Golden Gate fall meet puts focus on 2-year-olds

Golden Gate Fields opens Thursday for a 36-day fall meeting and will try to continue its positive trend, which has seen an increase in handle in each of its past six race meetings.

“We have no intention of taking our foot off the gas,” says David Duggan, track vice president and general manager.

“This is an exciting time. We might see another superstar. We have some exciting 2-year-olds in the embryo stage we have to build up. They’ll be our standard-bearers for next year.”

The fall meet last year introduced Anothertwistafate to the racing public. He won a 1 1/16-mile maiden race by four lengths for owner Peter Redekop and trainer Blaine Wright and went on to win the El Camino Real Derby and run in the Preakness.

Redekop and Wright have already introduced another blossoming star, Anneau d’Or, at the summer meet, where he was an eight-length winner in a mile race in his debut.

And Anneau d’Or is not the only 2-year-old causing backstretch buzz, according to Duggan.

Trainers Ari Herbertson and Jamey Thomas both think highly of 2-year-olds they purchased from the Tattersalls sale in Ireland in May in their barns.

“We’ve got a great population [of horses], and I think we’ve got better quality than before,” Duggan said.

At a time of great public and industry concern about safety issues, Golden Gate had no injury-related fatalities at its summer meet, although there were two sudden-death incidents, thought to be cardiac incidents.

“We’ve got a great blend of youth and experience among our horsemen,” Duggan said. “It’s not easy with more medication rules and safety checks, but they’ve responded well.”

Duggan says there is a “great connection” between management and trainers working to keep two-way communications going.

Nine stakes will be offered at the meet, with the Grade 3, $100,000 Berkeley the headline event. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up on the Tapeta will be run Nov. 30.

There also are four stakes for 2-year-olds, including the $75,000 Pike Place Dancer at one mile on the turf for fillies on Oct. 26 and the $75,000 Gold Rush at one mile on Tapeta on Dec. 7.

Racing will be conducted most weeks from Thursday-Sunday. The turf course, with its newly installed rail for the summer meet, is in good condition, and long-range weather forecasts suggest it may be available throughout the entire meet, which ends Dec. 15.