Trained by Richard Baltas for  Electric City Racing, Madaket Stables, Christopher Dunn and Jeremy Peskoff, the English-bred Whisper Not paid $4.80 for the win, his fourth in a 10-race career that began in England in 2019. Whisper Not was purchased at a Tattersalls horses in training sale last August prior to being imported to the United States. He ran the mile on firm turf in 1:35.94.

Diamond Blitz, a 70-1 long shot who almost always races to a big early lead, ran to form, opening up a wide advantage from the outset while setting fractions of :23.51,  and :46.58 for the opening  half mile. Whisper Not and Keeper Ofthe Stars, along with Kiwi's Dream, raced in the next group some eight lengths behind in the run down the backstretch.

Rounding the far turn, those three inhaled Diamond Blitz, going six furlongs in 1:11.02, and Keeper Ofthe Stars seized a narrow advantage at the top of the stretch.

Franco kept to his task, drawing on even terms with Keeper Ofthe Stars with a furlong to run and inching past that one in the final yards to secure the win by a head. It was two lengths back to Restrainedvengence, who edged Brown Storm by a nose for third.

Trained in England by Richard Hannon, Whisper Not debuted for Baltas at Del Mar last Nov. 29, losing an optional claiming/allowance race by three-quarters of a length. he then ran a good third to Smooth Like Strait in the G2 Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita Dec. 26. Returned to allowance company, Whisper Not finished second at Santa Anita Feb. 6, then won wire to wire over Rip City at Santa Anita on March 6.

Out of the Dansili mare, Poyle Meg, Whisper Not was bred in England by Cecil and Miss Alison Wiggins.

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A lengthy list of Southern California trainers sends horses to compete in stakes races throughout the weekend. Those names include Jeff Bonde, Val Brinkerhoff, Simon Callaghan, Neil Drysdale, Paddy Gallagher, Andrew Lerner, Richard Mandella, Michael McCarthy, Doug O'Neill, Peter Miller, Leonard Powell, and John Sadler. Jockeys who travel from Santa Anita to ride: Tyler Baze, Geovanni Franco, Ricky Gonzalez, and Edwin Maldonado.

“We're showcasing the deep and talented group of both horses and riders that play their trade in Northern California year-round, as well as a very strong contingent shipping up from Southern California,” said Vice President of Racing and Racing Secretary Patrick Mackey. “We appreciate and thank the connections for their support at the entry box. Our stakes coordinator Lisa Jones and the entire racing office put together great cards. Gold Rush Weekend will give horseplayers a bevy of wagering opportunities while showcasing our two tremendous racing surfaces.”

The main event of the weekend, the one-mile, $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf for 3-year-olds and upward, runs as Race 9 this Saturday. Eight horses entered, including Grade 1 winners Ohio and Keeper Ofthe Stars, Grade 2 placed Whisper Not, 2020 All American Stakes winner Restrainedvengence, and Border Town, who ran third behind Grade 1 winner Hit the Road in February. Kiwi's Dream, who finished as the runner up in the San Francisco Mile last year, makes his second start off the year in the 2021 edition, and Brown Storm is one of six entrants on the Saturday program for Southern California conditioner Michael McCarthy. Likely pacesetter Diamond Blitz rounds out the group.

The San Francisco Mile is also the first leg of the Late Pick 4 sequence. The Late Pick 4, a 50-cent minimum wager featuring the last four races on each day's racecard, will have a guaranteed pool of $200,000 on both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday's stakes action kicks off with Race 7, the Golden Poppy for filly and mare turf routers. 2020 Grade I Del Mar Oaks winner Red Lark searches for her first winners circle appearance since the aforementioned victory last summer. The most appealing local contenders, stake winners Northwest Factor and Sloane Garden, finished behind Keeper ofthe Stars on April 3 and return to stakes company.

Race 8, the $100,000 California Derby, is for 3-year-olds at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta. The headliner in the field of eight is Parnelli, exiting the Grade I Santa Anita Derby. On the local front, maiden winners Jimmy Irish and Tesoro have always been well regarded and face stakes competition, while California-bred Stalking Shadow goes against open company after scoring a victory in a local prep for the California Derby.

The $75,000 California Oaks, which goes as Race 10, drew a large field of eleven 3-year-old fillies. Irish import Styledome has won three consecutive races over an all-weather surface overseas and makes her United States debut for trainer Paddy Gallagher. Pizzazz ships north for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella and figures as a legit contender, too, and impressive maiden victors Ida Claire and Miss Peaky Blinder try winners for the first time.

The penultimate race on Saturday, the $75,000 Camilla Urso for filly and mare turf sprinters, was flooded with entries. Local contender Dynasty of Her Own has beaten the best female sprinters in Northern California and will surely get a class test from the Southern California invaders. Among them: Grade 2 placed Bohemian Bourbon and multiple allowance winner Storming Lady.

Saturday's racing action ends with Race 12, the $75,000 Lost in the Fog Stakes for main-track sprinters. Local contender Baja Sur seeks his third career Golden Gate Fields stakes win. Bettor Trip Nick, a multiple stakes winner himself, beat Baja Sur in an April 2 Golden Gate allowance and is also slated to run in the Saturday nightcap.

On Sunday's 11-race card, the co-featured Silky Sullivan and Campanile Stakes shine light on California-bred or sired 3-year-olds. Both races, run at one mile on turf, have a $75,000 purse. The Silky Sullivan is for colts and geldings and the Campanile is for fillies. Entries for the Sunday program will be drawn on Thursday afternoon.

Currently, Golden Gate Fields offers fans the chance to watch races on-site at a limited capacity. Those who wish to attend Gold Rush Weekend, or any live race day, can visit Goldengatefields.com and purchase tickets through the website. General Admission and walk-ups are not permitted at this time.

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Five of the eight entrants in this year's San Francisco Mile ship up from Santa Anita in anticipation of victory. Among that group, the mare Keeper Ofthe Stars has some of the best credentials, having won the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes last May. She also sports a perfect three-for-three record on the Golden Gate turf course.

Ohio has won 11 races in his career for $639,298 in lifetime earnings, a good portion of that when winning the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March of 2019. Restrainedvengence has banked $642,182 to lead the field in earnings, his wins including the Downs at Albuquerque Handicap last September.

Kiwi's Dream missed by a head when second in last year's San Francisco Mile and is a horse which has led through the opening half-mile in each of his last seven races. Whisper Not finished third in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile last December and enters the race off a sharp win at Santa Anita. Border Town finished third in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes in February. Brown Storm is winless in six races since coming to the U.S. from South America and like Kiwi's Dream appears to be a need-the-lead type, as does Diamond Blitz, who is stepping way up in class after facing claiming level horses for the past two years.

Keeper Ofthe Stars checks all the boxes when it comes to predicting which horse has the highest probability to win this year's San Francisco Mile Stakes. A winner of six of 13 career starts on turf, the mare beat some of the top fillies and mares in the U.S. last year twice in a row, first when winning the Buena Vista Stakes in February at this mile trip with a 112 Equibase® Speed Figure and second when taking the Gamely Stakes last May with a career-best 115 figure. After a couple of disappointing efforts in June and August, Keeper Ofthe Stars was given time off, returning in top form following eight months off to win on the Golden Gate turf three weeks ago. Having put together back-to-back wins twice in the last 18 months and with a lot of improving to do physically in her second start back from a layoff, this mare (who gets a five pound weight break versus her male rivals) is the one to beat.

Ohio also enters this race off a sharp effort in victory, winning the Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap at Turf Paradise for the third year in a row. With that win, Ohio brought his record at one mile on turf to seven for 20, including when victorious in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March, 2019, with a career best 119 figure. In the fall of that year, Ohio finished second in the Berkeley Handicap at Golden Gate. His win in the Fitzsimmons Stakes came in his second start back following 10 months off so like Keeper Ofthe Stars, Ohio can be expected to improve off the 104 figure earned last time out and could give Keeper Ofthe Stars all she can handle in the stretch run.

Restrainedvengence is certainly no slouch, having earned more than any other horse in the field. His best effort may have been when beaten a head in the City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita in the fall of 2019 where he earned a 113 figure, but he also ran just as well when capturing the All American Stakes last May at Golden Gate with a 112 figure. Like the other two top contenders, Restrainedvengence is likely to improve, having returned from five months off in March when sixth then running a much better race last month when second in the Santana Mile Stakes. Although he finished fourth in last year's San Francisco Mile, Restrainedvengence won his only other start on the Golden Gate turf course and must be respected as a contender to win in this year's race.

The rest of the field, with their best representative Equibase® Speed Figures, is Border Town (109), Brown Storm (105), Diamond Blitz (96), Kiwi's Dream (112) and Whisper Not (109).

Win Contenders:
Keeper Ofthe Stars
Ohio (BRZ)
Restrainedvengence

San Francisco Mile Stakes – Grade 3
Race 9 at Golden Gate Fields
Saturday, April 24 – Post Time 7:45 PM E.T.
One Mile on Turf
Three Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $250,000

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“We are expecting a terrific weekend of racing all around,” said Golden Gate Fields General Manager and Vice President David Duggan. “We truly appreciate the support of our horseplayers worldwide and very much look forward to providing them with an excellent product to watch and wager on next weekend. With that, we have guaranteed our Late Pick 4 pools on Saturday [April 24] and Sunday [April 25] at $200,000. Our inaugural Gold Rush Weekend in 2019 was a success and we are equally excited about this year's event.”

The marquee race of the weekend, the Grade 3 $250,000 San Francisco Mile on Saturday, attracted 19 nominations led by Grade 1 winners Hit the Road, Keeper Ofthe Stars and Ohio, Grade 2 winners Smooth like Strait and Brown Storm and Grade 3 winner Sombeyay. Other stakes races on Saturday: the Camilla Urso on turf for filly and mare sprinters (28 nominations), the Golden Poppy for filly and mare grass routers (21), the California Oaks for 3-year-old fillies (16), the Lost in the Fog for main-track sprinters (16) and the California Derby for 3-year-olds (12).

On Sunday, California-breds take center stage in co-featured, turf-mile stakes races. The Silky Sullivan, for California-bred or sired 3-year-olds, attracted 18 nominations. The Campanile, for California-bred or sired 3-year-old fillies, received 19 nominations. Entries for Gold Rush Weekend Saturday will be drawn on Wednesday, with entries for the Sunday card to be taken on Thursday.

Currently, Golden Gate Fields offers fans the chance to watch races on-site at a limited capacity. Those who wish to attend Gold Rush Weekend, or any live race day at Golden Gate, can visit Goldengatefields.com and purchase tickets through the website. General Admission and walk-ups are not permitted at this time.

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Due to COVID-19 restrictions, fans will be required to reserve tickets for the duration of the Winter/Spring Meet and for Gold Rush Weekend online. General Admission and walk-ups are not permitted at this time. Fans are encouraged to sign-up online at www.goldengatefields.com to be the first to receive notification when tickets go on sale.

“We are delighted to be able to welcome racing fans back to Golden Gate Fields”, said David Duggan, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Golden Gate Fields. “Our team has worked tirelessly and in collaboration with the officials from the Berkeley Public Health Division to plan for the reopening of Golden Gate Fields to the public. It is our goal to deliver a world-class Thoroughbred racing meet for our guests and the community in a safe and memorable way.”

Since the outset of the pandemic, 1/ST and Golden Gate Fields have implemented stringent, industry-leading COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Reopening protocols for the Winter/Spring Meet will include social distancing, mandatory masking when not actively eating or drinking, contactless thermal temperature scanning, accessible hand sanitization stations and enhanced cleaning throughout the facility. For more information on the health and safety protocols at Golden Gate Fields, please visit www.goldengatefields.com/Covid-19.

Berkeley Public Health Division and their operating partner Curative have used the large north side parking lot at Golden Gate Fields for priority tier-based vaccinations for Alameda County residents since February. Those who work on the backstretch at Golden Gate Fields and categorized in the agricultural priority tier were also eligible to receive the vaccine.

“Since the initial COVID-19 outbreak on our campus, we have successfully and sustainably reduced COVID-19 transmission to zero, minimized morbidity and proactively promoted vaccination of our community,” said. Dr. David Seftel, MD, Track Physician, Golden Gate Fields. “Thanks to the efforts of the Berkeley Public Health Division and Curative, I am pleased that all of those who work on the backstretch and the employees at Golden Gate Fields have been fully vaccinated.”

While the track will reopen to fans in limited capacity for live racing, the Turf Club Restaurant and simulcast facilities will remain closed until further notice.

Contactless wagering can be enjoyed regardless of where fans are viewing the races with handicapping tools available on the 1/ST BET app, the official betting app of Golden Gate Fields. Part of the 1/ST TECHNOLOGY suite of handicapping and betting products, 1/ST BET is changing the game by delivering a user-friendly experience that suits everyone from the experienced horseplayer to the first-timer.

To stay up-to-date and for information regarding tickets, please visit www.goldengatefields.com or follow Golden Gate Fields on Twitter and Instagram @GGFRacing or on Facebook at Golden Gate Fields.

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The 40th running of the 9-furlong El Camino Real Derby is the first race on the list. Scheduled to run on Saturday, Feb. 13, the El Camino Real Derby offers a $100,000 purse and gives the winner 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. For the third straight year, the victor of the El Camino Real Derby will also be granted a free berth into the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, at Pimlico Racecourse in Mid-May.

The second annual Gold Rush Weekend features the highest quality racing in Northern California. The two-day event is set to take place on Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25, and is a precursor to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs just one week later.

Six stakes are stretched across the April 24 program, including the feature race of the Winter/Spring meet: the $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at one mile on turf.

The $100,000 California Derby for 3-year-olds is also a well-respected race, along with the $75,000 California Oaks for 3-year-old fillies and the $75,000 Lost In The Fog Stakes for the fastest sprinters on the grounds. The Camilla Urso, a five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares, and the Golden Poppy for female turf routers completes the half-dozen stakes in what is expected to be an epic afternoon of racing.

On April 25, Sunday festivities recognize those who support the California breeding industry. Both co-featured races are a part of the “Gold Rush Series,” a sequence of stakes races throughout the year for horses that were bred or sired in California.

The Silky Sullivan Stakes, a $75,000 one-mile turf race, is named after the “last to first” fan-favorite in the late 1950s. The Campanile Stakes, also a one-mile grass affair with a $75,000 purse, is restricted to fillies.

Three-year-olds who run well against stakes company in April are likely to eye the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes on May 23 as their next possible target.

Sophomores are also eligible to compete against older horses in the prestigious $100,000 All American Stakes on Memorial Day Monday, May 31, while the traditional closing weekend Albany Stakes for turf sprinters will be run on Saturday, June 12.

2021 GOLDEN GATE FIELDS WINTER/SPRING MEET STAKES SCHEDULE*

Saturday, Feb. 13: $100,000 El Camino Real Derby (for 3 YO's at one mile and an eighth on Tapeta)

Saturday, April 24: $250,000 Grade 3 San Francisco Mile (for 3 YO's and up at one mile on turf)

Saturday, April 24: $100,000 California Derby (for 3 YO's at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta)

Saturday, April 24: $75,000 California Oaks (for 3 YO fillies at one mile and a sixteenth on Tapeta)

Saturday, April 24: $75,000 Lost In The Fog (3 YO's and up at six furlongs on Tapeta)

Saturday, April 24: $75,000 Camilla Urso (Fillies and Mares 3 YO's and up at five furlongs on turf)

Saturday, April 24: $75,000 Golden Poppy (Fillies and mares 3 YO's and up at one mile and a sixteenth on turf)

Sunday, April 25: $75,000 Silky Sullivan (California-bred 3 YO's at one mile on turf)

Sunday, April 25: $75,000 Campanile (California-bred 3 YO fillies at one mile on turf)

Sunday, May 23: $75,000 Alcatraz (3 YO's at one mile on turf)

Monday, May 31: $100,000 All American (3 YO'S and up at one mile on Tapeta)

Saturday, June 12: $50,000 Albany Stakes (3 YO's and up at five furlongs on turf)

*information is subject to change

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Trained by Richard Baltas and ridden by William Antongeorgi III, Neptune's Storm covered one mile on firm turf in 1:35.50, winning by a head and earning $150,000 from the San Francisco Mile's $251,350 purse. He paid $8 to win.

Kiwi's Dream, who similarly was caught in the final strides to lose by a head to Restrainedvengence in the May 25 All American on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate, was 1 ¾ lengths clear of Camino Del Paraiso in second, with Restrainedvengence, the 8-5 favorite, finishing fourth. Arch Prince, Majestic Eagle, Simply Breathless and Murad Khan completed the order of finish in the race for 3-year-olds and up. All starters carried 125 pounds except for Simply Breathless, the lone mare in the field, who carried 120 under the weight for age conditions.

Neptune's Storm tracked Kiwi's Dream in second from the outset, the latter going right to the front under Golden Gate's leading rider, Juan Hernandez, and setting moderate fractions of :23.97, 48:11, and 1:11.91. Antongeorgi moved Neptune's Storm alongside the frontrunner at the top of the stretch, the seven furlongs clocked in 1:23.88, but Kiwi's Dream proved a tough foe to overtake, giving away grudgingly in the final yards for locally-based trainer Victor Trujillo.

A 4-year-old gelding by Stormy Atlantic out of the Irish-bred mare Immortal Life, by Iffraaj, Neptune's Storm was winning for the sixth time in 16 career starts. His only previous graded stakes victory came Oct. 19 at Belmont Park in the G2 Hill Prince. Neptune's Storm was a close second Nov. 30 in the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar and he comes out of a seventh-place finish to Raging Bull in the G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita May 25.

Neptune's Storm was bred in Kentucky by Tracy Farmer and races for CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Lynn Gitomer, Mike Goetz, Michael Nentwig and Daniel Weiner.

Live racing of the 2019-2020 Winter/Spring meet at Golden Gate concluded on Sunday with mandatory payouts in the Pick 5's, Rolling Super High Five and Golden Pick Six jackpot wagers. Racing resumes at Golden Gate Fields on July 29 with the “Sonoma County Fair Meet at Golden Gate Fields” which runs through August 11. The Golden Gate Fields Summer meet immediately follows with live racing from August 12 through October 6.

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