Surface switch adds layer of difficulty to Miss America

With heavy rain last weekend and more rain in the forecast, Sunday’s $50,000 Miss America Stakes at Golden Gate Fields was switched from turf to the Tapeta main track. Sunday is closing day of the meet at Golden Gate Fields, which reopens Dec. 26 for its long winter-spring meet.

Despite the surface switch, a full field of 12 fillies and mares was entered in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Trainer Victor Trujillo enjoyed his first stakes win when Wicked Old Fashion rallied to win the Kathryn Crosby at Del Mar last month, and on Sunday, Wicked Old Fashion will try to give him No. 2 in the Miss America.

Wicked Old Fashion has made most of her starts on turf and has never run on the Golden Gate Tapeta. With no other spot to run her, Trujillo said she will likely remain in the field Sunday.

Wicked Old Fashion won the Kathryn Crosby rallying from last place, 14 lengths off the early lead. That’s in contrast to her early position in most of her races – within a couple lengths of the front.

“I never expected she could win from that far off the lead,” Trujillo said.

Trujillo said he expects Wicked Old Fashion to be closer to the pace Sunday.

Ari Herbertson is one trainer who is happy with the surface switch. He sends out Blue Diva, whom he claimed for $25,000 from an optional-claiming win on the Tapeta on Nov. 23. That was Blue Diva’s third win in nine starts on the surface.

“Not being on turf changes things,” he said. “We like the filly a lot and think she has extremely high potential. She glides when she runs.”

Music Babe also has done some of her best running on Tapeta, with five wins in nine starts on the surface. Winner of an allowanc race Dec. 1, she breaks from the outside post Sunday.

Northern California dates set

After months of discussion, the racing calendar for Northern California was finalized at the California Horse Racing Board’s monthly meeting on Thursday, with a majority of the dates at Golden Gate Fields.

The Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, the northernmost racing meeting in the state, will race for one week without competition from Golden Gate Fields in late August, providing a much-needed revenue boost for the small venue.

The finalized calendar incorporates dates in which the active track will receive revenue from simulcasting but will not be racing. For that purpose, Golden Gate Fields has been awarded dates from Dec. 18 to June 16, 2020, but will not begin its meeting until Dec. 26. June 16 is a Tuesday. The final day of the Golden Gate Fields meeting is expected to be June 14.

Other dates are the Alameda County Fair at Pleasanton from June 17 to July 14; Cal-Expo in Sacramento from July 15 to Aug. 4; the Sonoma County Fair from Aug. 5-18; the Humboldt County Fair from Aug. 19 to Sept. 1; Golden Gate Fields from Aug. 26 to Oct. 6; the Big Fresno Fair from Oct. 7-20; and Golden Gate Fields from Oct. 21 to Dec. 15.

– additional reporting by Steve Andersen