set up Family Trips who did come off the pace in it’s last 3 runs to nab a placing. Nice and True, if she gets a clear lead, is likely to run away with this one in another repeat performance.
5-1-6-4

Race 2: $8000 Maiden Claiming (6 Furlongs) 
A lot of unraced runners in this event but Insaniamania looks to be an interesting one here. Ran well in a step up from the 5K Maiden Claimers to the 8K Maiden claimers, grabbing a second in his last race. After running a mile 2 back and 5 1/2 furlongs last time, I think Insaniamania has hit the sweet spot at 6 Furlongs. Should run them down late. Leme At Em does take a huge class drop into this one but has mostly ran on the turf. Only going against the Southern California shipper because we have not seen what it can do on the Tapeta.  With a lot of firsters though, watch the market on them. 
3-8-9-7

Race 3: $50000 Allowance (1 Mile)
In a short field of 5, its hard to go against the Morning Line Favorite in Joymaker. You can excuse the last two runs since she was bumped and checked in those races. She is stepping up in distance for the first time and her last runs suggests that she wants 2 turns and a longer. With the experience against winners and if she can run a clean trip, she will be the one to beat. The one danger in this race would be Kate Boss who destroyed the field in her last contest, but what concerns me is that now she is in a new barn and another change in jockey. It should be between those two runners
5-2-1-3

Race 4: $50000 Allowance (1 Mile)
Zagrah at the long morning line odds, could be the value and upset play in this race. She is a synthetic specialist with one placing in the UK at Kempton on the all weather, and her last race at Golden Gate winning in a 8K Maiden Claimer by 8 lengths. When she was shipped over to the US, they tried her on the turf and the dirt and she did poorly by not even hitting the board. This is a big test for her but if she can catch a flyer out of the gate, she does spring a huge chance to upset. 5-2-1-7

Race 5: $12500 Maiden Claiming (1 Mile)
This one looks to be wide open as you can make a case for most of the runners, but Dont Rub It is my top selection here. The So. Cal shipper did well in her Northern California debut at the same level first off the claim. She still hung on for third after battling in deep stretch at the same distance. Lady Of The House is an interesting type though. She did win two starts back on the turf but got DQ’ed to fifth after drifting out at the top of the lane. Her synthetic form isn’t great but I think with the class relief she will be right up there.
1-8-2-6

Race 6: $39000 Maiden Special Weight (6 Furlongs)
Gallant Guy is really close to a win and I think it will be his day on Super Bowl Sunday. In his debut run, he ran 3rd at double digit odds, but disappointed as a favorite in the last start. With a new jockey in Kyle Frey aboard, I think he has a better shot since he has hung around at this level. Out of the first time starters Sawasdee can run a decent race if you are looking for a long shot. The outside draw is concerning for a first time starter but has a lot of good workouts. Watch the market for that one. 3-8-6-5

Race 7: $31000 Allowance (6 Furlongs)
In Our A has been very consistent and lightly raced. Has not ran below 2nd place, and has a lot of bullets in his last couple of workouts heading into this race. Has tactical speed and is very versatile since he can come from off the pace or take the lead. Has a really high chance of winning this one. Square Deal does have a lot of back class since he’s been in stakes races before. Has won at this level and the last race was a class drop but showed his winning form in the claiming race. Nice price if you can catch it.
8-9-5-10

Race 8: $30000 Maiden Claiming (6 Furlongs)
With a big field of 12 to close out the card, Triskaideka caught a second in her last run at this level. She was bumped from both sides at the start and was 4 wide but still ran on strong. I see a big improvement in this race. With the small group of first time starters, My Legal Bet has the jockey trainer combination of Frey and Thomas for this one. With both of them in the 20% plus strike rate its hard to not go against them here. Workouts are suggesting a strong debut.
6-1-4-3

I am hoping in my debut for NorCal Horse Racing News we can get some winners on Super Bowl Sunday. First post is a little earlier than normal due to the game being on. First Post at 11:15AM PST
Good Luck!

The red light will finally be flashing again on Friday, January 15th. After 2 months of dealing with a widespread coronavirus outbreak, Golden Gate Fields has finally been given the green light to resume racing. Local health official have deemed it safe enough for live racing to resume after the outbreak reached over 300 employees on the backstretch. Unfortunately in December, trainer Bob Hess Sr. passed away at 86 due to complications with coronavirus– he was an icon in California racing, and had been running horses in Northern California since 1971.

Fans and owners will not allowed to attend the races to start the meet (If anything changes in the coming weeks, I will update everyone about this on the Twitter/IG pages). The full Stakes schedule for the Winter- Spring Meet has many highlights. It starts with the El Camino Real Derby on February 13th, where the winner is awarded 10 KY Derby points. Then, we move onto Gold Rush Weekend on April 24th-25th. GRW is headlined by the G3 250k San Francisco Mile and also includes 7 other stakes races (75k Golden Poppy, 75k Camilla Urso, 100k California Derby, 75k California Oaks, 75k Lost In the Fog Stakes, 75k Silky Sullivan Stakes, and the 75k Campanile Stakes). The 75k Alcatraz Stakes will be run on May 23rd. The 100k All American Stakes will be run on Memorial Day, May 31st. And the final stakes race of the meet is the 50k Albany Stakes on June 12th.

The Winter/Spring Meet will run from January 15th- June 13th. All races for the first few months will be on the main track– turf racing usually resumes around April. For the first two weeks of the meet, race days will be Friday- Sunday. On January 28th, racing will return to its normal Thursday- Sunday schedule. First Post to start the meet will be at 12:45pm (moves to 12:15pm if there are 10 races on the card).

2021 is starting off with a bang at Golden Gate Fields. On opening day there is going to be a mandatory payout in the .20 P6 wager, which has a carryover of $26,201. The P6 starts in Race 3.

While the quality of the jockey colony took a hit when Juan Hernandez and Ricky Gonzalez moved South last year, there are still many good riders that are hungry to prove what they’ve got. Kyle Frey is coming into 2021 on a hot streak, as he took the Summer and Fall Meet Riding Titles.

Jonathan Wong swept all 3 training titles last year at Golden Gate Fields, and he’s looking to keep that going in 2021. Wong’s stable has branched out to start the year as he currently has horses stabled at 3 other tracks– Santa Anita, Turf Paradise, and Sam Houston.

Opening week entries:

Friday, 12:45pm first post- https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=ONSC-GG-20210115D

Saturday, 12:15pm first post- https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=ONSC-GG-20210116D

Sunday, 12:45pm first post- https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=ONSC-GG-20210117D

I plan on creating a lot more content throughout 2021, so if you want to keep up to date on everything please follow my social media accounts below.

Twitter: @NorCalHRNews https://twitter.com/NorCalHRNews

Instagram: @norcalhrnews https://www.instagram.com/norcalhrnews/

It has been awhile since I’ve posted on here and wanted to get a quick blog post up. Last weeks racing at Golden Gate Fields was as solid as I’ve seen all year, and I wanted to write about 2 horses that I think are eligible to improve in their next starts.

‘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.

Tura Lura (September 19th: Race 4)- The 2yo daughter of Idiot Proof must have been showing some talent in the mornings as she was bet all the way down to 2/1 in her career debut on Saturday. She missed the break and that really put her behind the eight ball early. This turf course seemed biased towards speed all week, and it was very difficult to make up a ton of ground in the stretch. She put in a steady bid up the rail to finish 5th under not a ton of urging (mostly hand ridden). The gallop out was what really caught my attention in here, you can see after the wire she galloped out well past everyone. Also, Tura Lura is a 1/2 sister to 2x Turf Route winner Shadrack and multiple Turf Route winner Hal’s Buddy. That debut seemed like a good learning experience for her, and I think she’ll be able to show her fully ability over 2-turns– hopefully that is where we see her next out.

On Ice (September 20th: Race 1) This 3yo gelding made his career debut on Sunday in the opener. In my opinion, this was a strong field for the 8k MCL level– there were some droppers and a few others that have been close to breaking through at this level. On Ice broke very sharp and was up close early, but his rider decided to take back, so he found himself sitting in 2nd to last heading down the backstretch. He tucked in on the turn and when he entered the stretch he still had over 7 lengths to make up and a lot of horses to pass. He encountered a wall of 3 runners in front of him and then dropped to the inside and began to make a run. As he was making his run up the rail, there were 2 horses in front of him on the inside which forced him to shift back out to the 3 path in the final 1/16th. He leveled off very nicely and galloped out past the field. This was a great education for him on debut. While the Josephson barn is a capable 13% with firsters, it does seem like he will only move forward off this effort.

Did not have enough time to get this done last night, but still wanted to get a preview up as this race came up strong. The 75k Alcatraz Stakes goes as Race 7 with a post time of 3:18pm. It is to be run at 1M over a firm turf course.

#1 Zimba Warrior (Desormeaux/ Desormeaux): Coming off a late closing 2nd behind Ragtime Blues at Santa Anita sprinting. 2 back was 2nd over the tapeta to Jive Talking who’s a nice colt. Was well-beaten in his 2 starts going 2-turns, but those tries were against Authentic and Thousand Words. Pedigree doesn’t suggest turf. Coming into this one off a career-best. Should be stalking the pace.

#2 Mylittlerunaway (Jauregui/ Espinoza): The filly is looking to upset the boys in this year’s Alcatraz. She is coming off 2 strong wins, and her last one was a gate-to-wire score in a 50k Starter Allowance on turf. Gets to carry 5 pounds less in here. Speed figures will need to improve against these types, but she does have confidence right now. Has a lot of early speed and have to figure she will either be on or near the lead.

#3 Ajourneytofreedom (Wright/ Gonzalez): 2 starts back he won an Allowance routing on the main track. You might think he is off-form judging by his last race where he finished a well-beaten 7th in a 2nd level Allowance. However, I am going to forgive that effort. It looked like a clear prep for today’s race as the 6f distance was way too short and he had a very spotty worktab coming into it. Hard Spun doesn’t scream turf at all, but his dam is a 1/2 to G1 French Oaks winner Nebraska Tornado. Ricky Gonzalez has been riding really well this meet. Should sit a stalking/rating trip. Needs to run a career-best.

#4 Bettor Trip Nick (Delia/ Martinez): Last year’s Golden Nugget and Gold Rush Stakes winner is making his racing return to Golden Gate Fields. His 2 starts this year were against good CA-bred company down South. Proved he could see out the 1M trip in the Gold Rush. Should love turf being by Boat Trip and out of an In Excess mare. Will have to deal with other speed types in here.

#5 Kanderel (Mandella/ Hernandez): Top jockey Juan Hernandez jumps aboard the ML favorite here for trainer Richard Mandella. Showed a ton of potential in the debut score, but hasn’t seen the winner’s circle since. Been running against stakes horses like Encoder and KP All Systems Go. Should take back early, but looks like there will be pace for him to run at. Had an awkward trip against KP All Systems Go on March 20th.

#6 Darnquick (Rogers/ Herrera): Won 3 out of his 4 starts as a 2yo. Finished 8th in his 1st start as a 3yo, but got caught setting very hot fractions in a pace duel. Comes into this one off 2 stiff 7f drills and should be fit. Will be his first try routing. Don’t see much route or turf in the pedigree. Has the quickest pace figures, but is going to have to contend with other speed horses early.

#7 Indian Peak (Howey/ Lopez): Has come around nicely since his debut as a 2yo. Had a trouble 3rd in the El Camino Real Derby, came out of that to win an Allowance on the tapeta, and then in his last start he ran 2nd in an Allowance going a mile on the turf at Santa Anita. Has strong late pace figures and this race seems like it is going to be fast early. Howey, who usually boasts one of the stronger winning %s at GGF is just 1 for 18 at the current Spring Meet.

#8 Governance (Wong/ Antongeorgi): Moved to the Wong barn for the first time for his last start and was able to win over this turf course. While he did beat a good horse in Indian Peak, he could not have gotten a better trip that day– he was loose on the front end while setting slow fractions and was able to hold on by a diminishing neck. Could get caught wide early as the 1st turn comes up quick going 1M. Should sit an off the pace trip in here. Looking to make it 2-2 in Northern California.

Selections: 3-5-1-7

#3 Ajourneytofreedom (8/1): Should sit a great ground-saving trip just behind the leaders. Last race looked like a prep. Should take to the grass.

#5 Kanderel (5/2): Have to respect connections. Been keeping good form. Will be running on late.

#1 Zimba Warrior (8/1): Seems to be on the improve. That 3rd place effort behind Authentic at 1m in the G3 Sham was solid. Turf?

#7 Indian Peak (7/2): Proven he can run on turf. Consistent type and always comes running. Could get a wide trip however.