Golden Gate Fields: Exit Stage Left stays perfect by taking Gold Rush

The 2-year-old colt Exit Stage Left maintained his undefeated record as he scored a professional victory in the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Exit Stage Left ($3.20) won his debut in the six-furlong Golden Nugget Stakes despite encountering some early trouble. Although he wound up four wide on the first turn of Saturday’s one-mile race, he had a trouble-free trip while making his first start around two turns

Exit Stage Left broke well and could have challenged for the lead early, but jockey Russell Baze eased him back as Pete’s Slew set the early pace with Rockford sitting close to him.

Rockford stuck his head in front on the second turn as he continued to duel with Pete’s Slew while Exit Stage Left had a clean trip in the three-path.

It was a three-horse race in the upper stretch, but Pete’s Slew began to falter. Rockford, making his first start since Sept. 13, continued on, but Exit Stage Left surged to the lead and continued strongly to the wire to win the race by one length in 1:38.53.

Argyle Cut, last early in the compact field of five, circled four wide and finished well for second without making serious impact on the winner. Rockford was third, another half-length back.

“Mentally, he’s not real mature,” Baze said of the winner. “He kind of wants to fight me a little bit. But he’s very responsive when I ask him. He’s got a real good move.

“I was surprised he had that good of a move today because he was pulling on me pretty hard the first half-mile. At the head of the lane he shifted gears and ran right by them.”

A $100,000 Barretts purchase in March by Mark DeDomenico and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Exit Stage Left earned $45,000 for his second stakes victory and has career earnings of $75,350 in his first two starts.

Hollendorfer said he would keep the colt in Northern California for the $100,000 California Derby on Jan. 18.

He called Exit Stage Left “very talented,” but added, “We have a lot of work to do with him to get him to relax the first part of it.

“We’ve asked him to do a lot. Most young horses couldn’t do that so I’m very pleased with him.”