Month: April 2023

Irish-bred Balnikhov rebounded with aplomb from an unplaced finish in his previous start when digging deep Saturday to prevail in a close finish in the $250,000 San Francisco Mile (G3), the signature race at Golden Gate Fields' Winter/Spring Meet.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, who also won the $100,000 Providencia (G3) with Paris Secret Saturday at Santa Anita, Balnikhov narrowly bested runner-up Rio King and third-place finisher Il Bellator as the trio surged toward the finish line.

Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Balnikhov paid $4.80 upon covering the mile in 1:36.25. He entered off a seventh-place finish in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1) March 4 at Santa Anita in his 2023 debut but was ready to win Saturday. Last year, Balnikhov won the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar and the Bryan Station (G3) at Keeneland. His career record improves to 6-4-2 from 17 starts.

Balnikhov is campaigned by Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, and Old Bones Racing Stable LLC. The 4-year-old gelding is by Adaay out of Leeward, by First Defence.

Earlier on the card, Prince Abu Dhabi kept his unbeaten record in tact when capturing the $100,000 California Derby in his stakes debut.

Ridden by Alexander Chavez  for trainer Blaine Wright, Prince Abu Dhabi was winning for the fourth time in as many career starts while racing exclusively at the Bay Area racetrack. He showed grit in getting up to win by a nose in a March 31 allowance a race in which he was traveling a route of ground for the first time and showed the same will to win Saturday, holding off hard-charging runner-up Phosphorescence by about a half length..

Price Abu Dhabi, who provided Chavez with his first career stakes victory, returned $8 after finishing the California Derby's 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.91. He is campaigned by Lance Kinross and Steve Kinross.

Egon checked in third.

Prince Abu Dhabi, a Palace Malice gelding, was bred in Kentucky by Colts Neck Stables LLC. His dam is the High Chaparral mare American Girl, who was Grade 3-placed. He was $8,000 purchase from Mill Ridge Sales at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale, where Steve Kinross/Backwards K Racing signed the ticket.

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HWL Partnership's Coastal Charm and L. William & Corinne Heiligbrodt's Ryvit both ended their 2022-2023 Oaklawn season with three wins from four starts with their respective front-running victories in the $150,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes and $150,000 Bachelor Stakes before an on-track crowd of 25,000.

In the Dig a Diamond, jockey Martin Garcia allowed Coastal Charm to take an easy lead and proceeded to set fractions of :24.011 and :48.76 for the first half mile while holding a half length advantage. As the field entered the stretch, the winner began to open up on her competition and coasted home to a 2¼ -ength victory over Gunning. Butterbean was third, a neck in front of even-money favorite Lovely Ride. The winning time was 1:39.03 for one mile over a muddy track.

Coastal Charm, who was claimed out of her maiden victory by trainer Steve Hobby for $30,000 last September at Churchill, has now won four of nine career starts and earned $249,480. The 4-year-old Ghostzapper mare returned $19.60 for the win.

“I really didn't expect to get the lead in that race, but we had the rail and she broke sharp,” Hobby said. “She ran well. We've had a great meet.”

One race later, Ryvit and jockey Keith Asmussen followed similar tactics in the Bachelor Stakes, going right to the front and leading the field through fractions of :21.86 and :45.78 for the first half mile. The Competitive Edge colt had a comfortable lead entering the stretch and had plenty left to hold off the fast closing Mo Strike, the 8-5 favorite, for a two-length victory in 1:11.16 for six furlongs over a muddy track. Arman was third.

Ryvit was winning for the third straight time, climbing right up the ranks from maiden winner to stakes winner within that span. He returned $7.40.

“He ran well last year and had worked really nice over the winter,” winning trainer Steve Asmussen said. “He didn't run as expected the first maiden race here. Then, maybe just fate. I kind of put him in Keith's (Asmussen's) hands off the disappointing run the first time we ran him here. It's a University of Texas victory, with (owners) Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and Keith all being UT alums.”

Live racing resumes tomorrow with a 12:30 p.m. first post. After Sunday, there are only three more live racing days for the 2022-2023 season. There will be racing May 4-6, concluding on Kentucky Derby Day.

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Michael Lund Peterson's Adare Manor made every pole a winning one Saturday before drawing away in the stretch and capturing the $200,000 Santa Maria (G2) by 4 3/4 lengths at Santa Anita.

The 4-year-old Uncle Mo filly added a second graded win to her record following last year's triumph in the Las Virgenes (G3) at the Arcadia, California track. She also provided trainer Bob Baffert a sixth Santa Maria victory.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Adare Manor ticked off early fractions of :23.35, :47.16, and 1:11.11 for six furlongs while Big Switch pursed about a length back in second and Bellamore stalked from third. The winner covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.10 while improving her career record, which also includes a runner-up finishes in the 2022 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) and Black-Eyed Susan (G2), to 4-4-0 from 10 starts.

Bellamore came on to take second, and Big Switch held on for third, 1 1/4 lengths back.

Adare Manor, who was produced by the Giant Gizmo mare Brooklynsway, was bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms LLC and Gary Broad. She entered Saturday's race off a sharp allowance score going a mile at Santa Anita March 31.

Adare Manor returned $3.40 for the win.

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