Alliford Bay, Eccentric Spinster meet again in Governor's Handicap

The only time Alliford Bay and Eccentric Spinster met sprinting, they went eye to eye for most of the race, with Alliford Bay coming out on top. They figure to be eyeballing each other again when they break side by side in Saturday’s $50,000 California Governor’s Cup Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares on dirt at the California State Fair in Sacramento.

In her debut, Alliford Bay outfinished Eccentric Spinster, who was making her second start, by 2 1/4 lengths in a maiden race at Golden Gate Fields way back on March 25, 2017. They have met once since, but that race came going 1 1/16 miles on turf in the Miss America at Golden Gate last December, and neither ran a representative race on a surface they may not have cared for.

Alliford Bay and Eccentric Spinster have gone on to prove that the ability they showed in their first meeting was no fluke. Alliford Bay, trained by Blaine Wright, has won five stakes, including the California Governor’s Cup last year, and is coming off victories in three stakes – the Washington Legislators at Emerald Downs on June 16, the Vancouver Sun at Hastings in May, and the Brighouse Belles at Hastings in April.

Eccentric Spinster, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, has won four races in 10 starts and has been worse than third only twice. She enters off a nose win over Saturday opponent Deb’s Wildcard in an allowance sprint on the Tapeta at Golden Gate.

Alliford Bay and Eccentric Spinster both tend to race on or near the lead, and they appear to be the fastest horses in the field of five. What might separate them in the eyes of bettors is their experience on dirt. Five of Alliford Bay’s six wins have come on dirt, while Eccentric Spinster’s only race on dirt resulted in an eighth-place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita in March at Santa Anita.

Juan Hernandez rides Alliford Bay. William Antongeorgi III has a return call on Eccentric Spinster.

Deb’s Wildcard has the best chance of ruining the Alliford Bay-Eccentric Spinster reunion. She won a $40,000 claiming sprint at Golden Gate in May and then nearly ran down Eccentric Spinster there last month. Catalino Martinez should be able to tuck her in a couple of lengths off the pace, and they should have every chance to pick up the leaders in the stretch.

Ismelucky rallied from five lengths back and was beaten 1 3/4 lengths in fourth in Eccentric Spinster’s June 10 win. Her best races have come on dirt, including a victory in the Barretts Debutante last September at Los Alamitos.

Sharona Sunset, defeated in conditioned claimers in her last two starts, completes the field.