Golden Gate selections for Sunday February 16, 2020 by Taylor Owens.
Twitter: @owenstaylor10
Race 1 – Maiden Claiming $5,000 for Fillies and Mares 4yo & up. 5 furlongs. All-Weather. Picks: 4-5-2
4. Enchanting Eva – Hasn’t gotten the job done for trainer Victor Trujillo but has strung three close seconds in a row. As shown in her last race she doesn’t need the lead to run well but I don’t see her not getting it in this spot. C Martinez will stay aboard.
5. Rueful’s Night Out – Hernandez aboard. Unplaced here at Golden Gate and is dropping in class for the third time. She showed a lot of improvement last time but hasn’t raced since late December but has been consistently working 5 furlongs and should be ready coming into this race.
2. Papa Said Ya – Hasn’t had much success at this level and didn’t have a good 2019 campaign. Has shown early speed and there’s not much speed on either side of her so I would expect we’ll see her try to use it today. She had what I would call a pretty easy maintenance work on FEB 09 to get some air in her lungs.
Race 2. Claiming $12,500 for 4yo & up. 1 mile. All-Weather. Picks: 2-1-4.
2. Iz Invincible – Drops from the allowance ranks. Hasn’t had a lot of success on the surface lately but had a few good wins on the turf. Didn’t show much last out but this is a big drop for this horse.
1. Awe – Speed figures have been regressing in his last two starts, but if you excuse that last race that saw him crowded at the start and then pushed wide into the turn, he had three on the board finishes in a row and lost to quite a few next-out winners. This horse isn’t one that consistently finishes on top, or in the money for that matter, but four of his five on the board finishes came with jockey Couton. I really like that the jockey is back on and that is certainly an angle to look at here, especially since he hasn’t been worse than 3rd with Couton.
4. La Waun – Tried wiring the field last out. This seems pretty open so far and this horse could show that speed he showed last out. Was sprinting for a while and returned to the route, which saw him in the money. Jack Steiner is a pretty decent trainer that knows how to place his horses and I think La Waun could factor here.
Race 3. Claiming $8,000 for Fillies and Mares 4yo & up. 5 ½ furlong. All-Weather. Picks: 3-4-2
3. Carrie’s Success – This mare is always on the board here at Golden Gate and she’s now back with trainer Jonathan Wong. Doesn’t necessarily have the early speed but has been doing really well running late, so she doesn’t need to be in the action early. There are a few horses here that are quick so for that reason I’m making her my top choice to run them down in the end.
4. Judicial – Is dropping class here after having been well beaten in her first two starts at GG. Consistently breaks well and will hope to find her better stride today.
2. Brite Echo – Not much of a break but has been away from the races. Worried about the fitness but she did run a good 5F work on January 12. Comes off the turf for her return. Looks to be the speed.
Race 4: Starter Allowance $19,000 for 3yo. 5 ½ furlongs. All-Weather. Picks: 1-2-3
1. Prince de Prince – Only one in the field that has shown much speed, and that was when he broke his maiden two starts back. Hoping he can do that again because I really think that would reward him. Always tries though and I like the effort he shows in his races.
2. Active Pass – It’s more than the jockey and trainer I like with this horse. Anytime you have a horse win and show guts like he did in his debut is something worth looking at. He broke from outside post 11 and went wide into the turn in a 6 furong race and still got up for the win. He is stepping up, but none of these three year olds are a lock and I was very impressed with his effort last out.
5. Vastly Deep – Back and forth from Santa Anita, returns north after a third place effort at SA. It was a good effort but I like that he’s back now. He seemed to take to the track in his first attempt here but I’m not a huge fan of the jockey choice here.
Race 5. Maiden Special Weight $39,000 for Cal-Bred or Cal-Sired maidens. 3yo. 1 mile. All-Weather. Picks: 5-4-1
5. Gallant Warren – This is a horse I think will be overlooked. In each of his starts he was outrun for the lead and was beat going into the turn. In this race today there’s no speed for him to contend with, he isn’t on the outside so he shouldn’t be pushed too far into the turn, and even in his debut he finished a good second. I think there’s upside to this horse and value in him today.
4. Awesome Summer – Another one that got caught wide last out he gained late and narrowly lost by a head. He also has the highest speed figure in the field and, if you’re one to look at pedigrees, I especially like his sire is Vronsky.
1. Just Life Fred – Has been caught a bit wide before and hasn’t received the trip he’d probably like. Last out he showed a bit of early speed which, along with the position on the rail, should help get him into a good position into the first turn. I am putting him behind the other two because I don’t think he’s shown the grit that they’ve displayed in their races.
Race 6. Maiden Claiming $5,000 for 4yo & up. 1 mile. Picks: 6-8-5
6. Include Eddy – In 5 GG starts has been on the board three times. No real clear pace setter in this race so he could find a comfortable position just off an easy pace.
8. Hold Me Close – I do like this horse to place becauses of his last two starts. Previously he took the lead going a mile only to get caught and win second, and before that he was close to the lead and was caught late. He has beaten Include Eddy twice but I didn’t put him on top this time because I don’t think his post position will do him any favors today.
5. Clifton Hollow – Will have to much improve to place here and he was rank in his last start. Despite the trouble he caused himself, and the trouble he ran into in his debut, this horse has made ground late. He doesn’t have the speed for sprints so I like that they’re trying something new, and if Gonzalez can get him a good trip, and a quiet one, he should be in good shape.
Race 7. Claiming $4,000 for 4yo & up Which Have Never Won 2 Races. 1 mile. All-Weather. Picks: 1-7-8
1. Curry Nation – His efforts haven’t been consistent but he has won or been on the board in his last five starts. This is a slight class drop that may help him get the win and he will keep Martinez.
7. My Man Draymond – No real excuse for his last start but I’m taking him as one of my top choices because I like his jockey and I think he will try to use his early speed to overcome the post position.
8. Nervous Nellie – Has hit the board running from the 8 position going a mile here at GG. Usually runs best when he can use his early speed, but there isn’t a lot in this race and I think he’ll use it to try and get a good position. This is a pretty open race and this horse has shown potential and honest effort in the races he lost in.
Race 8. Claiming $20,000 for 4yo & up Which Have Never Won 2 Races. 6 Furlongs. All-Weather. Picks: 1-2-6
1. Elegant Tanner – Has improved since switching to Wong and ran impressively in last two starts, even going wide in these sprints. Before that he was running in allowance races, but seems to have appreciated the class drop and has improved a lot since AUG19.
2. Ruxin – A consistent GG runner, I expect him to set the pace in this race. Apart from the turf attempt two starts back he hasn’t done anything wrong and has been a solid horse at this level.
6. Daddy Jones – I like that C Martinez will be riding him back. He had a really good effort after dropping down to this class last out, having gone wide and pulled clear to win by 1 ¾ lengths.
Race 9. Claiming $3,200 for Fillies and Mares 4yo & Up Which Have Not Won 3 Races in 2019-2020. 1 mile. All-Weather. Picks: 2-5
2. Night of Idiots – With Hernandez aboard again, this filly has shown mild improvement in her last few starts and gained late last ou to win third. She has arguably the best GG record in the field and a terrific jockey and trainer combo. She is stepping up to a mile for the first time but should be in the shape to do it.
5. Moscato Girl – She tried wiring the field but lost by seven lengths. There is no notable speed in this race so Antongeorgi III may send her out early, a running style that’s seen her get most of her better finishes this way.