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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