Day's best to sprint in opener

ALBANY, Calif. - Thursday's Golden Gate Fields card gets off to a good start with the day's feature in the first race.

Five 3-year-olds will sprint six furlongs in an interesting race that a pair of runners with winning streaks and three others with a victory two starts back.

Bank Emblem has won three straight while moving up the claiming ladder. Potrero Station has won two straight after being dropped into the maiden claiming ranks two starts back. Both come into the race off layoffs and with bullet drills in their final works.

Trainer Adam Kitchingman is sending up a pair of runners from Southern California, both of whom won $40,000 starter allowance races in northern California two starts back. Wee Jinky, who has only a maiden victory to his credit, rounds out the field.

is in the best current form. Following his Feb. 5 starter allowance win at Bay Meadows, he ran second in a tough $32,000 claimer at Santa Anita, losing by less than a length after taking the lead in the lane. Kitchingman claimed him from that race.

"He's been an honest little horse," Kitchingman said. "He seems to ship well. He came up here one before I claimed him, and he ran well."

Cherryonthebottom will be making his first start since Feb. 23, but he has three solid works at Santa Anita. He worked 59.80 and 59.40 seconds in a pair of five-furlong drills and a 48-flat half-mile move.

Cherryonthebottom's stablemate Convenient Marquet made his final two starts as a 2-year-old here, winning a starter allowance sprint before running evenly without threatening at a mile. He has only two works since his last start on Nov. 27.

"He had some problems, but I think that's past for him," Kitchingman said. "He might need a race, though."

, who drew the rail, has flashed good speed in the past. He's had three works since winning for a $16,000 claiming price on Feb. 16, including a 47-second-flat half-mile bullet on March 27.

, with the powerful Harry Aleo-Greg Gilchrist-Russell Baze connection, hasn't raced since a Jan. 16 starter allowance sprint victory. Before his recent five-furlong bullet work, he turned in a strong six-furlong effort.

* Victorina, the talented 3-year-old filly trained by Gilchrist, was flown to Illinois with Cause to Believe on Tuesday. Although Victorina was coughing on Sunday, tests revealed no problems, so Gilchrist opted to send her for the $100,000 Meafara, a six-furlong sprint on the Illinois Derby undercard.