Posted
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Jockeys are in a constant battle to get and maintain business. At Golden Gate Fields, it’s tough enough with the small field size but add in a talented jockey colony and it‘s the best will survive.
Enter the apprentice jockey. Light weight, young and energetic. Advantage bug boy. Right? Well, what if there are two bug boys?
Now we have a story.
For the first time in a while, Golden Gate Fields has a pair of talented apprentice riders and both are drawing interest from a number of trainers. Irving Orozco and Ronald Richard both arrived at GGF in mid march and both got their first GGF mount two days apart. But that’s about as far as the similarities go. The two come from totally different backgrounds.
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Posted
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The Second Race is the creation of Southern California based Sharla Sanders. Since its beginning in June of 2009, The Second Race has successfully placed over 300 horses in good homes. Widely known at the So Cal tracks, Sanders is now making Northern California a priority. Twice this year she has visited Golden Gate Fields and had already placed horses for Armando Lage, Val Rhoden, Bill Morey Jr., Steve Sherman and Steve Miyadi. She also helped Greg Gilchrist place Smokey Stover to a good home.
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Posted
Monday, April 30, 2012
Until Saturday, the 5-year-old Hudson Landing was known as a hard trying claimer.
Sure he had won the Alcatraz Stakes back in 2010, but with the exception of a few unplaced attempts in graded stakes in 2011, he has been a pretty consistent performer, as long as he was at the right level.
In fact, his consistency ( 9 wins in 28 races) earned him a popular number at the claim box as he switched barns five times in the past 11 months.
I don’t think he will be up for a tag again any time soon.
Under the guidance of jockey Juan Hernandez and trainer Blaine Wright, ‘Landing pulled of an upset in this weekend’s Grade 3 $150,000 San Francisco Mile, beating heavily favored Jeranimo by ½ length.
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Posted
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
As the second half of the stakes schedule kicks into gear this week, fans won’t have to wait to see some top notch names.
Entries were drawn today for the Grade 3 $150,000 San Francisco Mile and the race is being headlined by multiple stakes winner Jeranimo from the Michael Pender barn. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will be aboard the 8/5 morning line favorite.
Also making the trek up north will be Calimonco from the John Sadler barn, and Worth Repeating will carry the colors of Richard Mandella. Jockey Mario Gutierrez, who has ridden at GGF off and on over the past four years will be in town to ride Calimonco. Gutierrez will be making his first start in the Kentucky Derby aboard I’ll Have Another.
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Posted
Monday, April 02, 2012
Remember Me?
I know the name probably rings a bell…Bay Area Backstretch….oh yea, Golden Gate Fields! Now you remember don’t you?
I know, I’ve been missing for a few weeks. So sorry, but hey I’m back and we have a lot to catch up on.
So lets get started.
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Posted
Monday, March 12, 2012
Nonios, a son of Pleasantly Perfect, stayed unbeaten in two career starts with an impressive 6 length win over a field that included Cahill Chrome (runner up in the California Derby) and Unveiled Heat (4th in the El Camino Real). He ran the mile in 1:37.43 just the second fastest mile of the meet. But just winning the race doesn’t say as much for the horse as the visual proof.
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Posted
Monday, March 05, 2012
Most of the time in my weekly reports, I talk about horses, jockeys or trainers that have earned a spot in the limelight. A jockey that has a big week or a horse that is on the path to something amazing. Maybe a trainer that earns world wide acclaim for his or her accomplishments.
Not this week. This week the spotlight hits someone that has piqued my interest for quite a while. I first saw Rusty Greiner as he rolled his wheelchair past me into the owners/trainers lounge. He’s at the track practically every day. I could tell that because he‘s known by every race track worker, and because I see him every time I am there.
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Posted
Sunday, February 19, 2012
There was a buzz at Golden Gate Fields Saturday that I haven’t seen there in a long time. The little track by the bay was on center stage. Not only in the local media, but nation wide.
The draw was the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby. A $200,000 purse was on the line and it attracted stars, film crews and most importantly, attention.
The stars were two east coast based riders, two-time eclipse award winning Julien Leparoux and 2008 Belmont winner Alan Garcia. Both were making their first trip ever to Golden Gate Fields. Leparoux arrived with his fiancé Shea Mitchell (daughter of southern California trainer Mike Mitchell). Shea also got in on the act by singing for the crowd, a feat she does regularly at the socal tracks.
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Posted
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Russian Greek is the morning line choice, but nine others look to take home the Bay Area's most important Kentucky Derby prep...
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Posted
Friday, February 10, 2012
Long time followers of Golden Gate Fields know the name Kjell Qvale.
For 14 years, he owned majority interest in the track and also served as president of it, as well as the post of chairman of the California Jockey Club board. If you haven’t heard of him, maybe you’ve heard of a few of his best horses.
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Meet Don August
I have been involved in horse racing, from a fan to sportswriter, for the past 30 years. The first time my dad took me to the track, I picked a horse named "Black Tornado" and when he won, I was hooked. From then on, I spent weekends and occasional school days at the race track, and my enjoyment of the sport led me to try my hand at being a jockey agent, which i did for 3 years. When that didn't work out as I had hoped, I concentrated on my writing career by covering big races and doing summer fair handicapping, off and on, for the Contra Costa Times.
Today, I stay involved in the sport by being part of a group that currently owns two horses stabled at Golden Gate Fields. As all owners, we have dreams of someday having that special horse. Besides writing about horse racing I enjoy covering many sports and have had the honor of meeting and writing about some incredible athletes.