Steve Sherman gets nice 3-year-old of his own
Things are going well for Team Sherman. On Saturday, of course, trainer Art Sherman and his son and assistant Alan will be going for the Triple Crown with California Chrome in the Belmont Stakes. Last Saturday, Art’s son Steve sent out another talented 3-year-old to win his turf debut in a Golden Gate Fields allowance race.
Reno Rebel, whose five previous races had come for Art in Southern California, scored a professional 2 1/4-length win going 1 1/16 miles. A ridgling by Big Brown, Reno Rebel was a $100,000 weanling purchase by Nevada Equine LLC and Charles Finch.
“He ran a really good race,” said Steve Sherman. “He relaxed really nice and sat behind runners. He was asked to do a lot of things for the first time – turf, two turns, and being taken back early. You’ve got to have the right mind and temperament to do that, especially when you’re taken back behind horses.”
Reno Rebel passed all the tests with flying colors.
“My dad thought it would be a little easier up here, but it was a very competitive field,” Sherman said. “He’d been training well, and we thought he’d run well.”
For the third time in a little more than a month, Steve Sherman will be gone from Golden Gate this weekend. He flew to New York on Wednesday to join his father and brother, who are preparing California Chrome for the Belmont.
“I’ve had the best time,” said Steve Sherman. “I enjoy being part of the entourage. There’s no pressure on me. All my job to do is to cheer.”
California-breds on turf
Following California Chrome’s bid for the Triple Crown in the Belmont on Saturday, 3-year-old California-breds will be featured in a pair of $100,000 stakes at Golden Gate on Sunday. Both races – the Campanile for fillies and the Silky Sullivan for both sexes – will be run at a mile on turf.
Only nine runners were nominated for the Campanile, and only three were listed by the racing office as definite to run early in the week. The Hector Palma-trained Magic Spot, who has won all three of her turf starts, looms the likely favorite shipping up from Santa Anita. Another Southern California shipper expected to run, the Mike Puype-trained Chati’s On Top, was second last time in her turf debut, going 6 1/2 furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course.
The Steve Miyadi-trained Doctor Glynis is the lone local runner considered definite to run. She will be making her turf debut while trying two turns for the first time.
Local star G. G. Ryder, coming off a solid victory in the May 11 Alcatraz on turf, will have the home-course advantage in the Silky Sullivan. He is expected to face Awesome Return, Patriots Rule, and Alert Bay, the top three finishers in the $250,000 Snow Chief on turf at Santa Anita on April 26.
Name that wager
The California Authority of Racing Fairs will unveil a new 20-cent pick six when the summer fair season begins June 19 at Pleasanton. It is looking for a name for the new wager and is accepting suggestions until Monday.
The person whose suggestion is used will get a package that includes admission and parking passes into every CARF fair and 10 additional passes for each fair. Names can be emailed to Larry Swartzlander, CARF’s chief operating officer, at larry@calfairs.net.
◗ Apprentice jockey Juan Sanchez, who seriously injured his right leg in a spill last August, returned to racing Sunday and won with his first mount, Sahha ($9.40), in the second race for trainer Sherrie Monroe. Sahha was far back in the $6,250 claimer at one mile on turf and rallied inside rivals down the stretch to defeat Boo Who Who by a neck.
◗ Golden Gate Fields will host a wine festival Saturday. The $30 admission to the festival includes 15 samples of wine from 17 wineries, a souvenir wine glass, and California-inspired food samplings. There also will be live music at the festival, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. Pacific.
◗ Also Saturday, Golden Gate is selling 16-ounce Coors or Miller beers, hot dogs, and bottled water for $1 each. Gates open at 9 a.m., with the first race scheduled for 12:15 p.m.