Lammas rallies for San Francisco Mile upset

ALBANY, Calif. - Lammas was still galloping out on the backstretch of the Golden Gate Fields turf course after his upset win in Saturday’s Grade 3 San Francisco Mile when trainer Manny Badilla bounded down a path toward the winner’s circle.

“Nor Cal, baby,” Badilla shouted.

Lammas, one of the five locally based runners in a field of 11, closed from slightly off the pace to win the $177,700 San Francisco Mile, the last stakes in track history before its permanent closure in early June.

Ridden by Irving Orozco, Lammas ($21.60) was timed in 1:34.30, winning his second graded stakes in his 30th career start.

On Saturday, Lammas needed nearly the entire stretch to catch a stubborn pacesetter in Air Force Red, one of six shippers from Santa Anita. The winning margin was a head.

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Orozco said he knew he was aboard the winner “five strides” from the finish.

“It was very late,” he said.

Air Force Red (5-1) set a solid pace of 22.80 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.26 for a half-mile, leading by a length. Air Force Red was challenged by 5-1 Astronomer on the turn, but stayed a half-length in front of that rival until the final furlong.

Lammas, fifth on the backstretch, trailed by a length with a furlong remaining.

“I didn’t want those two horses in front of me to get too far” away, Orozco said.

“I was hoping the race would go like it played out. That was plan A.

“He’s a big grinder. I had to be within range turning for home, not too far from the lead.”

Air Force Red, a two-time stakes winner at Santa Anita in 2022, stayed on through the final furlong.

“We went a fast pace,” said jockey Armando Ayuso, who rode Air Force Red. “He tried to come back when (Lammas) came to him.”

Air Force Red finished a half-length in front of Balnikhov, the 3-1 second choice who won the 2023 San Francisco Mile. Balnikhov closed from last of 11 with an inside trip to be closest to the front at the finish.

Astronomer faded to finish fourth, followed by Il Bellator, Sumter, Freeport Joe, Cathkin Peak, I’m A Gambler, I’mgonnabesomebody and Clovisconnection. Sumter, trained in Santa Anita by Richard Mandella, was a slight favorite at 3-1.

Lammas, a British-bred gelding by the Dark Angel stallion Heeraat, has won 10 of 30 starts and earned $342,618.

The San Francisco Mile was his third stakes win, preceded by the Grade 3 Berkeley Handicap on the synthetic main track at Golden Gate Fields in November 2022 and the Sam Spear Memorial Stakes on turf last September.

Owned by Ron Charles and Sam Gordon, Lammas and Orozco are perfect as a team. Earlier this year, they won allowance races on the synthetic track on Feb. 23 and April 5.

Lammas began his career in Britain and joined Badilla’s stable in summer 2022. Lammas has won 7 of 18 in California.

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