The 2019 Fall Meet at Golden Gate Fields got off to a good start with plenty of notable performances. While I am going to recap the top races from opening week, lets first start with the current standings in the jockey and trainer races.

Jockey Standings:

Trainer Standings:

Thursday, October 17th:

Race 4- 2yo F 50k STRALW 5.5f: Just Classy, the daughter of Empire Way, had kept some strong form lines heading into this one– she beat eventual 2x winner Misirlou in her maiden score, and then came out of it to run 3rd behind the undefeated No Cover Charge. Just Classy showed a new dimension on Thursday as she went from last to first, compared to her front-running maiden score. It was a perfectly timed ride by Francisco Monroy, and concluded an opening day double for him. Persuasive Lips ran a much improved race, but just got nipped on the wire. Going to Shabooms rounded out the trifecta. The final time was 1:05.11.

Race 5- 2yo F 12.5k MCL 1m: Seize the Chance made her route debut a winning one, as she was able to graduate from the maiden ranks in her 3rd lifetime start. She was coming off a 3rd place effort behind impressive debut winner Raelee, and the two turns in this race seemed like it would be to her liking– she is by Carpe Diem and out of a Sightseeing mare. Thursday’s 5th race was a very strangely run race. The odds-on favorite Miss You Mom lost jockey Julien Couton after bumping at the start. Also, the pace was very quick for the level, due to a pace-duel between Charlie’s Belle and Izzie’s Input. The Ed Moger trainee Seize the Chance made a wide sweeping move on the turn under Alejandro Gomez, and got in a good spot to run down Autism’s Quest in the stretch. The daughter of Carpe Diem was purchased for a very modest price of $2500 back at the 2018 BAROCT sale. The final time was 1:43.43.

Race 7- 2yo F 25k MCL 6f: The nightcap was won by Southern California shipper French Rose. The Keith Desormeaux trained filly was 0-5 and coming off 3 consecutive turf route races. Her only 2 sprints were losses to impressive 2yos Comical and Amalfi Sunrise. The drop in class to the maiden claiming ranks, and the ship up north seemed to do the trick for this daughter of Raison d’Etat. She rated just off the pace from the outside under Frank Alvarado, and once she took the lead, she found enough in the lane to repel the challenge from Mylittlerunaway. Favorite War Candy set the pace, but could only manage 3rd. The final time was 1:11.58.

Full results/charts for Thursday: http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG101719USA.pdf

Friday, October 18th:

Race 3- 2yo 25kMCL 6f: 6th time was the charm for Cajun Bettor to break his maiden in Friday’s 3rd race. The $4500 NCAUG purchase had hit the board in 3 of his 5 starts leading up to this race, and it seemed like the higher maiden claiming level would fit him well. He broke sharply from the far outside, and jockey Ricky Gonzalez did a good job settling him and keeping him in a comfortable stride off the pace. He made a good move into contention on the turn under some pressure, and found another gear in the stretch– he closed home furiously to just out-finish first-time-starter Gregdar. Faith Taylor was the winning conditioner, and the final time was 1:12.09.

Race 6- 2yo 50k STRALW 5.5f: The favorite Bettor Trip Nick shot straight to the lead under Catalino Martinez, and was able to take them all the way. Cartellate took a turn at him, but ultimately got repelled in the stretch and faded to 3rd. Little Cents ran on well but was a non-threatening 2nd. The William Delia trainee is now 2 for 3 lifetime– he has kept solid form, as he beat Cajun Bettor on debut, and lost to Little John (who came back to run 2nd to No Longer Silent on Saturday) in his 2nd start. The final time for this race was 1:03.60.

Race 7- 3yoUp F ALW 5f T: The Friday feature was a solid Allowance sprint on the turf and on paper it looked like there was a bundle of speed. Despite all of the speed, Red Livy was still able to get the gate-to-wire victory. Kyle Frey gave her a strong ride on the front end, as the 1/4 was set in 21.43 and the 1/2 in 45.03. She opened up about 3 lengths in mid-stretch, which was more than enough to hold off the late-charging Lucky Antares. This was Red Livy’s 3rd consecutive victory, all of which were front-running turf sprint efforts. Her trainer Bill McLean has done a fantastic job with her and has progressed her from the 12.5k claiming ranks to an Allowance win. Lucky Antares is a super honest filly that seems to run her race every time, but she is still looking to breakthrough– in her 9 starts this year she has 1 win, 4 seconds, and 1 third. The final time was 57.80.

Full results/charts for Friday: http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG101819USA.pdf

Saturday, October 19th:

Race 6- 2yo ALW 6f: There was nothing silent about No Longer Silent’s dominant win in the 6th race on Saturday. The Ministers Wild Cat colt was coming off a 2nd place effort in the saltiest 2yo race so far in Northern California (Misirlou ALW race on 9/29), and was facing a much easier field today. He took it to Foreign Protocol early on the front end, as the 2 set swift opening fractions of 21.53 for the 1/4 and 44.45 for the 1/2. It was amazing that he was still able to run on well in the stretch considering the fast pace and duel. The final margin was 7 lengths, and the final time was 1:10.07. Jonathan Wong and Kyle Frey teamed up for the victory here. If it’s not too quick of a wheelback, then the 50k Golden Nugget Stakes on November 9th seems like a possibility for this impressive colt.

Race 8- 2yo F MSW CA 5.5f: A full field of 12 lined up for this state bred MSW. The race was won by 5/2 favorite Habobanero. The daughter of Coach Bob sat in a perfect spot outside of pace-setter Pulpit Singer, and made a move for the lead at the top of the stretch. She responded well to Julien Couton and had a lot left in the tank to win by 1 1/2 lengths. The turnback to a sprint distance seemed to fit her well as she found it a bit difficult going 2 turns against The Adrie Factor last time out. You could tell trainer Reina Gonzalez had some talent here, based on her 2nd place debut effort behind the talented Big Maria. Red Dahlia rallied up for 2nd, and longshot first-time-starter Another Card Short finished well for 3rd. The final time was 1:04.37.

Race 9- 3yoUp F ALW 1/16m T: The Jonathan Wong trained Hurley took down the feature on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields. Getting back on the turf course was big for her as her better races prior were on the grass. She sat well off the pace here and made a strong move on the turn. As they turned for home she swung into a perfect spot in the clear under Irving Orozco and quickened up very well to win by 2 1/2 lengths. This was the Mucho Macho Man filly’s 2nd career win, pushing her earnings to $51,906 in 11 career starts. Tizno’s Dilemma flew home for 2nd, and Trustini held on for 3rd. The final time was 1:45.67.

Full results/charts for Saturday: http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG101919USA.pdf

Sunday, October 20th:

Race 2- 2yo 20k MCL 1m T: Mysterious Stones took advantage of the class drop back down to MCL company, as he drew off to win by a commanding 6 lengths. William Antongeorgi was aggressive to grab to lead early, and never looked back. The Steve Sherman trainee was coming off a 7th place effort behind Anneau d’Or, who is expected to be pre-entered for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf (that could be a potential live race, so be on the lookout for runners coming out of that spot). Gem State was a distant 2nd on Sunday and was claimed by Tim Bellasis for the 20k tag. Dirt Road Red was 3rd. The final time was 1:39.98.

Race 6- 3yoUp ALW 5f T: Colormemoney made his return off a 9- month layoff a winning one. The 4yo Bendetti gelding was coming off a few sharp drills for trainer Tim McCanna heading into Sunday’s race. He sat just behind the leaders with a ground saving trip, and once the rail opened up heading into the turn, Irving Orozco made his move to take the lead. He was under a decent hold turning for home, and finished with plenty of energy to win by a length. Colormemoney has now eclipsed the $100,000 earnings mark with his 5th win from 14 career starts. Tigerbeach and Woah Buddy finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. The final time was 57.37.

Race 7- 3yoUp 25k CLM 6f: Arguably the most impressive performance on Sunday went to Sigur Ros in the 7th race. He flashed his usual early speed and took the field gate-to-wire in a dominant 4 length win with jockey Ricky Gonzalez aboard. The final time was a sizzling 1:08.64. Sigur Ros has shown an affinity for the tapeta as he sports 4 wins in his 5 lifetime starts over the surface. Trainer Andy Mathis has this 5yo Gemologist gelding going well right now and it will be interesting to see if they decide to try deeper waters in the Oakland Stakes on November 16th. He now has 6 wins in 14 career starts with earnings of $119,951.

Race 8 – 3yoUp ALW 1/16m T: I highly recommend watching the replay on this one, as Irving orozco gave Ready Say Go an absolutely brilliant ride here. He took back at the start of the race and was able to save a bit of ground from the 8-post. Quick fractions of 22.78 for the 1/4 and 47.02 for the 1/2 helped set things up here. He progressed well on the turn to get into striking range and decided to cut to the inside in the stretch– the decision to go inside instead of outside was the difference between him finishing 1st and 3rd. Give Me the Lute finished 2nd and On Raglan Road was 3rd. Sherrie Monroe was the winning conditioner, and the final time was 1:44.32. Ready Say Go now has 4 firsts and 4 seconds in 10 career starts with earnings of $72,231.

Race 9- 2yo MSW CA 5.5f: A full field of 12 2yos lined up for Sunday’s 9th race. Smileforme was coming off of a 6th place effort on debut behind Foreign Protocol, and seemed to have gotten a lot out of that race as he was able to win 2nd time out. Silvio Amador put him into the race early and was able to grab the lead on the turn. The screws were definitely tightened for today’s run as he ran on well in the stretch. Should be Illegal loomed up into a nice spot in 2nd, but ultimately flattened out to finish 3rd. First-time-starter Wine and Whiskey made a big move late and finished full of energy to grab 2nd– he is definitely one to follow next time out as he was able to show promise despite breaking from the rail. This concluded a 3 win opening week for trainer William Delia. The final time was 1:04.07.

Full results/charts for Sunday: http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG102019USA.pdf

Racing resumes this Thursday at Golden Gate Fields. Be on the lookout for a preview of Saturday’s 75k Pike Place Dancer Stakes– the field is shaping up to be a good one. Lastly, if you haven’t already, please follow @NorCalHRNews on twitter for all the latest updates on racing in Northern California.

An exciting Stakes-filled Fall Meet at Golden Gate Fields is set to begin on October 17th and run through December 15th. I would expect handle to continue to improve as the product is continuously getting better– the personnel at GGF has made positive changes and there is a strong stakes schedule too.

There are a total of 9 Stakes races during the Fall Meet, including the new addition of the 50k Joseph T. Grace Stakes on November 2nd. This was one of my favorite Stakes races when it was run at the Sonoma County Fair, so it is nice to see it is getting revived at Golden Gate Fields. Here is the complete Stakes schedule:

10/26- 75k Pike Place Dancer Stakes (2yo fillies 1m T)

11/2- 50k Joseph T. Grace Stakes (3yoUp 1 1/16m T)

11/9- 50k Golden Nugget Stakes (2yo 6f)

11/16- 50k Oakland Stakes (3yoUP 6f)

11/29- 50k Golden Gate Debutante (2yo fillies 6f)

11/30- 100k G3 Berkeley Handicap (3yoUp 1 1/16m)

12/7- 75k Gold Rush Stakes (2yos 1m)

12/14- 75k Bear Fan Stakes (3yoUp fillies and mares CA-bred 6f)

12/15- 50k Miss America Stakes (3yoUp fillies and mares 1 1/16m T)

Trainer Jonathan Wong is looking for a sweep of all 3 Golden Gate Fields’ meets this year– he has already won titles for the Winter/Spring Meet and the Summer Meet.

Summer Meet Trainer Standings

Irving Orozco took down the Summer Meet title, and will look to keep his hot hand going throughout the Fall Meet. The jockey colony at Golden Gate Fields is very deep right now and it will be fun to watch them battle it out all meet.

Summer Meet Jockey Standings

2yo watch:

News came out last week that trainer Blaine Wright is going to pre-enter impressive debut winner Anneau d’Or into the G1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. It is a longshot that he will get into the race off just 1 maiden win, but it would be great to see Golden Gate Fields represented on the big stage. The Golden Gate Debutante in late November is shaping up to be a nice one, as there are some very strong 2yo fillies on the grounds. Also, I would think that we are going to see impressive turf winner The Adrie Factor make her next start in the 75k Pike Place Dance Stakes on October 26th. Darnquick, who was the most accomplished 2yo during the Summer Meet, could make his next start in the 50k Golden Nugget Stakes on November 9th. Lastly, there is an exciting 2yo that should be making his debut within the next month, and that is the Blaine Wright trained A. P. Pharoah. This 300k FTOCT purchase is a son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and is out of the AP Indy mare Danceinthesunlight– which makes him a 1/2 brother to G1 winner Moreno. Has both speed and stamina in his pedigree, and is definitely one to add to your list of potential El Camino Real Derby prospects.

If you haven’t already, please follow @NorCalHRNews on twitter for all the latest updates on Northern California Horse Racing.

Sunday is closing day for the Summer Meeting at Golden Gate Fields. There are big fields all throughout the card, including the late pick 4, which has a guaranteed pool of $100,000. I am going to go over some of the contenders in each leg, and hopefully it will help you guys narrow down your selections. Fields of 11, 10, 10, and 14 make up the sequence.

Race 8: 2yo Maiden Special Weight 1m Turf

#2 Victus- Plenty of works on the tab– should be fit for today’s debut. Trainer Howey Quinn is a strong 22% with FTS (27% with MSW FTS). Pedigree on bottom side for turf. Interesting at 15/1 on the ML.

#5 Music Icon- Got away a bit slow from the gate and was void of any early speed on debut sprinting. Made a steady bid and ran on well late. Nice gallop out and seemed like a good learning experience. Wright 19% 2nd time out. Precocity on both sides of pedigree. Turf?? Should sit a forwardly placed trip on stretchout.

#6 Sacred Rider- Run 2 back was decent as he lost to a horse that caught a better part of bias. Caught in speed duel last race. Strong turf and route pedigree– dam is multiple turf stakes winner and he is a full to stakes winner Pulpit Rider. Should show some speed.

#7 Final Final- Has had gate issues in both career starts at Del Mar. 2 turns should definitely help him and has some sneaky turf pedigree. Leading rider Irving Orozco is 5 for his last 7 with trainer Bill McLean. Interesting horse at a price. At least an underneath use.

#9 Speeding Runing- Looked well beaten in both career races but found a way to flash a very strong turn of foot. Making a big class jump here from MC12.5k to MSW. By Heatseeker and out of an English Channel mare, so should love the turf. Also has 2 turn experience. Needs pace to run at. Interesting price horse.

#10 Anneau d’Or- The likely favorite. Been waiting all summer to see this 480k son of Medaglia d’Oro make his debut. Should handle the grass as his dam is a G3 winner on turf. Had a 28 day gap between works in August but drills since seem steady. Future El Camino Real Derby contender?

Selections:

#10 Anneau d’Or (5/2)

#5 Music Icon (7/2)

#9 Speeding Running (20/1)

#6 Sacred Rider (4/1)

Race 9: 2yo Allowance/Optional Claiming 40k 5 1/2f

#1 Blaisin’ Eamon- Coming off a strong 5 length maiden score. Flashed potential on debut by running 3rd against a strong inside bias and having a big gallop out. Hand is probably forced to send from the rail.

#3 Misirlou- Talented filly is coming off a 4 length maiden win. Jumps up to open company and faces the boys here. Is a full sister to El Camino Real Derby winner Zakaroff. Close on figures and gets leading rider Irving Orozco.

#6 Ardenlee Star- Cuts back to a sprint here after running 3rd in the 100k Del Mar Juvenile Turf. Won debut going 6f and should handle the tapeta fine. Could sit a nice trip with there being some pace horses in here. McCarthy 2/4 at GGF this meet.

#7 No Longer Silent- Put it all together in his last start, as he pulled away to break his maiden by 6 lengths. Wong and Frey are 29% at the meet together. Figures fit well here. Has speed.

#8 Little John- Broke his maiden for 25k on debut and then came back to win a Starter Allowance. Improving type. Figures are well behind. Should get pace to run at. Interesting price horse. Acid test here.

#10 Warm Summer- Eye catching debut win on 8/17, and then came back to run 2nd against talented 2yo Darnquick on 9/8. Rail draw last time, now moves to the outside here. Coming off 4f bullet in 48 flat (quickest of 79). Figures fit.

Selections:

#1 Blaisin’ Eamon (7/2)

#10 Warm Summer (8/1)

#7 No Longer Silent (3/1)

#6 Ardenlee Star (5/2)

Race 10: 3yoUp CLM20k 5f Turf

#2 Regal Born- Ships back North and drops from 40k after 2 turf sprints at Del Mar. Picks up leading rider Irving Orozco and should sit a ground saving trip on the inside.

#3 Whoa Buddy- Interesting longshot. Coming off of a close 3rd place effort on the main track, and ran 2nd for 20k 2 back on the turf at 23/1. One to consider at least underneath.

#4 Sunrise Journey- Class of the field, but he hasn’t been seen since December. Has a nice win going 5f on the turf. Mathis spots his runners well, so have to respect him on the drop.

#6 Incensed- Has early speed but can sit off of the pace too. Synthetic numbers tower over the rest of the field. Will be interesting to see how he does on turf. Belvoir only 5% going dirt to turf.

#9 Royal Creed- Turf run at Del Mar against tougher was decent. Been working up a storm at Golden Gate for Jeff Bonde– son of Jimmy Creed is coming off 3 straight bullet works. Good post and Antongeorgi can put him wherever he wants to.

#10 Karma King- Wong is a STRONG 28% first off the claim. Off the board in all 7 turf starts, but Wong must see something to enter him here. Quick 1 week wheelback. Numbers fit. Turf and quick turnaround are the questions.

Selections:

#9 Royal Creed (6/1)

#2 Regal Born (4/1)

#6 Incensed (7/2)

#10 Karma King (9/2)

Race 11: 3yoUP 50k Starter Allowance 1m Turf

#1 Mo Bob- Got the job done last time out in a 12.5k claimer after not having the cleanest of trips. Will get to save ground on the inside under Frank Alvarado. Ran 2nd against a few other of these at Starter 40k level 2 back.

#2 Smiling Bandit- Don’t see many runners coming off of a 20 length victory. Obviously facing way tougher here and turf is a big question mark. Brings Emerald Downs speed, and would have to think Kevin Krigger is going to send from the inside.

#3 Roman Rush- Another Emerald shipper. Stretching out from sprint to route. Should be forwardly placed. Has a 2nd place finish going 1 1/16m on this turf course. Figures fit, but can he duplicate them on grass?

#5 Kid Arcade- Coming off a 5th place effort behind Premium Forest at 1 1/8. Shortens up to 1m here, which is the same distance of his win 2 starts back. Deep closer that is going to need pace to run at. Figures are slow but he is improving.

#7 Bronze Warrior- Coming off 20k claiming win going wire-to-wire. Seems like he doesn’t need the lead, but both of his lifetime wins were on the lead– will be tough to grab the lead in here. Have to respect the connections, but a tough favorite to lean on.

#8 Rustic Canyon- Has solid form lines and has been knocking on the door at the level. Versatile running style helps him here. Numbers fit well here.

#10 Ready Say Go- Goes from the rail to the 10 post and cuts back from 9f to 8f. Orozco can get a good idea of where to put this 5yo son of Unusual Heat, as he is drawn outside the other speed. Has races that fit.

#12 Pioneerofthestorm- Coming off a narrow defeat by a nose at the 12.5k level on the main track. 2nd off the layoff and get on the turf. Wong should have him ready and Kyle Frey stays aboard. Numbers are right there.

#13 River God- Needs to draw in off the AE list, but brings strong SoCal form into today’s race. Does not have a ton of speed, so post is a concern as he could get caught pretty wide on the first turn.

#14 Kichiro- Will need at least 2 defections to draw in off the AE list. Making first start since March. Improving 3yo could take another step forward as worktab looks like he is ready to fire off layoff for Wong. Has speed, so hopefully won’t get caught too wide.

Selections:

#12 Pioneerofthestorm (9/2)

#14 Kichiro (9/2)

#10 Ready Say Go (4/1)

#13 River God (5/2)

Usually I like to play P4s with the ABC method, but I will put a suggested “caveman” style ticket below (It’s more so a guide to help you if you haven’t finalized your ticket yet).

My suggested .50 Pick 4 ticket

10w 1,6,7,10 w 2,4,6,9,10w 10,12(13,14)

Cost: $20 ($40 if AEs draw in)

Jockey Standings:

Trainer Standings:

Owner Standings:

Thursday: Premium Forest Takes 12 Furlong Turf Feature

Coming off a Starter Allowance win at 1 1/8m on this turf course in August, Premium Forest was able to stretch out to 1 1/2m to take the Thursday feature. Pace-setter Shot of a Lifetime gave the field the slip turning for home and looked like he was going to pull off the upset. However, Premium Forest started to make his move on the turn, and he began to close into the margin with each and every stride. In the final 20 yards, the son of Forest Command hit the lead under a perfectly timed ride from Luis Ocasio and pulled away to a 1/2 length victory. Premium Forest has proven to be a strong claim, as he has now won 4 out of his last 7 starts (7 for 7 ITM) for trainer Ari Herbertson. The final time was 2:32.48.

Full results/charts for Thursday

Friday: Keeper Ofthe Stars Keeps on Shining

Track record holder Keeper Ofthe Stars returned to her home track after a strong 4th place finish in the G1 Del Mar Oaks. Making quite the drop in class, she was sent off as the heavy favorite in this Allowance race (which was run at the same distance as her track record). The Jonathan Wong trainee went to the lead under William Antongeorgi and never looked back– she cruised to an easy 3 1/2 length victory over Rolling Green Stakes 3rd place finisher, Wicked Old Fashion. This daughter of Midnight Lute continues to improve and adds a nice 1-2 punch with 3yo fillies for Wong, he has Stealthediamonds for turf sprints, and Keeper Ofthe Stars for turf routes. I would imagine we will see her in a stakes race down south next, as this race should set her up well for it.

The feature on Friday was an A/OC race for fillies and mares 3yos and up. It was a strong group, and Left Alone was able to outlast Sweetly Spoken in a stretch duel to get up by a nose. It is nice to see this daughter of Reckless Abandon round back into form, as 2 starts ago she bolted on the turn and stopped. Her confidence seems to be high as she has now won 2 straight races, and it will be interesting to see if she can keep the ball rolling. She is trained by Julie Baker and was ridden by William Antongeorgi, who scored his 3rd win on the card.

Full results/charts for Friday

Saturday: Stradari Scores Impressive Debut Win

Just want to make a brief mention about Amber Louise, who in the 6th race, won her 4th consecutive race (5 out of her last 6 since being claimed). She has shown the ability to run well on dirt, turf, and synthetic. Congrats to Frank Alvarado, Isidro Tamayo, and Garrel Chung.

When a horse gets sent off at even money for a barn that doesn’t usually crank their runners up first time out, that is usually a sign that they have ability. This was the case in the 7th race on Saturday with the OJ Jauregui trained, Stradari. As the gates opened, the daughter of Square Eddie (30k FT Santa Anita purchase) shot straight to the lead with William Antongeorgi. After setting fractions of 22.04 for the 1/4 and 45.77 for the 1/2, Stradari had an extra gear for the stretch run and powered home to win by 4 lengths. Midnight Sunrise ran on well for 2nd in her 1st career start, and Sara Crewe was able to hold for 3rd. The final time for this 5.5f race was 1:04.15. The 2yo filly class in Northern California continues to get stronger with the addition of Stradari, who joins her stablemate Warm Summer, Shanghai Keely, Been Studying Her, Cake Walk, Big Maria, Misirlou, Wise Rachel, and No Cover Charge.

True to Herself made her Northern California debut a winning one, as she took down a first level Allowance race. She made her first 7 starts in Ireland before shipping out to Southern California. After 2 races with trainer Richard Baltas, she was shipped up North to run for leading trainer Jonathan Wong. Jockey Julien Couton sat her in a perfect rating position in 2nd behind pace-setter, Casino Games. The daughter of Clodovil responded well in the lane to score by a length. Trustini got up for 2nd, Fabriana closed to nose out longshot Casino Games for 3rd. The final time for this 1 1/16m race on the grass was 1:44.21.

Full results/ charts for Saturday

Sunday: Strong Allowance Victory for Oiseau de Guerre

Oiseau de Guerre continues to show an affinity for Golden Gate Fields with back-to-back wins. He took down the 3rd race against a very classy field that included some of the top sprinters in Northern California. Julien Couton took back the Michael McCarthy trained son of War Front early and let him get into a comfortable stride. He wheeled him out on the turn and began to pick off the others one by one– he went on to score by a 1/2 length. Stakes winners My Friend Emma and Summersimage finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. The final time was 1:09.53.

The most exciting race of the day was the 7th and it was a MSW for 2yos. 9 of the 11 runners were making their first start, including Ajourneytofreedom who is a 1/2 brother to El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate. The winner of this race was a first time starter, but it was Foreign Protocol who was able to get the job done. He stalked the pace behind He’s a Hit and was able to hold him and Should be Illegal off in the stretch. The most impressive part of this performance was that before the race, he got loose and ran off for a quarter mile– you rarely ever see horses win after doing that. Jockey Frank Alvarado and trainer Quinn Howey teamed up for the win here. Foreign Protocol is by Raison d’Etat and was sold for 32k at the FT Santa Anita Sale. Ajourneytofreedom ran on for 5th after not showing any speed early. There are definitely some positives to take heading into his next race. He ran on decently in the lane and had a strong gallop out to go with it. Also, he is by Hard Spun and is out of a dam that is a 1/2 to a French Oaks winner– the further the better for him!

A strong Allowance race on the turf ended the card, and it was taken wire-to-wire by the 4yo son of Many Rivers, River Rose. He set honest enough splits of 23.73 for the 1/4 and 47.86 for the 1/2, but with the rail being out at 20ft, it made it harder for those coming from off the pace. The top 2 (River Rose and Chosen Vessel) went 1-2 the whole way around. Hardboot came on for 3rd, and the favorite Incredible Luck finished 4th. River Rose earned his 3rd win from 10 lifetime starts, and is trained by Ellen Jackson and ridden by Cristobal Herrera.

Full results/ charts for Sunday

Next week is closing week for the Summer Meet at Golden Gate Fields. There is a 100k guaranteed pool for Sunday’s late p4, so make sure to get involved in that. If you haven’t already, please follow @NorCalHRNews on twitter for all the latest news on horse racing in Northern California.

Just a 3-day race week at Golden Gate Fields after a 5-day holiday race week. Over the course of the 3 days, we saw some impressive performances.

First, let’s look at the jockey and trainer standings.

Friday, Sep 6th:

On Friday, we saw a very impressive debut from the Tim McCanna trained Big Maria. The 2yo daughter of Mr. Big took some money and was sent off at odds of 7/2. She found herself well back early in this turf sprint, and at the 1/8th pole it looked like it was a clear 2-horse race between pace-setters Habobanero and Untied. Big Maria began picking off her rivals one-by-one as she flashed an incredible turn of foot to win by a “neck”. Based on her pedigree (Mr. Big out of a Maria’s Mon mare), I would expect her to only get better with added distance. After her debut, that 12k BAROCT price tag looks like a bargain.

Impressive debut win by 2yo filly Big Maria. She showed a strong closing kick to take the 4th race @GGFracing. The daughter of Mr. Big was ridden by Frank Alvarado and trained by Tim McCanna. pic.twitter.com/aMRoQT8Vs3

— NorCal Horse Racing News (@NorCalHRNews) September 6, 2019

The feature on the card was a 25k A/OC race for fillies and mares 3yo and Up going 1 1/16m on the main track. The favorite Kynance stalked the pace from an outside position under Irving Orozco and swooped to the lead in the stretch– she kicked on well to take it by a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths. Trainer Manny Badilla does a great job with European imports as Kynance was able to get her 2nd lifetime win. It’s Alexus ran on for 2nd, and Hal’s Buddy rounded out the trifecta. The final time was 1:45.80.

In the last race, No Cover Charge showed a dominant gate-to-wire win to remain perfect in 2 lifetime starts. She broke alertly under Julien Couton and opened up a commanding 8-length lead at the top of the stretch to put them all away. While she did show a lot of grit in her debut, I thought her debut was dressed up due to the fact that she road the biased part of the track at Santa Rosa. That was clearly bad thinking on my part as she came back to win with ease. Also, while her trainer Jonathan Wong has a very solid win % with FTS, I feel like his runners improve with racing– the fact that she was able to win first time out is another feather in her cap. She adds more depth to an already strong 2yo filly class at Golden Gate Fields, and I look forward to seeing how she does against Allowance company. Also Jonathan Wong was able to score the exacta in this race with Friend of Autism getting up for 2nd.

Full card results/charts for Friday http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG090619USA.pdf

Saturday, Sep 7th:

The 3rd race was a Starter Allowance for 2yos going 5 1/2f on the tapeta. The 2 favorites Bettor Trip Nick and Clear to Close dueled on a quick pace where the 1/4 was up in 21.65. Bettor Trip Nick was able to put away Clear to Close at the top of the stretch but the early pace started to take its toll on him. The Felix Rondan trained Little John had a sustained rally from last to win by a length going away. This son of Comic Strip is now 2-2 lifetime. Monstrodamous grinded away to get up for 3rd. The final time was 1:06.17.

In the 5th, 2yo Misirlou broke her maiden very impressively in her 2nd lifetime start. She pressed the leader from the outside and when Frank Alvarado asked her to go, she took off from them. The Steve Specht trainee won by 4 lengths geared down and stopped the clock in 1:11.94 for 6f. She is a full sister to El Camino Real Derby winner Zakaroff, and she looks like a filly that will get better as the distances get longer.

Stylish win for Misirlou in the 5th @GGFracing. She scores 2nd time out for Steve Specht and Frank Alvarado. pic.twitter.com/xIvNexYVc1

— NorCal Horse Racing News (@NorCalHRNews) September 7, 2019

The feature on the card was the 8th race and it was a 5f 1st level Allowance race. We saw the emergence of a very talented turf sprinter. Stealthediamonds is probably a familiar name to many horse racing fans in Northern California, as she knocked heads with some of the top 2yos last year. She was privately purchased in July and was transferred to the barn of Jonathan Wong. In August she won a 40k claimer sprinting on the turf and Del Mar, and then came back to wire the field in a dominant win on Saturday. I remember seeing this filly in the paddock before her debut, and she looked like a filly that would love the turf. Her one try on turf was very disappointing, but it was going a route of ground– if you look at her form, she is clearly a sprinter. This was great recognition by the new connections to get her sprinting on the grass, and she looks like a filly that has stakes caliber potential. The final time for her easy 4 length win was a sizzling 56.58 seconds.

Full card results/charts for Saturday http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG090719USA.pdf

Sunday, Sep 8:

We saw a compelling 2yo matchup on Sunday in the 4th race between 2x winner Darnquick and the impressive debut winning filly Warm Summer. It was a 40k ALW/OC going 6f on the main track. Darnquick broke well and showed his typical early speed to grab the lead. The Run Brother Ron gelding set fractions of 22.48 for the 1/4 and 45.29 for the 1/2. As they rounded the turn, Warm Summer made a move on the inside and looked like she was going to make a serious challenge to the loose leader. However, once Darnquick switched leads, he was able to find another gear and repel the challenge from the filly. He won by 2 1/2 lengths for trainer Allen Rogers and jockey Hugo Herrera. Smokin Hot Bobbie was able to get 3rd. The final time was 1:11.29.

Darnquick scores another impressive win for the duo of Allen Rogers and Hugo Herrera. The 2yo Run Brother Ron gelding is now 3-4 lifetime pic.twitter.com/lnXlYLSV0q

— NorCal Horse Racing News (@NorCalHRNews) September 8, 2019

No Longer Silent was making his 2nd lifetime start in the 6th race and was coming out of a 3rd place effort on debut. His last work heading into this race was a swift 4f bullet in 47.60 (best of 55). As mentioned earlier in this post, Jonathan Wong runners seem to improve a lot with racing, and No Longer Silent took a big step forward by beating a nice horse in Admirably by 6 lengths. He was sent to the lead under Kyle Frey and took them all the way. The final time was 1:11.49. He is definitely a 2yo to keep an eye on going forward.

7 horses lined up in the finale on Sunday, which was a first level Allowance race going 5f on the grass. 3yo gelding Indian Zip shot straight to lead from post position 2 and showed a lot of heart in the lane as he was able to hold off longshot Snow Feather by a neck. This was his turf debut, and his 2nd lifetime win. Favored El Chavo Del Ocho finished 3rd after being stuck in traffic during the stretch, he ran on well once he got clear. The winning son of Indian Evening is trained by Jack Steiner and ridden by Kyle Frey. The final time for this 5f turf dash was 57.54 seconds.

Full card results/charts for Sunday http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG090819USA.pdf

Racing resumes Thursday at Golden Gate Fields with a 1st post of 1:15pm. Follow @NorCalHRNews on Twitter.

The feature race of the Summer Meet at Golden Gate Fields is the Rolling Green Stakes, and it is going to be run on Labor Day Monday. It is for 3yos and Up going 1 1/16m on the Turf and has a purse of 50k. I am going to give some brief thoughts on each of the runners and make a selection.

#1 Restrainedvengence (Brinkerhoff/ Hernandez): The SoCal invader is the ML favorite, and is coming off of a narrow 3rd place effort in the G3 Longacres Mile. This son of Hold Me Back switches back to the turf, which is the surface where all 3 of his lifetime wins have come on. 2 starts back he ran 5th beaten 3 lengths in the Wickerr Stakes (click here for replay) behind Bombard and next-out Pacific Classic winner Higher Power. That day Restrainedvengence closed decently into slow fractions from last with an inside trip. Blinkers also come off here.

#2 Cafe Flavor (Gallagher/ Lopez): Will be making his 1st start off of a 15-month layoff. Only has 5 works since he resumed training. Went 5f in 1:01.00 in a solo drill on August 25th (click here to view workout). Looked fine for a turf horse but this race seems like a starting point. Gallagher 10% off a 90+ day layoff. Cafe Flavor’s last race was an A/OC going 9f on the GGF lawn, where he closed well to be 3rd by 1/2 a length. 8.5f seems a bit sharp. Will be running late.

#3 Builder (Tamayo/ Couton): Has strong local form. The Gio Ponti gelding is 2/4 at GGF this year including a 2nd place effort in the G3 All American Stakes on the main track. Sports an Allowance win on the GGF turf course from April. In his last race, he was sent off as the favorite in a 16k STR ALW at Del Mar (click here for replay). Had a bit of a wide trip and was under heavy pressure on the far turn. He looked done, but once in the stretch, he found his stride and finished up decently. Grinding type. Maybe a return to his home track will get him back on form.

#4 Lymebyrd (Tekos Jr./ Orozco): A horse that we saw score some eye-catching wins at the beginning of the year. Is coming off a nice 25k A/OC win on the main track (click here for replay). His races at 1 1/16m have been respectable even though 1m seems to be his preferred distance. 0 for 9 on the grass, but has hit the board 4 times (including a late closing 3rd behind Mugaritz on 12/31). Solid turn of foot.

#5 G.G. Ryder (Tamayo/ Antongeorgi): The now 8yo former SF Mile winner finds himself in a new barn. Tamayo is 11% with new acquisitions. Ran 2nd in a 20k claimer on the dirt at Pleasanton last time out. Has speed and we could see him on the lead to ensure a solid enough pace for stablemate Builder. Is well off form, but maybe the trainer change will get him back in the right direction.

#6 Wicked Old Fashion (Trujillo/ Amador): The 5yo mare takes on the boys here. Coming off a 62.5k A/OC score last week (click here for replay). Does her best running on the lead. Ambitious spot but is coming off her best win to date.

#7 Tortosa (Bautista/ Martinez): Last seen winning the 75k Alcatraz Stakes over this turf course in May of 2018 (click here for replay). Has a very long worktab that dates back to early May. Sports a 7f work in 1:29.00 on Aug 3rd, but then shows a 3 week gap between that and his last work. Bautista is 10% off of a 90+ day layoff. Numbers are well behind, but should show improvement from a 3yo to 4yo. Faces toughest competition yet here. Will be trying to close late.

Pace scenario:

Wicked Old Fashion is the fastest early, and you’d have to think she would be on the front end here. G.G. Ryder has shown speed in the past but is certainly not a speed type– new connections could send to help his stablemate. He seems to be the key to race, depending on his running style. I see Builder getting used a little early to grab a rating position in 3rd. Lymebyrd is pretty versatile and will likely be 4th or 5th with Restrainedvengence. Tortosa will probably have to take back a bit from the outside post and Cafe Flavor seems the most void of speed early.

Selections: 1-4-3-2

Restrainedvengence– The class lines and recent form are too strong for me to ignore. While he has shown his best ability at 1m, I think he will be able to handle the 1 1/16m distance. He should sit a nice ground saving trip under Juan Hernandez and close late to win.

Lymebyrd– Has shown a lot of versatility, and I really liked his race on the grass against Mugaritz last year. Coming off a solid win and should be ready to fire 2nd off the layoff.

Builder– Should appreciate getting back to a GGF turf course that he has a win over. Grinding type, and I don’t really like that in a field with not a ton of speed– the closers will be a lot closer to him, and I don’t know if he has the turn of foot to repel them.

Cafe Flavor– While I do think he wants further and might need one off the long layoff, I still feel like he could hit the bottom of the superfecta. Will drop out of it early and be flying late for a piece.

It was nice to get back in the swing of things as racing returned to Golden Gate Fields for the Summer Meeting. There was some exciting racing during opening week, and I am going to recap it below.

Standings:

Thursday:

Race 6 was the feature race of the day, and it was a 25k ALW O/C going 1m on the main track. SoCal invader Miss Voluptuous set the pace and was then joined by Kynance and Its Alexus on the far turn. These 3 put a good distance between themselves and the others, and it looked like it was a 3-horse race turning for home. However, Music Babe closed fast late to pull off the 7/1 upset. Jockey Frank Alvarado dropped out to last early and was able to save a lot of ground. He made a strong move with Music Babe on the turn and was loaded turning for home, all he had to do was point her in the right direction. The John Martin trainee is now 10-25 lifetime and has racked up $130,957 in total earnings.

Jockey Kyle Frey had a huge opening day, as he took 3 of the 7 races. He won race 2 aboard first time starter Always in Vegas, race 3 aboard River House, and race 5 aboard another first time starter in Friend of Autism.

After racing in Northern California 3-4 years ago, jockey David Lopez returned a winner in his first mount back at Golden Gate Fields. It was great to see him back after having some serious injury issues. He sat in 7th out of 8 horses early on and took 2/1 choice Drill Time to the outside in the lane and flew home to score by 1 3/4 lengths going away. Steve Miyadi was the winning trainer.

Thursday Full Card Results: https://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG081519USA.pdf

Friday:

Trainer Ari Herbertson had a double on the day with wins in races 2 and 8. In the 2nd, Monstodamous, who is by freshmen sire Curlintomischief, won a 12.5k MCL by a comfortable 3 lengths. Also his 3yo Desert Code gelding, Ruxin, dominated by 6 lengths in a 5k MCL race– he stopped the clock in 58.66, which is fast for the level.

The feature race on the day was a loaded 25k ALW O/C for 3yos and Up going 1m on the main track. Lymebyrd was a horse that we saw impress during the winter/spring meet, and after a subpar dirt performance at Pleasanton, he returned to his winning ways. Breaking from the rail, jockey Irving Orozco did a great job hustling him early to grab a forward position in the clear. He stalked the pace-setter River of Champagne and was able to save enough for the stretch drive to blow past him and hold off the closers. The Angelo Tekos Jr. trainee ran the mile in a final time of 1:37.94.

Lastly, jockey William Antongeorgi had an impressive day, as he scored a hat trick with wins in races 3, 5, and 8.

Friday Full Card Results: https://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG081619USA.pdf

Saturday:

We saw the Northern California return for dominant Pleasanton debut winner Darnquick in the 4th race. The 2yo Run Brother Ron gelding broke quickly and rocketed to the lead. He set a very swift opening 1/4 in 21.81 and still found enough in reserve to hold off the late-closing Thisonesfordan to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The Allen Rogers trainee is now 2/3 lifetime and has banked $48,460 in earnings.

In Race 7, we saw an impressive debut win from the Clubhouse Ride filly, Warm Summer. She broke last of all and found herself far off the pace early. Jockey Ricky Gonzalez made a move into the far turn to get decent position, and then wheeled her to the outside on the turn– she began to pick off her rivals one by one. In the lane, she had so much momentum and closed nicely to win by 3 lengths going away. The final time for this 5.5f race was 1:05.68. She was purchased at the FTSANA Sale for 50k. The most impressive thing to me was that she was able to win first time out for O. J. Jauregui, who is a trainer that usually never has his runners cranked up on debut. We have seen him have nice runners in recent years with horses like Amaranth and Camino Del Paraiso, so it will be interesting to see how this talented filly Warm Summer pans out.

A field of 10 lined up for the feature on the card, which was a 6f ALWn1x for F&M 3yo and Up. Miss Super Saint was coming off of a 4 month layoff, and backed up to a sprint distance. While she has shown speed in the past, sprint speed is different than route speed. The Super Saver filly found herself well off the pace and was forced to make a wide closing bid. She started to find her best stride in the lane and won by 1 1/2 lengths. She gave Ricky Gonzalez a riding double on the day. We saw some team tactics pay off by trainer Steve Specht as pace-setter My Sweet Lou was able to hold on for 2nd to complete the exacta. Miss Super Saint’s best form seems to have been around 2 turns, so look out for her next time 2nd off the layoff.

We also saw another trainer exacta in race 5, as D Wayne Baker pulled off the 16/1 upset with Cool Hunter.

Saturday Full Card Results: https://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG081719USA.pdf

Sunday:

In the 5th, Fairy Tale Bliss broke her maiden going wire-to-wire on the turf in her Northern California debut for new trainer Sergio Ledezma. Jockey Juan Hernandez was able to control things on an easy lead up front, the 1/2 was set in 48.85 and 3/4s in 1:14.39. The Goldenscents filly was challenged by Zahra at the top of the lane, but ultimately repelled her, to score by a measured 2 lengths.

Race 6 was also a MSW, but this time it was for CA-bred 2yos going 5.5f on the main track. Doc Tommy must have shown some promise early on as he was entered in the Everett Nevin Stakes on debut. He ran a very credible 4th that day behind undefeated Bulletproof One, and then got hooked up in a pace duel at Del Mar and found the waters a bit too deep last out. The Comic Strip colt was looking to rebound, and he did just that– he was sent straight to the lead under Juan Hernandez and never looked back. Doc Tommy won by 4 lengths over the favorite Admirably and did it well in-hand. He stopped the clock in a fast 1:04.45. Trainer Felix Rondan adds to his growing list of 2yo winners this season.

In the feature, the Michael McCarthy trained son of War Front scored an Allowance win on the drop in class from the Siren Lure Stakes at Santa Anita. Oiseau de Guerre sat 3rd to last early on, but the 45.10 1/2 mile was a solid enough pace for him to run at. Julien Couton gave him fantastic ride and found an open gap on the inside– once he got clear, the race was all but over. Runner-up El Chavo Del Ocho took the overland route and was forced wide on the turn. Oiseau de Guerre ran 6f in 1:10.20 and won by a final margin of 2 1/2 lengths.

Jockey Juan Hernandez had a big afternoon, scoring 3 wins on the Dollar Day card. He won races 5, 6, and 8.

Sunday Full Card Results: https://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/GG081819USA.pdf

The 2 week meet at Santa Rosa has concluded and it was filled with ups and downs. The first 5 days of racing had solid and competitive cards. However the last 3 days were plagued by small field sizes and nearly all the races taken off the turf, including the 50k Robert Dupret Derby. Now, I do not fully know if this was the reason for being “off the turf”, but I heard it was because the divots on the turf course were too deep and could not be fixed to a level that was safe enough to ride on. Very disappointing considering that it only gets used 8 days out of the year. One thing that was encouraging was that the crowds on the weekends were big and attendance numbers had to have been pretty strong. Hopefully this year was an outlier and we see things return back to normal next year.

The jockey and trainer standings were a nail-biter, as both titles were decided in the final race of the meet. Fabriana (Tamayo/Frey) and Wish You Were Mine (Hollendorfer/Orozco) dueled it out in the stretch, but ultimately Fabriana was able to pull away late. Congratulations to both Isidro Tamayo and Kyle Frey on their meet titles.

After a few subpar runs this year, Stakes winner Bella Luma was looking to rebound in the 50k Luther Burbank Handicap. As the gates opened she broke well from the rail and with nobody keen on going early, the Ed Moger trainee found herself inheriting the lead. It was a leisurely pace to say the least, and jockey Silvio Amador did a great job slowing things down up front and getting the 9/1 shot into a comfortable stride. She set fractions of 23.76 for the 1/4, 49.09 for the 1/2, and 1:13.41 for 3/4s. The daughter of Minister’s Wildcat dug in gamely and held off a late charging bid from the even-money favorite Ziarah. The final time for the 1 1/16m Luther Burbank Handicap was 1:43.51.

The Robert Dupret Derby had a small but competitive field this year, and with it moving to the main track, it became anyone’s race. The Texas shipper Tiz Plus was able to get the job done under Irving Orozco for trainer Manny Badilla. The son of Tizway is continuing to improve as he has now won 3 races in a row. Per DRF, I learned that Tiz Plus’ owners are from nearby city Rhonert Park, and shipped him all the way in from Texas to compete in the Robert Dupret Derby. He held off a late run from favorite Contagion to win by a head– the final time for the 1 1/16m race on the main track was 1:44.25. Tiz Plus now heads back to Texas, where he will reunite with his original trainer Mindy Willis.

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Thanks for a great meet! We’ll see you next year! #winecountryracing Pictured: Tiz Plus (trainer Manuel Badilla) with Jockey Irving Orozco in the Robert Dupret Derby. . . . #winecountryhorseracing #horseracing #robertdupret #stakesrace #racehorse #santarosaracing #santarosahorseracing #sonomacountyfair

A post shared by Wine Country Racing (@santarosahorseracing) on Aug 11, 2019 at 7:51pm PDT

One thing that I noticed, was that the main track played very strongly to the rail/inside on Aug 1-4 & Aug 8. It seemed like it was a huge advantage to be on the inside and it is something to note for your future handicapping. It will be very interesting to see how these horses run back. From Aug 9-11, it seemed to play more fair and even.

Racing now transitions to the Summer Meet at Golden Gate Fields on August 15th, while the fair circuit heads to Ferndale on August 16th.

The Northern California Fair circuit makes it’s next stop in Wine Country, as the 8-day race meet at Santa Rosa is set to run from August 1st- August 11th. This meet is something I look forward to every year, as it was the first place where I got introduced to horse racing. What makes Santa Rosa unique is that it is the only track on the fair circuit that has a turf course. Also, some notable stars of the sport to have run at the Sonoma County Fair in the past were Cavonnier and Lava Man.

There have been many changes over the past few years– not only has the meet been shortened from 3 weeks to 2 (primarily due to fair dates), but the stakes races have also been reduced from 7 to 2. The 2 big races of the meet are the 50k Luther Burbank Handicap (F & M 3yoUp 1 1/16m Turf) on August 3rd, and the 50k Robert Dupret Derby (3yo 1 1/16m Turf) on August 10th. We will see if the trend continues, but Southern California shippers swept all 3 of the Turf Stakes last year. The field for this year’s Luther Burbank Handicap has been drawn, and you can access the entries by clicking here.

In my opinion, I would say both the dirt and turf courses play fair. Speed is a bit advantageous on the dirt, but that could probably be said about dirt racing in general. On the turf course, the turns seem tight, which can lead to horses getting caught out pretty wide.

Here are the post position stats from last year’s meet.

Click here for a link to all of the trainer, jockey, and post position stats from last year (Equibase)

Trainer to watch:

Steve Specht- He is a Santa Rosa resident and always points horses to this meet. Skipped Sacramento, so we should see quite a few entries from him. Over the last 5 years he is a strong 29% and 57% ITM from 51 starts ($2.63 ROI). Lookout for him in maiden races, as he is a very impressive 47% (9 for 19) and 74% ITM with a $4.91 ROI. Also, with FTS he is 50% (3 for 6) with a strong ROI of $7.30.

Jockey to watch:

Frank Alvarado- He is riding great right now, as he just won the riding title at Sacramento. His numbers have continued to improve throughout the year too. Also, he took down the Santa Rosa title 2 years ago.

If you have never been to the races at the Sonoma County Fair, I highly recommend it. They draw good sized crowds on the weekends and it is a really fun environment. Follow the page @NorCalHRNews on twitter for updates throughout the meet.

Leg 2 of the fair circuit concluded on Sunday in Sacramento– the State Fair meet was 3 weeks long. Both the trainer and jockey standings were nail-biters. Trainer Jamey Thomas was able to hold on by 1 win over Isidro Tamayo, and jockey Frank Alvarado ironically claimed 1st place by winning the last race of the meet on Going for the Win.

Trainer Standings:

Jockey Standings:

My favorite race from the meet was the lone Stakes race on the schedule, it was the 50k California Governor’s Cup. The defending champion Alliford Bay was the heavy 1/5 favorite. She took shots early on the lead from Gotham Desire and Royal Descendent, then once she put them away, stablemate Strip It Down made a huge bid for the lead on the turn. Alliford Bay would pull away again and looked clear in the stretch– that was until Shasta Star came motoring on her outside to nip her on the wire. It was a thriller, and the great race call from track announcer Chris Griffin added to the intensity. Shasta Star has now earned $108,230 in 10 lifetime starts. She is trained by Sergio Ledezma and ridden by Ricky Gonzalez.

What a thriller in the California Governor’s Cup!

Shasta Star flies home to nip defending champion Alliford Bay on the wire

Congratulations to trainer Sergio Ledezma and jockey Ricky Gonzalez pic.twitter.com/mhlF02GteN

— NorCal Horse Racing News (@NorCalHRNews) July 21, 2019

If you have been following the blog and twitter page, you know that the 2yos have been a constant topic of discussion. I thought we saw two 2yo fillies in the July 20th 9th Race that look to have some promise. Been Studying Her and Cakewalk were on the 2yos to follow list and I had been waiting for them to run. Cakewalk ran at the Pleasanton Meet, but I use the term “ran” loosely, as she had a mishap at the start and lost the rider. The pair showed some speed early and hooked up for a close stretch duel. Ultimately Been Studying Her wore down Cakewalk and got her nose down first on the line. She stopped the clock in 1:05.57 for 5.5 f– which is solid for 2yos over this track. A logical spot could be the 6f Generous Portions Stakes at Del Mar next month. Also, I don’t think we will be seeing Cakewalk as a maiden for much longer.

A horse to keep an eye on for the future is the impressive maiden winner Snow Feather (July 21- Race 8). This 4yo daughter of Idiot Proof was making her first start off of a year plus layoff and trying the dirt for the first time. The Cliff Delima trainee sported some very fast works coming into this one, and she was able to run the field off their feet to win by 8 1/4 lengths. She ran 6f in 1:11.39. It looks like she has turned the corner and I am interested to see how she does against winners next out.

A brief recap of the Quarter Horse, Arabian, and Mule Stakes races:

Jack Clifford Stakes- 350yds- won by Snowy Coronitas

State Fair Arabian Stakes- 6f- won by LIL DUDE AA

Stake (Mule)- 300yds- won by Fast Patsy B

*$287,451 Pick 6 Jackpot will carryover to the Ferndale meet*

The fair circuit now moves to Santa Rosa (Aug 1-13). There will be an in-depth meet preview out on Wednesday.