ALBANY, Calif. - Tuesday's opening of the Golden Gate Fields meeting could signal the start of a new era in northern California racing or simply a brief experiment.
The 31-day meet will include four-day race weeks rather than the traditional five-day weeks. Racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday, with the exception of the opener and the Monday cards of New Year's Day and Dr. Martin Luther King Day.
Gaff's post-Dubai hangover finally subsided on Saturday at Fair Grounds, where he won the $75,000 Bonapaw Stakes by a half-length.
Kentucky-bred Gaff began his career in Europe, but came quickly to hand when returned to the U.S. and dirt racing in the second half of 2005. He won consecutive allowance races - the first at Belmont Park, the second at Churchill Downs - before winning the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Gulfstream by a neck last Jan. 7. That was Gaff's last trip to the winner's circle until Saturday.
Although 3-5 favorite Yolanda B. Too finished a half-length behind 17-1 longshot La Chica Rica in Saturday's $50,000 Squan Song Stakes at Laurel Park, chalk players avoided having to tear up their win tickets.
La Chica Rica was disqualified for lugging in and forcing Yolanda B. Too to alter course in deep stretch of the seven-furlong race, which was run in 1:25.28 over a muddy track.
Oliver Castillo, La Chica Rica's rider, tried whipping left-handed to keep the 4-year-old filly from drifting into Yolanda B. Too's path at the sixteenth pole.
While heavily favored Over the Edge encountered several spots of trouble, Miss A. Bomb enjoyed smooth sailing Saturday to upset the $50,000 Gowell Stakes at Turfway Park.
Miss A. Bomb ($45.80), ridden by Orlando Mojica and trained by Grant Hofmans, prevailed by a neck over Over the Edge, the 3-5 favorite in a field of nine 2-year-old fillies. The winner ran six furlongs in 1:09.99.
A claim of foul by Brice Blanc, who rode Over the Edge, was quickly dismissed by the stewards.
Follow the Lite turned in an explosive rally over a sloppy track Friday to win the $75,000 Esplanade Stakes at Fair Grounds.
Jockey Elvis Perrodin took back on the rail after Follow the Lite broke sharply inside of Mykindasaint and All for Fashion.
"She paid attention to me at all times," said Perrodin. "I took hold of her, and she was like butter in my hands."
Perrodin waited patiently as Mykindasaint went on to battle it out with favored Hot Storm and No Fair through a half-mile in 46.70 seconds.
NEW ORLEANS - Trainer Keith Desormeaux named his brother Kent to ride Miss Atlantic City for the first time in the $300,000 Delta Princess at Delta Downs Dec. 1. A talented 2-year-old, Miss Atlantic City showed her heels to a strong group that included Grade 1 winners Appealing Zophie and Meadow Breeze. Now Keith is preparing Miss Atlantic City on the Fair Grounds backstretch for her 3-year-old campaign.
"We're pointing her for the 3-year-old fillies series of races at the Fair Grounds," he said. "It's a good series with nice spacing."
NEW ORLEANS - Teuflesberg looms a heavy favorite in Sunday's $75,000 Sugar Bowl for 2-year-olds at Fair Grounds as much for what he did as a maiden as for his last three races - two wins sandwiched around a 10th-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
A speedy son of Johannesburg, Teuflesberg ran in five stakes before ever winning a race. He came within a neck of of pulling off a stunning upset in the Grade 2 Sanford at Saratoga when he led to deep stretch before being caught by Scat Daddy, who went on to win the Grade 1 Champagne and finish second in the Grade 1 Hopeful.
MIAMI - Sunday will be the last chance for horseplayers to "get the Christmas money," as the racetrack adage goes. Unfortunately, making any real Christmas swag in the featured 11th race at Calder figures to take a significant investment with Send Me an Angel likely to be very difficult to beat as the odds-on favorite in the $25,000 optional claiming sprint for fillies and mares.
