Golden Gate: Pepnic, Hudson Landing get in preps for San Francisco Mile

Trainers at Golden Gate Fields are plotting a course for the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile scheduled for April 26, and a one-mile open allowance race on turf this Saturday may prove to be a perfect prep run.

Before that, however, another solid prep for the San Francisco Mile took place on the main track last Sunday, with Pepnic edging Hudson Landing by three-quarters of a length in a $62,500 optional claimer. The top two finishers raced for a tag, and Pepnic was claimed by Tim McCanna for David Taylor.

Jockey Russell Baze pulled off a master robbery in the one-mile race. He put Pepnic on the lead through fractions barely faster than a two-minute lick, going the opening quarter-mile in 26.65 seconds and the half-mile in 52.62. The three-quarter fraction was 1:17.06, so it’s no surprise that Pepnic was out of reach with a 23.19 final quarter, although Hudson Landing tried, running the final quarter in under 23 seconds.

Despite coming up short, Hudson Landing’s trainer was pleased with the race and with jockey Juan Hernandez’s ride.

“All in all, I’m ecstatic,” said trainer Blaine Wright. “That’s how this racetrack goes. I told Juan not to put him on the lead because [Hudson Landing] needs a target now.”

Hudson Landing won the 2012 San Francisco Mile shortly after being claimed for $50,000 by Wright for Jared Chappell.

The 7-year-old Maria’s Mon gelding earned $242,800 for Chappell in 2012 after the claim, including victories in the Grade 3 All American Stakes at Golden Gate and the Mt. Rainer Handicap at Emerald Downs. He was winless in eight starts last year but ran second in the Grade 3 All American Stakes behind Summer Hit and third in the Rolling Green Stakes at Golden Gate and the Bull Dog Handicap at Fresno.

Wright had to convince Chappell to run for a tag in the Sunday allowance rather than wait for Saturday’s allowance race and possibly face Positive Response and Summer Hit.

“Jared was not really for it, but Positive Response has had our horse’s number, and I didn’t want to come off a layoff facing him and Summer Hit,” said Wright.

When he saw McCanna drop a claim before the race, Wright said, “Our hearts dropped to the floor.” But he and Chappell decided not to scratch.

Wright was relieved that the claim was for Pepnic, whom he calls the second-best older runner here behind Summer Hit. He said he and Chappell had also considered putting in a claim on Pepnic but decided against it because they “already had a horse in that category.”

Barring problems in the next three weeks, Wright says Hudson Landing will run in the San Francisco Mile.

“We needed to see what we needed to see,” he said of Hudson Landing’s comeback race. “We knew he was training well, but as a trainer on synthetic, you wonder if you’ve got them fit. I was pleasantly surprised. The horse was a lot fitter than I thought. My gallop boy, Vince Sanchez, had told me fitness would not be a problem.”

McCanna claimed Pepnic from Alex Paszkeicz because his client Taylor told him he wanted a stakes runner.

“[Pepnic] looks pretty solid at the level,” McCanna said. “That’s the most I’ve ever claimed one for, and I was pacing the barn thinking about it.”

McCanna said Pepnic came out of the race well. “He’s in excellent condition,” he said. “Alex takes good care of his horses.”

Pepnic, who has earned $220,941, has run in four stakes and finished second in two of them.

Saturday’s open allowance race is likely to attract Positive Response and perhaps Summer Hit, last year’s San Francisco Mile runner-up who went on to win the track’s other two graded races, the All American Stakes and the Berkeley Handicap.

Positive Response hasn’t raced since winning the Bull Dog at Fresno in October. Trainer Billy Morey has given him seven works, including drills at five, six, and finally seven furlongs last Sunday.

“He’s come a long way, and he’s run a couple real good races on the turf here,” said Morey about pointing to the San Francisco Mile.

Positive Response won last fall’s Rolling Green Stakes here on the turf.

Summer Hit beat Pepnic by five lengths in a one-mile race here March 15, and he has had two works since.

** Sunday was a big day overall for Baze, who had three winners besides Pepnic. Baze also won with If You Like It in the first, Crushed It in the third, and Barrel Knot in the ninth. Baze found out that morning he would have to serve a three-day suspension, April 6, 10, and 11, for causing interference aboard third-place Gold Tie Please in the first race Saturday.

** Jockey Leslie Mawing won in his his final race of the meeting, guiding Lucy Wiggles to victory in Sunday’s sixth race. Mawing and jockey Isaias Enriquez are heading to Washington for the Emerald Downs meeting, which begins April 12.

** Thursday’s pick six will have a $40,009 carryover thanks to a $69.60 upset by Elaine’s Tenacity in Sunday’s fifth race.