Fast and Foxy back with own kind in California Governor's Cup

Saturday’s $50,000 California Governor’s Cup Handicap is the only game in town for female sprinters. The six-furlong dirt race is the only Northern California sprint stakes offered to fillies and mares during the summer.

Fast and Foxy has won Northern California’s last two filly-and-mare sprint stakes and will be favored to make the Governor’s Cup Handicap her 16th win in her 43rd start. Trained by Holly Evans, Fast and Foxy won the Camilla Urso by a nose at Golden Gate Fields in March and the Bear Fan there in December.

She has faced the boys in her last two starts, finishing second in a main-track allowance sprint at Golden Gate and sixth in the Albany over the turf there, but has won her last five races against females.

The 3-year-old Isa Firecracker is making her first start since winning the Golden Gate Debutante last November. Trainer Jamey Thomas concedes that Isa Firecracker is being thrown straight into the fire but said, “It’s not like we have a whole lot of choices.”

Thomas considered sending Isa Firecracker to Del Mar to face 3-year-old California-bred fillies in the July 30 Fleet Treat. But that race is at seven furlongs, and he prefers to run her closer to home at six furlongs.

“We know she needs a race, and running here at home at three-quarters makes sense,” said Thomas, who also noted that the filly’s owner and breeder, local resident Myles McMahon, will be celebrating his birthday Saturday.

Isa Firecracker has never raced at Sacramento but has been stabled here for more than a week, had an easy work over the track last Saturday, and worked four times here last year before making her debut at Golden Gate.

“I want to say that it could be important coming up early,” Thomas said. “When she worked here last year, we recognized that she was good when she galloped away from some good older fillies.

“We know she’ll try, but this is probably a stepping-stone because there are some monsters in here.”

Among the other top contenders are the 3-year-old Alliford Bay, who won the Seattle Stakes at Emerald Downs in May; Invested Prospect, an extremely fast filly who had a four-race win streak snapped in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer at Santa Anita last out; and Princess Ashlyn, a Pleasanton allowance winner who adds speed to the race and breaks from the rail.

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Key Contenders

Fast and Foxy, by Thisnearlywasmine

Last 3 Beyers: 62-87-90

◗ She has done her best running on the lead and is perfectly drawn outside her pace rivals.

Isa Firecracker, by Heatseeker

Last 3 Beyers: 71-59-65

◗ She has experience on dirt, having raced twice at Santa Anita.

◗ She has never finished off the board, with two wins, one second, and one third from her four starts.

Alliford Bay, by City Zip

Last 3 Beyers: 63-90-76

◗ After winning a Golden Gate maiden race and the Seattle Stakes at Emerald, she bobbled at the start, rushed up to the front, and then had traffic trouble at the quarter pole in the Kent Stakes at Emerald. She finished sixth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths.

◗ Blinkers come off for the Governor’s Cup, her first start against older rivals.