Golden Gate Fields notes: California Derby coming up light

Saturday’s $100,000 California Derby looks as if it will have a small field, according to Golden Gate Fields racing secretary David Jerkens’s early canvas.

Jerkens said early this week that four runners were set to start in the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta race: the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Exit Stage Left, who has won the six-furlong Golden Nugget and one-mile Gold Rush in his only two starts; Argyle Cut, second to Exit Stage Left in the Gold Rush; Infosec, who won his Golden Gate debut sprinting after being claimed down south by trainer Frank Lucarelli; and Puppy Manners, a stablemate of Exit Stage Left who graduated at a mile and then beat allowance foes in a six-furlong sprint.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Jerkens said that Harbaugh and Life Is a Joy, who also is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, are possible starters.

Seven runners competed in last year’s edition of the race. Last Saturday’s Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita attracted only four 3-year-olds.

“There are a lot of different races to pick from here and at Santa Anita,” said Jerkens. “I think the 3-year-old division in California is pretty light.

“In terms of our local 3-year-olds, I think we got off to a little slow start, and trainers have not been stretching horses out and going a distance yet. When I look at the spreadsheet we keep, we’ve had a few sold privately, and some get injured.”

Jerkens pointed to Puppy Manners as a horse who hasn’t been able to find a suitable race. Puppy Manners won a maiden race at a mile but then had to run in a sprint because no route races filled for him.

Jerkens said he is confident the Grade 3, $200,000 Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby will have a bigger field because the Feb. 15 race is graded and offers a higher purse, and it also provides points toward a starting berth in the Kentucky Derby.

Baze high on Exit Stage Left

Leading jockey Russell Baze has ridden any number of good 3-year-olds for Hollendorfer, but he tries to avoid comparing horses.

Three of his record six California Derby winners were trained by Hollendorfer, including last year’s winner Zeewat, as were four of his record eight El Camino Real Derby winners.

Baze has ridden Exit Stage Left in both of his career starts and rides him again on Saturday. Baze expresses confidence in the Noonmark colt, owned by Hollendorfer and Mark DeDomenico, and says he has been “learning right along.”

“He’s definitely getting better,” said Baze.

“He’s shown a lot of talent from the beginning, and intelligence. At the start, he was a little bit frisky, but that’s because he was a good-feeling horse,” said Baze, who was jolted in the face once when Exit Stage Left threw his head back.

In works, Baze said has been getting Exit Stage Left to relax in anticipation of Saturday’s race, which will be the longest of the colt’s career.

“There’s only so much a rider can do to help a horse get a distance, but he makes it easy because he’s good,” said Baze. “I definitely like what I feel under me when I’m aboard him.”

Turf course gets a break

Golden Gate’s turf course, which has suffered from lack of rain, is getting a well-needed rest until April.

The turf course was to be closed this week, but after jockeys voiced concerns about the state of the course, officials canceled racing on the surface last week.

Since the opening of the 2012-2013 season on Dec. 26, 2012, until Jan. 5, 2014, 271 races were run over the turf course, with an average field size of 8.06 runners, according to Calvin Rainey, Golden Gate vice president and assistant general manager.

“The turf really helped us as far as field size goes,” said Rainey. “We have to maximize it but not overuse it.”

Golden Gate uses a combination of cooler-season grasses on the course, bluegrass, fescue, and rye. To restore it, the grass is cut very short, and the turf is aerated. The turf crew removes divots and works to smooth out undulations, and plants new grass.

Terrero returns with wins

Jockey Pedro Terrero, sidelined nearly four months after fracturing his left wrist in a Sept. 14 spill at Golden Gate Fields, picked up his first two wins of the meeting Saturday and Sunday.

Terrero scored on a pair of odds-on favorites after losing twice on Thursday and once on Friday in his first action since the injury.

He won with Wine and Song ($3) in Saturday’s first race and Potentiality ($2.80) in Sunday’s second race.

◗ Golden Gate will conduct racing on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. General parking, general admission, programs, beers, hot dogs, and sodas will cost only $1 each.