Golden Gate notes: New career for Gallant Son?

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Gallant Son wins the Albany, his first victory on a synthetic surface.

Gallant Son won three stakes at Emerald Downs as a 2-year-old and ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The 7-year-old horse scored his first victory on a synthetic surface Monday when he exploded in the lane to win the six-furlong Albany Stakes. It was only his second win since capturing the Grade 3 Inglewood in 2010.

Trainer Frank Lucarelli admitted to being “hesitant” to running him on Tapeta. Gallant Son was 0 for 9 on synthetic tracks and was entered against several superior runners on synthetic surfaces.

Gallant Son had a third in a Santa Anita turf sprint Jan. 20 in his first start since last August’s Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.

Julien Couton said he rode Gallant Son with confidence.

“We worked him about a week ago, and he worked like a champion,” he said. “He had one race under his belt, and it helped him quite a bit.”

Gallant Son won the race in 1:09.18, beating Moonshine Bay by 1 1/4 lengths with pacesetting Shrug another three-quarters of a length back.

Lucarelli said he would consider continuing to sprint Gallant Son, who is 2 for 2 at six furlongs on the main track.

“I think maybe sprinting him is the best thing, because when he routes, he makes a good move and then seems to hang and finish second or third,” he said.

The favored Bailouttheminister was shuffled back early and then steadied badly inside Gallant Son near the three-eighths pole. He finished eighth.

Trainer Keith Nations said, “It looks like he was scraped up a little bit, but it doesn’t look like anything serious.”

Racing community helps Boag

Jockey April Boag’s trailer at the Horsemen’s RV Campground on the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton was destroyed by fire Feb. 11.

Boag and her son got out of the trailer uninjured, but were unable to save anything. Her daughter was not in the trailer at the time of the fire.

One week later, with donations from horsemen as well as members of the fair’s board of directors, Boag is about ready to get a new trailer. She and her two children also have plenty of clothes.

“The racing community and the fair’s board of directors really came together,” said Jeanne Wasserman, manager of the Pleasanton satellite facility. “It’s been wonderful, and April’s on the road to recovery now.”