Gold Rush Weekend gamble looking like solid wager

When Golden Gate Fields unveiled plans for its Gold Rush Weekend, featuring eight stakes this weekend, it knew it was taking a big gamble.

By putting six stakes races, including the $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile, all on one day this Saturday instead of spreading them over the calendar, it weighed the option of one big day versus losing opportunities to highlight six separate days with stakes.

The track has lucked out in three ways even before entries were drawn this week.

First, the decision caused what has become the meet’s signature race, the San Francisco Mile, to be be pushed back from its old end-of-March scheduling to late April. The Mile is run on the turf course, and had it not been moved, it would have had to switch to the main track instead of the turf which wasn’t even opened for racing yet in late March because of winter rains.

Saturday’s six stakes races promise to be good betting affairs with deep fields after attracting 150 nominees. Sunday’s two Cal-bred turf races for 3-year-olds got 42 nominees, 25 in the Campanile for fillies and 17 in the Silky Sullivan for males.

Saturday’s San Francisco Mile has 34 nominations, and the $100,000 California Derby at 1 1/16 miles has 25.

In the $75,000 stakes, the Golden Poppy for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf attracted 32 nominees. The Camilla Urso for fillies and mares at five furlongs on the turf has 21, the six-furlong Lost in the Fog 20 and the California Oaks at 1 1/16 miles has 18.

No wonder Golden Gate General Manager David Duggan said, “It’s shaping up to be a fantastic weekend.”

One entry in the San Francisco Mile has Duggan particularly excited and marks the third bit of luck.

Irish trainer Dermot Weld, Duggan’s long-time friend, has sent the 4-year-old gelding Wentwood to the United States to run in the San Francisco Mile.

“We’ve put in an awful lot of effort,” said Duggan. “We’ve become relevant again here. Only two tracks not supported by casinos, Golden Gate Fields and Arlington, showed major improvement last year. We want to capitalize on that.”

Coming one week before the Kentucky Derby, Gold Rush Weekend hits a soft spot in the racing calendar. Saturday’s six-stakes card plus Sunday’s two $100,000 stakes should send interest soaring nationwide, and the full fields will make the racing even more attractive to bettors across the county.

With three Saturday stakes scheduled for the turf as well as both stakes Sunday, Duggan and racing secretary Patrick Mackey applaud the way turf superintendent Hugo Sandoval has brought the course along.

“The turf is in the best shape I’ve ever seen it,” said Mackey, who has used the course sparingly. “It’s in absolutely pristine shape for the weekend."

Duggan hopes the fact that Weld is willing to send a runner to America could heighten interest in the San Francisco Mile for other European trainers in the future.

“He was the first European trainer to send horses to Australia and won two Melbourne Cups and later came to America to win the Belmont,” said Duggan. “The fact he’s sending a horse over here is great for us as far as exposure goes in Europe, too.”

Weld gave Wentwood his first start of 2019 on April 7 when the 4-year-old Pour Moi gelding won at 1 1/4 miles as part of his preparation for the San Francisco Mile.

Local runners have traditionally done well in the mile. Since 2010, locally based Bold Chieftain (2010), Our Nautique (2011), Hudson Landing (2012), Pepper Crown (2014), G G Ryder (2015), and Alert Bay (2016-17) have won the race.

The speedy Many Roses, third in 2017 and 2018, will again try to take the field wire to wire, although he could be pressed early if Pee Wee Reese enters. Mithqall, whose bid for a hat trick fell a head short last out, and Gabo’s Mercado, who won his final three starts of 2018 and will be making his 2019 debut, are the local hopes.

Grade 1 winner Bowies Hero, and Blitzkrieg, winner of three straight, are expected entrants.

Kingly, runner-up to Anothertwistafate in the El Camino Real Derby, looms the one to beat in the California Derby. Visitant, unbeaten in his first two career starts here, will receive the toughest test of his young career.

Despite the long list of nominees, Mackey isn’t expecting to have to split any of Saturday’s stakes races.