Gold Rush Dancer begins journey in Golden Nugget
It may be too early to catch a case of Derby fever, but Saturday’s $50,000-added Golden Nugget at Golden Gate Fields is the first step for local runners toward Northern California’s top race for 3-year-olds, the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby, and beyond.
Perhaps the top contender in the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds is Gold Rush Dancer, who has made all five of his starts at Emerald Downs, including four stakes tries. Most recently, he won the 1 1/16-mile Gottstein Futurity by 5 1/2 lengths.
Bill Tollet trained Gold Rush Dancer at Emerald, but the Private Gold colt is being trained here by Candi Tollet, Bill’s daughter-in-law.
Candi Tollett said she brought Gold Rush Dancer to the Bay Area because Golden Gate’s late-fall and winter stakes schedule “fits him perfectly.”
Tollett said Gold Rush Dancer probably wants to go farther than six furlongs. “His forte is probably not as a sprinter,” she said.
But the timing is right, with the race coming between the Sept. 27 Gottstein and the Dec. 5 Gold Rush here at one mile.
Tollett said Gold Rush Dancer “ran as green as you can run” in winning the Gottstein, and she hopes to see a more mature runner in Saturday’s race.
“He’s a very, very nice colt, but he’s a big, big colt,” she said. “He’s worked well here and handled training well.”
The field of seven also includes Algenon, who has hit the board in all four career starts, including a third in the Everett Nevin at Pleasanton and a second in the Cavonnier Juvenile at Santa Rosa. Both stakes were won by Smokey Image, Northern California’s top 2-year-old.
Also in the field are two horses who won their only start. The filly Code Warrior graduated by seven lengths with a 71 Beyer Speed Figure here Aug. 28, and Valid Keiki won his debut at Emerald Downs.
Marqula, Gunslinger Rules, and Yes I’m Wild round out the field.
GOLDEN NUGGET (Race 7)
KEY CONTENDERS
Gold Rush Dancer (Last 3 Beyers: 71-70-62)
◗ He is the most accomplished runner in the field.
◗ He has had three works over the track, winding up with a three-furlong bullet drill in 34.40 seconds that suggests he will show good speed.
◗ Gold Rush Dancer’s best race came going 1 1/16 miles. This race is meant to get him ready for the longer 2- and 3-year-old races at Golden Gate.
Algenon (Last 3 Beyers: 61-80-61)
◗ He won both of his races that did not have Smokey Image in the field – a maiden race at Pleasanton and an optional claimer at Stockton.
◗ Algenon is probably a better sprinter than his primary rival, Gold Rush Dancer.
Marqula (Beyers: 59-58)
◗ He ran fourth in the Everett Nevin in his debut before dominating maidens in his second start two months later at Golden Gate.
◗ He’s also coming into this race off a two-month layoff and has been working nicely at Pleasanton.