Roman figures to take Day Plan to lead in California Governor's Cup
Given a choice of mounts, jockey Evin Roman chose Day Plan over Empire House for Saturday’s $75,000 California Governor’s Cup at Cal-Expo in Sacramento, Calif. The Governor’s Cup is for fillies and mares going six furlongs on dirt.
Roman, the leading rider at the Golden Gate Fields winter-spring meeting earlier this year, rode the 4-year-old fillies Day Plan and Empire House the last time each ran. The fillies are owned by the Stull family’s Tommy Town Thoroughbreds and trained by Jonathan Wong.
Roman was aboard Day Plan for a close third in the She’s a Tiger Stakes for fillies and mares at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on June 25. Day Plan will start from the inside post in a field of six in the California Governor’s Cup.
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“He’s always liked that filly,” Wong said of Roman. “That’s always been one of his favorite horses.”
Roman has ridden Day Plan in five of her eight starts, and in three of her four wins. Day Plan is quick enough to set the pace, but has also raced from a stalking position. There is not much strategy in the Governor’s Cup: Day Plan is likely to set the pace.
“Pretty much from there, we’ll have to go,” Wong said of the rail start.
Day Plan will be closely tracked by Carolina Mia, who starts from the outside and has been in good form in recent months. Trained by Felix Rondan, Carolina Mia was a game third in in the Oak Tree Sprint at Pleasanton on July 2, leading in the stretch before losing by 1 1/2 lengths to Cool Mountain Lad.
Carolina Mia was second by a neck in the Albany Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Golden Gate Fields on June 11. The Governor’s Cup is her first start against fillies and mares since a win in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf at Golden Gate Fields on May 20 in which she led throughout.
Empire House won for the third time in her 19th start in an allowance race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Pleasanton on June 17, racing near the front throughout. Empire House is winless in 12 starts on the synthetic main track at Golden Gate and on turf. All of her wins have been on dirt.
“Empire House has been a lot better sprinting on dirt,” Wong said. “She has talent. I think Day Plan might be a better horse.”
The field of six includes Founder’s Day, who won a starter allowance at a mile at Los Alamitos on July 4; Warm Summer, who has not raced since October; and Tip Top Gal, a well-beaten third in an allowance race at Pleasanton on July 8.