Restrainedvengence on edge for San Franciso Mile

Restrainedvengence reached the finish of a half-mile workout in 46 seconds last Sunday at Santa Anita when a brief adventure began for trainer Val Brinkerhoff, who was aboard the 5-year-old gelding.

“I had a helluva time stopping him when he was galloping out,” Brinkerhoff said. “It’s the best he’s ever worked.”

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The workout occurred a week before Restrainedvengence’s appearance in Sunday’s Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields. Restrainedvengence, who won the fifth stakes of his career in the All American Stakes at a mile on the synthetic main track on May 25 at Golden Gate Fields, drew the outside post in a field of eight in the $250,000 San Francisco Mile.

The San Francisco Mile is the eighth race on an 11-race program on the final day of the Golden Gate winter-spring meeting. The Alameda County Fair meeting at Pleasanton begins Friday.

Sunday at Golden Gate, there is a mandatory payout in the 20-cent Golden Pick Six, early and late pick five wagers, and the super high five. The San Francisco Mile is part of the Golden Pick Six and the late pick five.

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux rode Restrainedvengence in the All American Stakes for the first time and has the mount Sunday. In the All American, Restrainedvengence fought through the stretch to finish a head in front of Kiwi’s Dream, who set the pace.

“He’ll battle any of them,” Brinkerhoff said. “He’s game. I was really impressed with the way he ran.”

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Kiwi’s Dream could be part of the pace in the San Francisco Mile along with Neptune’s Storm and the former claimer Murad Khan, who was sixth in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on May 23 at Santa Anita.

Owned by Bob Grayson Jr. and Kelly Brinkerhoff, Restrainedvengence won the Rolling Green Handicap on turf at Golden Gate Fields last September and was second by a head at 43-1 in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita last October.

“I think he’s better on grass,” Val Brinkerhoff said.

Restrainedvengence is part of a talented group of stalkers in the race that includes the stakes winners Majestic Eagle and Simply Breathless and the stakes-placed Camino Del Paraiso.

Majestic Eagle won the Grade 3 American Stakes on turf at Santa Anita last June. Trained by Neil Drysdale, Majestic Eagle has been gelded since a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes at Santa Anita in February.

Neptune’s Storm and Simply Breathless ran without success May 25 at Santa Anita. Neptune’s Storm set the pace in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf and faded to finish seventh. Trained by Richard Baltas, Neptune’s Storm won three stakes for 3-year-olds on turf last year, racing near the front in each victory.

Simply Breathless, trained by Drysdale, was ninth in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares on May 25. A 5-year-old English-bred mare, Simply Breathless is the lone female in the San Francisco Mile field.