Astronomer may be the one in wide-open San Francisco Mile

Astronomer’s first graded stakes win may be part of California racing history.

On Saturday, Astronomer is a leading candidate to beat a remarkably competitive group in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields, the track’s final stakes before its scheduled closure on June 9.

Racing in Northern California will shift to the annual fair circuit this summer before relocating to a new base at the Alameda County fairgrounds beginning in mid-October.

The $175,000 San Francisco Mile, first run in 1948, drew a field of 12, all stakes winners. Astronomer, who won the Qatar Golden Mile at Del Mar in 2021, is one of seven shippers from Southern California, a group that includes 2023 San Francisco Mile winner Balnikhov.

Astronomer, a 5-year-old gelding trained at Santa Anita by Simon Callaghan, will have his 2024 debut in the San Francisco Mile after mixed results last fall.

Astronomer was a game second in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita last September before he finished 12th of 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 4. Three weeks later, Astronomer was only fifth of eight in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar.

“I think I ran him back too quick after the Breeders’ Cup,” Callaghan said Thursday. “I think he’s ready. We gave him a freshening after his last race.”

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Astronomer, who races for Alice Bamford and Michael Tabor, tends to run near the front and should have a solid pace to follow from runners such as Air Force Red and Clovisconnection.

“He’s naturally a horse that places himself pretty close,” Callaghan said. “You’d like to be second, third, or fourth.”

Air Force Red won the restricted Lure Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in October 2022, his last victory. In the Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf on April 4 at Santa Anita, Air Force Red set a fast pace, including a half-mile in 44.98 seconds, before fading to finish fourth by 3 3/4 lengths.

Trainer Leonard Powell wants to avoid too quick of a pace in a big field.

“This time we’re not going to go that fast,” Powell predicted. “The last time was a huge run, considering the early fractions.

If somebody thinks they are faster than him, we can rate him. He can be the speed for sure. I’ve got no doubt he can go the distance in the right circumstances.”

Balnikhov, trained by Phil D’Amato, is winless in seven starts since the 2023 San Francisco Mile. Balnikhov was fifth of seven in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in his last start in February.

“Santa Anita is not his turf course,” D’Amato said. “When he gets a course he likes, he fires big. He fired big last year” at Golden Gate Fields.

“We made a decision earlier this year to train up to this race at Golden Gate,” D’Amato continued. “It looks like there is some pace to set up his late kick.”

The five locally based runners include Lammas, who has won his last two starts in allowance races on the synthetic main track since late February, and the five-time stakes winner Clovisconnection, who was third in his 2024 debut in the Sensational Star Stakes for turf sprinters on March 24 at Santa Anita after setting the pace.

“Our horse has trained like he wants to be more of a miler, although he can sprint,” said Blaine Wright, who trains Clovisconnection.

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Clovisconnection is expected to be near the front Saturday. Lammas will race as a stalker, a style that led to a win in the Sam Spear Memorial Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Golden Gate Fields last September.

Saturday’s eight-race program includes a mandatory payout in the 20-cent Golden pick six. The bet had a carryover of $82,785 after racing Sunday. If there is not a single winning ticket Friday, which is highly unlikely, the Golden pick six will have a massive pool on Saturday that may exceed $600,000 in new money.

The pick six covers the third through eighth races on a program that begins at 2:45 p.m. Pacific.

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