Strong Southern California contingent challenges locals in San Francisco Mile
Locally based runners have won five of the last six runnings of the San Francisco Mile. Will that trend continue in Saturday’s edition of the Grade 3, $100,000 race at Golden Gate Fields, or will one of the seven Southern California-based entrants be too much for the locals to handle?
The San Francisco Mile, a one-mile turf race, attracted 14 older runners. Northern California has a trio of strong contenders: defending champ G. G. Ryder, Alert Bay, and Docs Legacy. But the Southern California imports Bal a Bali and Gabriel Charles bring strong credentials into Saturday’s race.
The Brazilian-bred Bal a Bali won 11 of 12 races and was a champion in his native country. He won his U.S. debut last year at Santa Anita in the Grade 3 American at one mile on turf. His only other U.S. victory came in an optional-claiming race at Del Mar in October. Flavien Prat rides Bal a Bali, who is trained by Richard Mandella.
The Jeff Mullins-trained Gabriel Charles brings two straight triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures into the race. The catch is that he hasn’t raced since winning the Grade 1 Eddie Read at Del Mar last July.
G. G. Ryder makes his first start since finishing last of 12 in the California Cup Turf Classic at Santa Anita on Jan. 30. That was an uncharacteristically poor race for G. G. Ryder, who followed his San Francisco Mile victory last year with a win in the Grade 3 All American at Golden Gate and a win in the Bull Dog at Fresno in October.
Alert Bay was an odds-on second to Docs Legacy in an April 9 allowance prep for this race that was switched from turf to the main track.
“I’m not taking anything away from Docs Legacy,” said Alert Bay’s trainer, Blaine Wright. “He came home in 23 and change, but my horse is better on turf.”
Docs Legacy’s win was no fluke. He has finished third or better in eight of his last nine starts, including six wins.
“He has a great turn of foot, and we’ve figured out we have to take him wide so no one gets in his way,” said Docs Legacy’s trainer, Manny Badilla.
SAN FRANCISCO MILE (race 8)
Key contenders
Bal a Bali, by Put It Back
Last 3 Beyers: 100-101-96
◗ His lowest Beyer for a mile on turf is 98, and he’s cracked triple digits in three of his five such races in the U.S.
◗ He drops in class from a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile six weeks ago.
Alert Bay, by City Zip
Last 3 Beyers: 88-89-96
◗ Although he lost his prep for the race, so did the last two winners of this race.
◗ His career-best Beyer of 105 came in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile last September on the Santa Anita turf.
◗ He won the last two times he raced over this course.
Docs Legacy, by Ad Valorum
Last 3 Beyers: 91-88-91
◗ He hasn’t won in four starts at this distance on turf but took a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer over this course last November.