With an eighth of a mile to go, favored Camino Del Paraiso had the lead, looking every bit like he would hold on to win the Berkeley Handicap, but a rallying Freeport Joe caught the favorite in the race's final strides to take the Grade 3 stakes by a length.
On the all-weather course at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, Calif., Sash took the lead out of the gate in the 1 1/16-mile stakes, with Extra Hope and Camino Del Paraiso, fresh off a win in the Joseph T. Grace Stakes on Nov. 6, stalking. Down the backstretch, Sash maintained a one-length lead, the field bunched up behind him through early fractions of :23.98 and :48.53. Around the far turn, Camino Del Paraiso pulled even with Sash and then took over front runner status as the field entered the stretch.
Moving to the outside, Freeport Joe improved from last on the backstretch to third on the first turn, hitting the stretch in third as Camino Del Paraiso took over the lead. Freeport Joe rallied on the leader's outside, making up ground quickly as they approached the wire and catching Camino Del Paraiso in the last sixteenth of a mile. At the wire, Freeport Joe was a length in front, with Camino Del Paraiso, Sash, Big Fish, Jungle Cry, Extra Hope, and Wine and Whisky rounding out the order of finish.
The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.70. Find this race's chart here.
Freeport Joe paid $22.20, $7.80, and $4.40. Camino Del Paraiso paid $3.40 and $2.40. Sash paid $3.60.
Bred in California by Richard Barton Enterprises, Freeport Joe is by English Channel out of the Sadler's Wells mare Winds of March (IRE). He is owned by Larry Odbert and trained by Gloria Haley. Consigned by Barton Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old gelding was purchased by his owner for $2,000 at the 2018 California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Sales Northern California Yearling Sale. With his win in the G3 Berkeley, Freeport Joe has four wins in 12 starts and career earnings of $141,056.
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