Golden Gate's top sprinters meet in pair of stakes on S.F. Mile undercard

Northern California’s top sprinters are ready to dash in a pair of $75,000 sprints on Saturday’s Gold Rush Weekend card at Golden Gate Fields.

The six-furlong Lost in the Fog, named for the Eclipse Award-winning sprinter who was based at Golden Gate Fields, drew nine entrants. The Camilla Urso at five furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares drew an overflow field of 14. They will be the final two races on the 12-race card.

In addition, fillies and mares will also meet in the $75,000 Golden Poppy at 1 1/16 miles on the turf as part of the undercard to the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile.

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The Lost in the Fog features a rematch of an April 2 prep race that saw Bettor Trip Nick score a front-running, three-quarter-length victory over odds-on favorite Baja Sur, who was making his first start in five months while coming off a four-length win over Bettor Trip Nick in the El Dorado Shooter last November.

Adding spice is the presence of Baja Sur’s former stablemate Anyportinastorm, who won the 2019 Lost in the Fog.

Bettor Trip Nick’s trainer, Quinn Howey, makes no secret about how the race will go, and that he expects Bettor Trip Nick to be in front, as he was in the April 2 win.

“He ran huge that day,” said Howey of Bettor Trip Nick’s wire-to-wire win.

It’s not a new strategy that he wants apprentice jockey Santos Rivera to take full advantage of the 4-year-old Boat Trip gelding’s speed. Bettor Trip Nick has been on the lead or within a head of the leader at the first call in 11of 12 starts. He was third early after a troubled start in his only other race.

Bettor Trip Nick is drawn inside Baja Sur and Anyportinthestorm, both of whom have speed, and comebacking Landeskog, another speedster who drew the outside post.

Rivera, Golden Gate’s leading apprentice last year, loses the five-pound weight advantage he had on April 2 because the apprentice allowance does not apply in stakes. Bettor Trip Nick picks up 10 pounds and carries 123 pounds, as do all horses in the race.

Trainer Blaine Wright is pleased with the way Baja Sur is coming into the race. He views the April 2 race as the perfect prep for this.

“He only had three five-eighths works into him, and we decided it was better to run him than work [five furlongs] two extra times,” said Wright. “He was probably a little short but still gutted it out.”

Anyportinastorm is a multiple sprint stakes winner and was nipped in the final stride in the Longacres Mile in 2019. Peter Miller, who became his trainer late last year, sends him to a track where he’s won four times and run third twice in six starts.

El Chavo Del Ocho, who may be last early, is the lone runner who likes to sit back and hopes to pick off rivals late.

Camilla Urso

Trainer Jonathan Wong seems to have the one to beat in the Camilla Urso with Dynasty of Her Own, who has never lost in five starts at Golden Gate Fields and won the California Oaks here last year.

But the race will be her first start on turf. She has a nice stalking style that should play well and will be joined by stablemate Sadie Bluegrass, who has won on turf and hit the board in all three starts on grass.

Acting Out comes off a second in an allowance at Santa Anita in February and has been pointed to this race, said trainer Steve Sherman, who added he was pleased with her works. Nardini won her lone start over the course at this distance and has two stakes placings in turf sprints. Gotham Desire does has a turf victory here and has been runner-up to Dynasty in her past two starts.

Five Pics Please and Gayles Evening, who could be among the toughest rivals if they get in, are on the also-eligible list.

Golden Poppy

The Golden Poppy seems wide open, with Grade 1 winner Keeper Ofthe Stars opting to take on males in the San Francisco Mile.

Trainer Manny Badilla sends out Northwest Factor and Sloane Garden, second and third, respectively, by less than a length to Keeper Ofthe Stars in their last start.

Wong will be represented by Keeper Of the Stars’s stablemate Clockstrikestwelve, whose five-race win streak was snapped by Swiss Skydiver in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile in her last start.

“We took a shot,” Wong said of her stakes debut. “She gets back with runners she’s competitive with and runs on grass again. That should pick her up.”