Golden Gate Fields: Gold Rush 1-2-3 might meet again in California Derby

An interesting rivalry appears to be developing at Golden Gate Fields heading into 2014. Exit Stage Left, who is 2 for 2 with two stakes victories after winning the one-mile Gold Rush Stakes last Saturday, Gold Rush runner-up Argyle Cut, and third-place finisher Rockford all are looking at the $100,000 California Derby on Jan. 18 for their next start.

Exit Stage Left is a New Jersey-bred colt purchased by Mark DeDomenico and Jerry Hollendorfer for $100,000 at the March Barretts sale.

“He worked well,” Hollendorfer said, explaining the purchase.

While New Jersey may not be the most fashionable of breeding locales, Hollendorfer said, “He’s well bred.”

His sire, Noonmark, is a Kentucky-bred whose career record was 19-4-5-3, with earnings of $354,090. He was a Grade 3 winner who had two seconds and a third in Grade 2 competition. Noonmark is by Unbridled’s Song, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Florida Derby, and Wood Memorial. Noonmark’s dam, the unraced In the Storm, is a half-sister of millionaire Formal Gold.

Exit Stage Left won the six-furlong Golden Nugget Stakes in his debut. Beginning a horse’s career in a stakes race is ambitious but not unusual for Hollendorfer. Broken Sword, who won the Grade 2 Bayakoa at Betfair Hollywood Park last Saturday shortly after Exit Stage Left’s victory, won her debut in the Juan Gonzalez Memorial at Pleasanton last year.

“We’ve asked him to do a lot,” Hollendorfer said of Exit Stage Left after Saturday’s win. “Most young horses couldn’t do that, so I’m very proud of him.”

He expanded on that Sunday, saying, “Things have changed. You don’t go through conditions now like you used to.”

Jockey Russell Baze and Hollendorfer agree that Exit Stage Left still is a bit green after two races. That’s one reason Hollendorfer wants to keep him in Northern California a while longer.

“I want to keep him up there where he’s used to working,” he said. “They continue to have good races there.”

Exit Stage Left overcame some trouble when shuffled back on the turn in his debut before unleashing a strong kick. Though he didn’t relax as well as Hollendorfer would have liked, he again finished strongly in his second start when going around two turns for the first time.

Argyle Cut was last through six furlongs in the Gold Rush, began his move into the lane, and finished second, beaten a length.

“He ran a good race,” trainer Billy Morey said. “We wanted to see how well he’d run, and I’d say it looks like he has potential, having won on the grass and then run well on Tapeta.”

Argyle Cut was making his fourth start, the most of the top three finishers.

“This was like a first-level allowance race,” Morey said, but it did seem to attract the top 2-year-olds racing in Northern California.

Morey’s second runner in the Gold Rush, Unusual Americaine, ran fourth, and Morey said he might try returning him to a sprint. He was second, beaten a neck by Exit Stage Left, in the Golden Nugget.

Going into the race, trainer Bill Patterson said Rockford’s three-month break since his last start would not be a significant obstacle for the Rock Hard Ten gelding. Rockford did take a narrow lead at the quarter pole and held it through upper stretch before getting passed.

“Everybody was pleased with the effort, and he looked good this morning,” Patterson said Sunday.

Patterson said he doesn’t expect a first-level allowance race to be written for Argyle Cut or Rockford. There is a one-mile optional-claiming race Dec. 28, but that probably doesn’t fit the schedule for either horse.

“Right now, [Rockford] fits with 2-year-olds at this level up here at this stage,” Patterson said. “If he’s fit, we’ll roll the dice and run in the California Derby.”

Exit Stage Left earned a 76 Beyer Speed Figure in the Gold Rush, Argyle Cut got a 74, and Rockford a 73. Each has improved his Beyer in every start.

The life of Riley

Shelley Riley “had a ball” at last month’s Kentucky Book Fair, where she was invited to promote her book, “Casual Lies: A Triple Crown Adventure,” even though she wasn’t asked for as many autographs as basketball coach Rick Pitino, who also was at the event.

“I was amazed at the people who came up to me and told me they’d bet on [Casual Lies] in the exacta and trifecta,” Riley said.

She said she went to a sale, and it was “very difficult” not to bid on a horse. She said she was surprised by the increase in the number of buyers from around globe. She also visited some farms and was most impressed by Gio Ponti.

◗ Golden Gate Fields winds up the meeting Sunday and then will be dark until Dec. 26, when the 2014 racing calendar year begins.