Golden Gate Fields Equinics Race
Ah, Golden Gate Fields, where I spent many of my afternoons… Nice to see the ol’ place get recognized here… Nestled right by the San Francisco Bay of Northern California, this track opened in 1941 and soon put itself on the racing map by hosting the California Derby, the Golden Gate Handicap and a number of other races.
In 1949, a young jockey named William Shoemaker won his first-ever race aboard a horse named Shafter V. Little did anyone know at the time that “The Shoe” would go on to win some 10,000 more races in a legendary career.
The amazing English runner Noor won the Golden Gate Fields Handicap at GGF in 1950, beating the legendary Citation and setting a world dirt record for the 10 furlongs that stood for nearly 30 years before being bested by Spectacular Bid in the 1980 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita (and I was there for that, in person!).
Those first 10 or so seasons by the Bay would be the heydey of ol’ GGF as it was gradually overshadowed by the bigger-money SoCal tracks, though every once in awhile some big-name horse (like Native Diver, for example) would come up and run off with GGF’s biggest stakes… There was a bit of a resurgence in the late 70’s when they added a turf course and spruced the place up some… The great John Henry ventured up from SoCal to win the GGF Handicap on that new turf course one year… (I was there for that) 🙂
Anyway, I’m supposed to be covering this Equinics race, not waxing all nostalgic…
The Equinics Torch has made its way to its final destination and this huge multi-race, multi-track event, the brainchild of the Pastures Of Green residency, is finally here!
The Golden Gate Fields Equinics race is for 4yo-and-up male runners. The 12th race of the day, it will be run at 10 furlongs on the Vermont dirt, interestingly the same distance and surface as Noor’s old world record from 62 years ago. The weatherman has cooperated nicely, and the track is dry and fast.
One horse from each of the Sim’s eighteen residencies has been nominated and entered through many weeks of planning and (probably sometimes some wrangling at some places). It’s an interesting group… Ranging from near-certain future Hall-Of-Famers to upstarts with less than $100k in their bankrolls, it should be quite the battle!
DISTORTED STORM has won a ton of money, 18 races, and four Graded stakes, including the 2010 Breeders Bowl Classic. However, the Hispano Parlante entrant hasn’t won a Graded stakes since he defended his title in the Grade 1 Sand Castle Classic in March, 2011. Can latinlover pull one more top race out of his prized 6yo Distorted Humor runner? The CPU has dropped a nice 15/1 price on his nose.
SPANISH JOHNNY has won a boatload of allowance races, one Graded title, and a fancy 2 million-dollar bankroll. That graded title came a long time ago, but the dundey3-trained Kingmambo 6yo has been dominating allowance and Minnesota residency races lately. He’s the 3rd choice at 8/1; can he be successful on the jump back into Graded racing?
LASAGNA, a certain orange comic-strip cat’s favorite horse, goes off at 10/1. Representing the Northwest Racing Circuit residency, the 4yo Big Brown colt is looking for his first Graded-stakes win. The rubber1 trainee has knocked loudly on the door, with a pair of recent Graded 3rd’s. His best effort could contend if things fall just right…
STAR OF BROADWAY is a winner of almost $400k, hailing from the dshock stable of Empire State Racing’s residency group. This 5yo son of Smarty Jones is looking for just his 2nd Graded win, but showed up nicely in the Grade 1 Barry Foster at 9f last time out and may be ready to fire a big shot here at 10/1.
MESSAGEBOARDMASTER will carry the colors of the East-West Connection into the fray as a 41/1 longshot. This 4yo Unbridled’s Song colt is one of those with the “cartoon horse” on his page, but he has shown much ability despite the inexperience. Trainer lordpye4 is confident that his colt can take the huge step up from allowance company and show up well here.
METTA WORLD PEACE… Don’t tick this horse off! Especially, don’t throw any beer at him! He might just climb up into the stands to kick the wrong guy in the face! From the Comedy Central residency, this horse with the peaceful-yet-dangerous name is a 4yo Tapit colt who makes just his eighth career start here at 37/1. He came up short in his stakes debut last time for psyduck131, but he was gaining some at a shorter distance. Talented-but-inexperienced colt will need a huge effort to make an impression on this crowd.
DISTANT HORIZON is trained by dixiedotc3 and represents the “home team”, Pastures Of Green. Sired by the obscure Illinois sire Shore Breeze, this 4yo colt is looking for just his 2nd Graded win and goes off at 10/1. This guy will need to reverse his recent form, and also prove he can go 10 furlongs in top company. Difficult task ahead.
TOO MANY LARRY is top-ranked in this division and goes off as the 5/1 favorite. Winner of nearly $7 million and four Graded titles, the laz3man trainee represents the Blazing Saddles residency. The 6yo Unbridled’s Song runner is in sharp form, having topped the 110 mark speed-wise in six of his last eight. Should figure prominently.
From GR Simsters comes lenny8‘s MR. FIX IT, a 4yo Mastercraftsman colt who won the 2011 Travelers Stakes and has piled up a nice $2.3m bankroll. This guy came up lame 2 races back and took an 11-week layoff before a tuneup on the turf. This kind of surface switch has often been a powerful ploy in the Sim; will it work here? Has a good shot with a top effort, and has a juicy 22/1 price.
PROMONT has been pounding ’em in allowances lately, but takes a big class jump for prosportz and goes off at 14/1. This 4yo colt by Special Week represents the Queensland Racecourse residency. He’s sharp as a tack right now, but the speed ratings are below par for this group and he’ll need the race of his life to get much done here.
COURBET is a 4yo Holy Bull colt representing the City-Race Rhein-Main Turf Club at 29/1. Trained by jupiter, he’s been strong vs. allowance and minor-stakes company, but his one Graded try went poorly. His speed ratings have been below standard, also.
TURN UP DA BASS is the 2nd-favorite at 6/1, carrying the colors of the Universal Racing Club into battle. The hwhisper trainee is a recent entry into Graded racing, but has a win and has never been worse than 4th in his four Graded tries. The 5yo Kingmambo runner made a very strong run to be 2nd in the Movieland Shiny Cup last time out at looms dangerous here.
DEVILWORSHIP is another making that “turf-to-dirt” play, and goes off at 20/1 for artracing of “Testbarn”, The Memorabilia Residency. The quick 6yo Pulpit runner has popped up and been close a couple times in Graded races, the most notable of which was in the 2011 Sand Castle Classic when he lost a 9-length midstretch lead to DISTORTED STORM. He should be in the pace picture early here, but hanging on when it counts is another story.
FLEMINGTON GOLD is a 4yo Curlin colt who is starting to find his best stride for texasace. After winning three allowances and a minor stakes, he held on well to be 2nd in his Graded-stakes debut, the Grade 2 Day Of Dominion Stakes on a good track at this distance. Representing DelPenn National, he’s on a roll and could surprise at 16/1.
HARD TO IGNORE has a career curve that is kinda… um… hard to ignore. After his 13th career start, he 8yo Rock Hard Ten runner chilled out “on the farm” for over three years as trainer bluebayou took a “little break” from the Sim. When he returned to the track this February, he burned up the track in a 10-furlong allowance, earning a strong 110 speed rating. Since then, he has raced fairly well in three minor stakes, and found 14 furlongs not to his liking last time out. Gets 22/1 odds, lots of questions to answer.
CREDIT SPENT goes off at 26/1, carrying the colors of Saltire Racing. Trained by brentuk, the 6yo Rock Of Gibraltar is out a C-rated (Graded Placed) Sadler’s Wells mare. Sounds like turf breeding to me… Well, he’s done okay on the sod, even winning a Grade 1 early in his 3yo year; but not so well that dirt racing wasn’t an option. He has occasionally run well on the dirt, but would need a gigantic effort to contend here.
ANYTHING BUT QUIET is a lightly-raced 4yo Hussonet colt who has been tearing things up in allowances lately. The Y.O.S.S Tools colorbearer found Graded company not to his liking last spring, but trainer pellegrino thinks he’s ready for another shot at the bigtime. He hasn’t raced beyond 9 furlongs, but has finished strong lately and gets 13/1 odds.
SETTLE FOR SATIN is even more lightly-raced, with just nine career starts. However, he’s won six of those in impressive fashion. The speedy 4yo A.P. Indy colt will keep the pace honest, and could be a tough customer in the stretch despite his inexperience. The chicks trainee carries the MIDAS colors and is not without a chance, at 16/1.
Just for a laugh, let’s try to handicap this thing…
I’m gonna be crazy and pick 22/1 longshot MR. FIX IT on the top end…
TOO MANY LARRY picks up almost all the pieces and grabs 2nd…
SETTLE FOR SATIN holds on best of the speedballs and grabs 3rd.
Good luck all!