Wright prepping for Pleasanton Mile

Throughout California, April 27 was a rough afternoon for trainer Blaine Wright.

Clovisconnection finished last of 11 in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields, shortly after Prince Abu Dhabi finished sixth of seven in the Kona Gold Stakes at Santa Anita.

Redemption may occur at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton when the two 4-year-old geldings could start in the $150,000 Pleasanton Mile.

Clovisconnection rebounded from the loss in the San Francisco Mile to record an attractive win in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields last Sunday. Prince Abu Dhabi starts in a tough one-mile allowance race there on Saturday.

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Clovisconnection, who races for Bill and Judy Hedrick, disputed the pace on Sunday, pulling clear to win by three lengths as the 7-5 favorite.

The result gave Wright a chance to forget the disappointment in the San Francisco Mile.

“That San Francisco Mile, I’m baffled over the race that he ran,” Wright said earlier this week. “He’s never ran that kind of race. We searched for an excuse and couldn’t find one. We started over.”

Clovisconnection has won 8 of 13 starts and earned $280,300.

Prince Abu Dhabi has been equally as efficient, winning 6 of 9 starts and earnings $181,600.

The winner of the California Derby at Golden Gate Fields in April 2023, and the Muckleshoot Derby at Emerald Downs last August, Prince Abu Dhabi is part of a tough allowance race on Saturday.

The field of seven includes the stakes winners Freeport Joe, Il Bellator, and Royal ‘n Rando as well Tesoro, the sharp winner of an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles at Golden Gate Fields on April 24.

Il Bellator, winner of the 2022 California Derby, was fifth by two lengths in the San Francisco Mile in his first start since early November.

Saturday is the next day of racing at Golden Gate Fields as the track nears its permanent closure on June 9.

A program scheduled for Friday was cancelled last weekend because of insufficient entries. Six programs have been cancelled since mid-April.

Racing is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday this weekend and from June 7-9. The Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton begins on June 14. Pleasanton will host a fall meeting beginning in late October, taking dates on the Northern California racing calendar previously run at Golden Gate Fields.

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