Golden Gate Fields: Hollendorfer able to go three-deep in California Oaks

It has been a long time since Northern California was the exclusive home for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. While his “A” team is based in Southern California, Hollendorfer maintains a large Northern California stable that includes some of the best horses on the grounds at Golden Gate Fields.

He is especially loaded with quality 3-year-olds – both here and in Southern California

On Saturday, Hollendorfer has three runners entered in the $100,000 California Oaks – Lady of Fifty, who has won two straight stakes; Sweet Nothings, second to Lady of Fifty in the Corte Madera; and Milania, who won a maiden race in Southern California. The 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race has seven entries.

Last Saturday, the Hollendorfer-trained Russian Greek won the California Derby.

He also trains a couple of nice 3-year-olds who last ran in Southern California: Rousing Sermon, second in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity, and Longview Drive, who got his start in Northern California and just ran third in the Grade 3 Sham.

“It’s good to have a bunch of different options,” he said. “You can pick and choose where your horses fit better.

Russian Greek, a son of Giant’s Causeway, won the one-mile Gold Rush in December by rallying along the rail. In the California Derby, he swung wide to get in the clear and pulled away late. As his rider Aaron Gryder said, “Being by Giant’s Causeway, more distance certainly isn’t going to hurt him.”

Hollendorfer is already looking forward to running Russian Greek in the 1 1/8-mile, Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 18.

Even though Russian Greek won his debut at six furlongs, Hollendorfer said, “I never really thought of him as a sprinter, and I think he has proved that out.”