Baja Sur sitting on a win in El Dorado Shooter Stakes

Baja Sur has been close several times but has yet to win this year. He has a good chance to break through when he faces only four rivals in Sunday’s $75,000 El Dorado Shooter, a six-furlong stakes on the Tapeta for California-bred 3-year-olds and up.

The field includes three stakes winners, a runner that lost a stakes by a head in the final stride in his last start, and a sharp runner who is 2 for 2 since returning from ninth months on the sidelines.

Baja Sur was beaten by a length or less in three of his five races this year.

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He set the pace and faded to fifth in the California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in January, then did not race again until June 6, when he finished second in the Albany on the Golden Gate turf, beaten three-quarters of a length by Mike’s Tiznow. Baja Sur was the third head in a photo in an optional-claiming turf sprint at Del Mar before running second in the Grade 3 Green Flash on the turf at Del Mar. In his last start, he stumbled and was bumped at the start of the California Flag for statebreds on the turf at Santa Anita, finishing fourth of five.

Baja Sur won the first four starts of his career, including three stakes, all at Emerald Downs. Since last fall he has raced exclusively in California.

“We knew we were stepping into deeper water staying here in California,” said trainer Blaine Wright.

In a field filled with pace types, Baja Sur should get a good trip from the outside post with his stalking style. In his only start on the Golden Gate Tapeta, he won the Oakland Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths last November and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

No Longer Silent returned Aug. 20 from a nine-month layoff to win a six-furlong optional claimer on the main track at Golden Gate. Five weeks later, he dueled on a fast pace in a 5 1/2-furlong optional claimer and drew off to win by two lengths, recording a career-high 93 Beyer.

No Longer Silent has worked three times since that race.

“He’s always shown a lot of talent, and he’s been training well,” said trainer Jonathan Wong, who leads the Golden Gate standings.

The 3-year-old Bettor Trip Nick meets older for the first time in the El Dorado Shooter. He won the Golden Nugget and the Gold Rush last year at Golden Gate, and runs Sunday for the first time since finishing third going a mile on turf in the Alcatraz in June.

Formerly trained by Bill Delia, Bettor Trip Nick makes his debut for trainer Quinn Howey on Sunday.

“He probably needs one more work, but he’s been training great,” said Howey.

Rounding out the field are Ultimate Bango, runner-up by a head in the California Flag in his last start, and Square Deal, coming off a win in a starter-allowance sprint.