Mother’s Prayer is a main contender in the 9th race on Sunday at Golden Gate, the $75,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes (Vassar Photography)
Gold Rush Weekend Sunday At Golden Gate Fields Highlighted By 2 California-Bred Stakes
Matt Dinnerman (Golden Gate Fields)
BERKELEY, Calif.—Two stake races highlight a 10-race card on Day 2 of Gold Rush Weekend 2023 this Sunday, April 30 at Golden Gate Fields. Gold Rush Weekend, considered the biggest thoroughbred racing weekend every year in Northern California, features eight stakes races throughout the weekend, a festive on-track atmosphere, guaranteed pools, and picture-perfect weather. First post on Sunday is 1:15 PM.
Race 5 on Sunday, beginning the Pick Six sequence, is the co-featured $75,000 Campanile Stakes for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf. The Nick Alexander homebred Carole Lombard enters the 2023 Campanile fresh off an allowance victory on March 31 at Santa Anita. Her lone stakes try resulted in a fifth-place finish in the Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks. Golden Gate Winter/Spring meet leading rider Assael Espinoza is slated to ride for trainer Phil D’Amato. Carole Lombard will need to turn the tables on Sell the Dream, a multiple Grade 3 placed router who was last seen running second in the Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks for trainer Brian Koriner. She makes her first start in four and a half months in the Campanile and will be ridden by local pilot Armando Ayuso. Also making the trip north is Proof She Zips, trained by Michael McCarthy and to be ridden by Kentucky Derby winning jockey Mario Gutierrez. The daughter of Idiot Proof tries routing for the first time after a runner up finish sprinter against allowance company at Santa Anita. She was supplemented into the Campanile by her connections after failing to nominate to the race last week.
Like No Other was fifth home behind Carole Lombard on March 31 and returns to Golden Gate, where she broke her maiden two starts ago for trainer Jonathan Wong and owner/breeder Tommy Town Thoroughbreds. Wong and Tommy Town also campaign supplemental entrant Get My Point, coming off a maiden win just last week. Rounding out the field is Rousing Jewel, a Larry and Marianne Williams homebred trying turf for the first time. The Steve Specht trainee is a multiple allowance winner at Golden Gate and placed second in the Golden Gate Debutante as a 2-year-old last year.
In the penultimate ninth race, ten California-bred three-year-olds voyage one mile on the turf in the $75,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes. The main local contenders figure to garnish support in the wagering. 2022 Golden Nugget Stakes winner Clovisconnection wheels back in three weeks after a fifth-place finish behind the talented Kangaroo Court in the Echo Eddie Stakes at Santa Anita. The son of Vronsky makes his career debut on turf in and will be ridden by William Antongeorgi III for the first time. Mother’s Prayer was nosed out for the win by California Derby contender and undefeated Kentucky-bred Prince Abu Dhabi last time out. Happy Does is a multiple Golden Gate allowance winner at Golden Gate and draws the rail. Two Southern California entrants spice up the field: allowance winner Hacking It Up from the George Papaprodromou barn and Please Focus, also an allowance winner, from the Doug O’Neill stable.
Also on Sunday, guaranteed pools are in play for the Late Pick 5 and Late Pick 4 wagers. The Late Pick 5, which goes as Races 6 through 10 on Sunday, will have a guaranteed pool of $100,000. Races 7 through 10 makes up the Late Pick 4 sequence. The Late Pick 4 will also have a $100,000 guaranteed pool. For more information on all things Golden Gate and Gold Rush Weekend, please visit goldengatefields.com.
Race 5: The $75,000 Campanile (For California-bred or sired 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf)
#1 Get My Point (Jockey Brayan Pena…Trainer Jonathan Wong…120 pounds)
#2 Proof She Zips (Mario Gutierrez…Michael McCarthy…120)
#3 Like No Other (Evin Roman…Jonathan Wong …120)
#4 Rousing Jewel (Frank Alvarado…Steve Specht …120)
#5 Carole Lombard (Assael Espinoza…Phil D’Amato…120)
#6 Sell the Dream (Armando Ayuso…Brian Koriner …120)
Race 9: The $75,000 Silky Sullivan (For California-bred or sired 3-year-olds at one mile on turf)
#1 Happy Does (Jockey Santos Rivera…Trainer Felix Rondan…120 pounds)
#2 Clovis Connection (William Antongeorgi III…Blaine Wright…120)
#3 Bob’s Blue Moon (Frank Alvarado…Angelo Tekos Jr…120)
#4 Trinidad (Catalino Martinez…Roger Hansen…120)
#5 Rodrigoknows (Irving Orozco…Victor Trujillo…120)
#6 Please Focus (Mario Gutierrez…Doug O’Neill…120)
#7 Mother’s Prayer (Assael Espinoza…Steve Specht…120)
#8 Cousin Richie (Alejandro Gomez…Sergio Ledezma…120)
#9 Hacking It Up (Evin Roman…George Papaprodromou…120)
#10 Charbonneau (Armando Ayuso …Andy Mathis…120)
