Golden Gate: Boston Common wire to wire

ALBANY, Calif. - Boston Common, a Grade 2 winner who set the pace in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Mile, scored a wire-to-wire victory in the $60,500 Oakland Handicap at Golden Gate Fields.

Boston Common ($3.40) broke on top from the rail and was never seriously challenged as he defeated My Captain and More Crafty by 2 1/2 lengths in the six-furlong race, which was run in 1:09.04 on a muddy track. My Captain was second by a nose.

Owner Richard Englander sent Boston Common west after he ran seventh in the Grade 1 De Francis Memorial at Laurel on Nov. 15.

"It was the owner's choice to run after he saw the past performances," trainer Jeff Mullins said. "He said, 'It's an easy spot, and I think he needs to run,' so I put him on the van."

Winning rider Chad Schvaneveldt said the race went exactly according to plan. Schvaneveldt was impressed with Boston Common even though he was slipping a bit on the track and, as usual, didn't change leads down the lane.

"Every time he'd hear a horse coming up on him, he'd drop and run and then play around a bit," Schvaneveldt said. "I felt like I had a lot more horse if I needed it."

The victory was Boston Common's ninth in 27 starts, lifting his career earnings to $467,357.