'El Dorado' status up in the air

ALBANY, Calif. - Cappuchino and El Dorado Shooter head the field for Saturday's $60,000-added Danville Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

El Dorado Shooter, who won this race in 2001, comes off a game victory in the Ken Maddy Sprint on Feb. 22, in which he survived a duel with Giovannetti and won. He drew the outside 6 post for Saturday's six-furlong race.

El Dorado Shooter's status was actually to be determined Friday by the results of a blood test.

"He came up with a shoe boil, which isn't too bad," trainer Cliff Delima said. "We took blood [Thursday] to see if he's all right and that he has no infection in his system."

Presidio Heights could be part of the early pace. He just won a very fast $32,000 claiming race in 1:07.99 at six furlongs while setting fractions of 21.47 seconds and 43.55.

But he was running unopposed early, and El Dorado Shooter, who set quicker fractions in his duel with Giovannetti, gets the advantage of the outside draw here.

Cappuchino and Boss Ego, entrants from leading trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's barn, cannot be overlooked.

Cappuchino lost photos in the Golden Gate Derby and California Derby last year. He won the Golden State Mile and Round Table Handicap on grass.

He has recorded bullet works in his past three drills and returns following a six-month layoff.

"I'm anxious to get him back," Hollendorfer said.

The trainer is not concerned about returning in a sprint. Cappuchino won his debut and his next start following a seven-week layoff in sprints and won the Golden Bear Stakes at six furlongs here as a 2-year-old.

"This horse can sprint as well as go long," Hollendorfer said.

Boss Ego turned in a rare dull performance in the one-mile San Carlos Handicap on March 1, but he was only a head shy of a four-race win streak before that and will be flying late.

In two sprints earlier in the meet, he fell a head short of pacesetter Tony's Royalty on a sloppy track and got up to beat Mr. Crafty on a good track.

Texas Chili, making his first start in nearly nine months, and late-running Radar Contact, third by a neck in the Ken Maddy, round out the field.

Shoemaker honored

Bill Shoemaker, the world's winningest jockey when he retired, was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame Thursday. Shoemaker's first victory came at Golden Gate Fields and his first stakes win came at Bay Meadows.

for Golden Gate entries.

:: Subscribers: to purchase past performances for Golden Gate.

:: Non-subscribers: to purchase past performances for Golden Gate.