New racing secretary Greely wants more horses per race

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Sean Greely, the Monmouth and Meadowlands racing secretary from 2000-2003 and also a former racing secretary at Hialeah, has been appointed the racing secretary at Golden Gate Fields for its meet, which begins next month.

Greely's first day on the job was Monday, and he's been busy introducing himself to northern California horsemen.

Greely, 41, has been involved in racing his entire life. He is the son of long-time racing official and Keeneland president William Greely and the brother of Kevin Greely, the current racing secretary in Dubai.

"I'm in the process of getting acclimated," Greely said.

His first order of business is to review and make recommendations on stall applications.

Greely took a self-prescribed 1 1/2-year sabbatical from racing, but said Monday that like a racehorse who has been freshened he is ready to get back to work.

"The time away did me good, but it's nice getting back into the mix of things."

The job at Golden Gate Fields, Greely said, "definitely presents a set of challenges." But he said he hopes workers' comp relief and other factors will help him in filling races. He said cooperation between Golden Gate Fields, Bay Meadows, and the fairs is important help to create the right categories and series of races to allow horsemen to prepare and spot their horses well.

"I'll be learning as I go, but, hopefully, hard work will help to improve field size," Greely said.

"It's important to make horsemen know we're in a partnership," he added. "It's like a profit-sharing thing. The worse we do, the worse they do. The better the product, bigger field size, will generate more handle. A five-horse field may help [horsemen] in the short term, but a 10-horse field helps in the long-term."

Undefeated Factual Lady eyes No. 4

Undefeated Factual Lady will try to extend her winning streak to four in Friday's Bay Meadows feature, a $50,000 optional claimer for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

A speedy 3-year-old, Factual Lady is meeting older for the first time, but she drew the outside No. 7 post.

There is plenty of speed lined up against her, including recent winner Madringa, who drew the rail, and Better Daze, who is gunning for her third straight victory. Icy Choice, who got a good stalking trip when she edged North By Six to end that one's two-race win streak last time, and North By Six also figure in the mix.