Golden Gate Fields notes: Hollendorfer barn on hot streak

Things could hardly be better for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

He won the Grade 1 Santa Margarita with Let Faith Arise last Saturday and Grade 1 winner Tamarando was to fly to Kentucky on Wednesday with stablemate Swiss Lake Yodeler for Saturday’s $550,000 Spiral Stakes and the $125,000 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park. Both 3-year-olds are homebreds for Larry and Marianne Williams and will be competing in races offering 50 qualifying points to the winner for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

Summer Hit, who fell a neck shy of sweeping Northern California’s three graded stakes for older horses last year, scored a solid allowance victory last Saturday in preparation for the April 26 San Francisco Mile on turf.

But from a national perspective, the focus is on Eclipse Award winner Shared Belief. Hollendorfer confirmed last week that the son of Candy Ride, stabled at Golden Gate Fields, was off the Kentucky Derby trail. A quarter crack in his right front foot has prevented Shared Belief from working since Jan. 3.

Hollendorfer, involved in a private purchase of the gelding after the horse won his maiden in his debut, is rightfully testy about the constant questions.

“Just tell them, ‘I asked Jerry Hollendorfer, and he said the horse is off the Derby trail,’ ” Hollendorfer said Monday.

Shared Belief has been jogging at Golden Gate Fields, and Hollendorfer hopes the familiar synthetic surface might be good for his star. Top races for 3-year-olds continue through much of the year, and Hollendorfer said, “There’s no pressure on me for anything I do. It’s just about getting the horse right. I’ll let people know when he’s ready to work.”

Tamarando, coming off a victory in the Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby, won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last year and was third in the FrontRunner Stakes and CashCall Futurity, both Grade 1 races. His final prep for the Spiral Stakes was a seven-furlong drill in 1:28.00 on Sunday that pleased Hollendorfer and jockey Russell Baze.

“He worked really good; 1:28 is a pretty good move on this track,” Baze said.

Baze rode Summer Hit to victory Saturday, pulling clear for a five-length win. It was Summer Hit’s sixth victory in seven starts over the main track.

“He’s an easy horse to ride,” Baze said. “He had a good prep, and I think the turf will be firm, so he’ll run even better.”

“I thought he handled the track well,” said Hollendorfer, who last year prepped for the San Francisco Mile with Summer Hit with a March 31 race. He’s not concerned about the six-week break between races this time.

“I think he’ll be fine,” Hollendorfer said. “He takes care of himself.”

Results flatter Marks Mine

Last Saturday’s results at Golden Gate Fields, where Marks Mine won the Camilla Urso Stakes, and at Santa Anita both reflected well on the 4-year-old Benchmark filly, owned and bred by the Williamses.

Marks Mine went head-and-head through the opening half-mile with Fast and Foxy in the six-furlong Camilla Urso and then withstood the late rally of Happybirthdaybaby, who had won three straight after being claimed by Hollendorfer.

At Santa Anita, Hollendorfer’s Let Faith Arise, who defeated Marks Mine in the California Wine Stakes at Pleasanton last summer, captured the Santa Margarita.

In the Irish O’Brien Stakes, Tribal Spy and Ciao Bella Luna ran first and second. Marks Mine split the two in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf on Jan. 25 at Santa Anita, with Ciao Bella Luna first by a half-length and Tribal Spy third.

“She’s a versatile filly and runs her heart out every time,” said Marks Mine’s trainer, Steve Specht. “She can carry her speed two turns, and she doesn’t need to carry her own track with her.”

Specht is looking south for Marks Mine’s next start in the $125,000 Spring Fever against California-breds at Santa Anita on April 26.

“That’s probably a good spot,” he said of the six-furlong race.

Though they are breeders, the Williamses also like running their horses.

“As long as she stays healthy and does well, they’ll keep her running,” Specht said. “They like money, and she’s approaching $400,000.”

Marks Mine has earned $363,584.

Riley’s book a finalist for award

Former trainer Shelley Riley’s book, “Casual Lies: A Triple Crown Adventure” is one of three finalists for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, sponsored by Castleton Lyons Farm. The award recognizes high-quality, full-length literary works focusing on Thoroughbreds.

“I’m so excited about my memoir being one of the finalists,” Riley said. “Stanley [Casual Lies’s nickname] was such a gift. There’s so much negativity about racing. All three of these are feel-good stories.”

The winner will be announced April 9.