Turf milers in the spotlight for twin $100,000 stakes

Turf runners and California-breds are in the Golden Gate Fields spotlight Sunday.

Two $100,000 stakes races for 3-year-old California-breds as well as a pair of allowance races for California-breds will be run on turf as the track celebrates a weekend turf festival that got under way with Saturday’s Grade 3 San Francisco Mile.

Seven males will compete in the one-mile Silky Sullivan in the day’s fifth race, with eight fillies competing in the one-mile Campanile in the seventh. All are seeking their initial stakes victories, although Can Can Babe did win a $22,422 Futurity in Boise, Idaho.

There are as many runners who will be making their turf debuts in the Silky Sullivan as there are contenders who are already turf winners.

Grazen Sky, coming off a second in the Echo Eddie Stakes at Santa Anita, and Suances Dream, who has hit the board in all eight career starts, make their turf debuts. Southern California invaders Richard’s Boy, third behind Grazen Sky in the Echo Eddie, and maiden-race winner Temple Keys have the only turf wins.

Suances Dream should love the turf. His sire, Suances, was a multiple graded/group stakes winner on turf in the United States and Europe, and his dam, Prospective Gal, was a multiple stakes winner on turf.

Grazen Sky, who will be making his route debut as well, has little turf breeding.

Pulmarack, fourth in his turf debut earlier this month, could be the one to beat. He has been the runner-up in two California-bred events. He is his graded stakes-placed dam’s fifth foal to earn black type. Three of his siblings are turf winners.

Five of the fillies will be making their turf debuts in the Campanile, including Ashley’s Sassy, who has three siblings who are turf winners. The stakes-placed daughter of Decarchy will be making her route debut.

All of the fillies are seeking their first turf victory, but Heat the Rocks ran second in the California Cup Oaks on turf in her 2015 debut.

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SILKY SULLIVAN (RACE 5)

KEY CONTENDERS

Pulmarack (Last 3 Beyers: 78-85-85)

◗ He didn’t do that badly in his turf debut after running second in a pair of California-bred stakes on dirt down south.

◗ His sire, Lucky Pulpit, is best known for Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome, who won a Grade 1 on turf. His dam was 0 for 5 on turf, but all five of her foals have earned black type. Watch for this one finishing late.

Grazen Sky (Last 3 Beyers: 85-86-91)

◗ He’s never finished worst than second, but he’s never run on turf or gone two turns. The mile shouldn’t be a problem, but turf is not the barn’s best surface. It’s winless in 2014-15 with turf first-timers and runners switching from dirt to turf.

Richard’s Boy (Last 3 Beyers: 84-85-76)

◗ He won when debuting on turf and going down the hill in March at Santa Anita.

◗ He’s been on the lead early in each start and looms the one to catch here.

◗ Note for handicappers: The farther out the rail is, the better speed seems to hold.

CAMPANILE (RACE 7)

KEY CONTENDERS

Heat the Rocks (Last 3 Beyers: NA-60-75)

◗ Though pulled up in her last start on turf, she is stakes-placed on the surface. She towers over this field based on breeding and should be nicely placed throughout.

Ashley’s Sassy (Last 3 Beyers: 63-63-69)

◗ She ran third in a stakes in her comeback this month, finishing strongly after getting off slowly. Three of her siblings have won on turf, and her sire, Decarchy, is decent with first-timers on turf.

Niassa (Last 3 Beyers: 35-75-70)

◗ Draw a red line through her last start. She might prove tougher on turf than her breeding suggests. Her sire, Papa Clem, is good with first-timers on grass.

◗ She has worked all right since her Southern California stakes disaster.