Neptune's Storm outbattles a stubborn Kiwi's Dream to win San Francisco Mile

Less than three weeks after he finished seventh in his 2020 debut in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita, Neptune’s Storm rebounded to win a thrilling running of the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.

Neptune’s Storm set a scorching pace in the Shoemaker Mile on May 25 and faded to finish 5 3/4 lengths behind Raging Bull. In the $251,200 San Francisco Mile on turf, Neptune’s Storm patiently stalked pacesetter Kiwi’s Dream through a slow pace and fought off a stubborn challenge from that rival to prevail by a head.

Neptune’s Storm was timed in 1:35.50 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97, which equals his career-best.

“He was so fresh coming into the last race,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “He had to get that race out of his way.”

The San Francisco Mile was Neptune’s Storm fourth career stakes win.

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Ridden for the first time by William Antongeorgi III, Neptune’s Storm broke well and was quickly in a stalking position behind 7-1 Kiwi’s Dream, who ran the first quarter-mile in 23.97 seconds and a half-mile in 48.11. Antongeorgi moved Neptune’s Storm alongside Kiwi’s Dream in early stretch and trailed by a head with a furlong remaining.

Neptune’s Storm ($8) needed the entire stretch to reach the front.

“They were going slow enough and that horse came back on,” Baltas said of Kiwi’s Dream. “I don’t care how much I win by as long as I can win. He doesn’t win by much.”

Kiwi’s Dream, who ran a brilliant race to just miss, finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of 12-1 Camino Del Paraiso. Restrainedvengence, the 8-5 favorite, had a wide trip throughout and finished fourth. Arch Prince was fifth, followed by Majestic Eagle, Simply Breathless, and Murad Khan.

Restrainedvengence, Kiwi’s Dream, and Camino Del Paraiso were the first three finishers of the $100,000 All American Stakes on the synthetic main track at Golden Gate Fields on May 25.

Neptune’s Storm, a 4-year-old colt by Stormy Atlantic, has won 6 of 16 starts and earned $788,085. In 2019, the colt won three stakes – the Singletary Stakes and Cinema Stakes in consecutive starts at Santa Anita in the spring and the Grade 2 Hill Prince Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf, worth $401,200, at Belmont Park last October.

Owned by a large partnership that includes Michael Nentwig, Saul Gevertz, Lynn Gitomer, Mike Goetz, CYBT, and Daniel Weiner, Neptune’s Storm was second or third in five other graded stakes for 3-year-olds on turf in 2019. Neptune’s Storm was third in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile last December, his final start before the Shoemaker.

* The San Francisco Mile was the feature race on the closing day of the winter-spring meeting at Golden Gate Fields. Racing resumes at Golden Gate Fields in the final days of July when the Sonoma County Fair meeting will be held at the track. The Sonoma County Fair is not being held in Santa Rosa this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Alameda County Fair meeting in Pleasanton begins on Friday.