2/20 (GG): El Camino Real Derby (G3)
 

7th (3:45) El Camino Real Derby (G3)


1 1/8 Miles (All Weather Track) | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $150,000

1 Haimish Hy Martinez M 121 L
2 Thomas Baines Baze T C 121 L
3 Posse Power Mawing L A 121 L
4 Very Fair Antongrgi III W 121 L
5 Fog Alert Schvaneveldt C P 121 L
6 Our Minesweeper Alvarado F T 121 L
7 Ranger Heartley Garcia J A 121 L
8 Connemara Baze R A 121 L
9 Bert' N the Group Hernandez J J 121 L
10 Jairzihno (GB) Blanc B 121 L

Hmmm - the 10 - Jairzihno (GB) is coming back to run at this distance after having run just 17 days ago. And is moving up in class no less... Not quite an Oscar move, but interesting!!!!

Also, Bob Baffert's Indian Firewater entered right back in the Stakes race in Arizona on Saturday after a 2nd place finish in the same Feb 3rd allowance race.

Trainer Steve Sherman has been on fire at GGF... last weekend he had back to back three win days, on Monday he only had one in so he just had one win that day :D I'm hoping Steve gets his first graded stakes win today :$:

Connemara... will be too short to play.... but he is obviously a talented one

yep....

I hope someone had Steve's horse in the exacta. Both in the Super would have been nice, too.


I was at the paddock wall and Steve looked jovial and relaxed as he saddled his horses. My dark iPhone photo of his horse who placed:




I was there for the 6th, 7th, and 8th as Russell Baze rode a five bagger.

The track Bugler played "Taste of Honey" twice while I was there, so pretty sure Herb Alpert was in attendance.

Ranger Heartley seemed to be the sentimental favorite in the paddock crowd.


Connemara is a handsome horse.

My score that took my wife to dinner was going heavy on the Baze-Hollendorfer chalk in the 8th.

The sauteed calimari with the Coppola Claret was great!

Baze atop Connemara

Even though I have no respect at all for Connemara ... I did use him in that Road to the Roses thingy because he looked like a cinch to win today's race for easy points - and I had already installed him as the early favorite for the Grade 2 Lexington Stakes two weeks before the Derby.

Ah, the Lexington! ....

A race won by such standouts as Advice, Behindatthebar, and Slew's Tizzy in it's 3 lifelong runnings over KEE's synthetic track.

Does it get any suckier than those 3 horses?

Nice Pix !

and a nice day by mr. pletcher.

GG looks like a nice little track! :tro:

Yep. The only track I've attended where the paddock is trackside near the finish line and in what I think is clear view for most attendees in the grandstand.


Bay Meadows, and the indoor paddock by the betting windows is pretty hard for me to trump.....in my book though...


Gone, as Bay Meadows may be.


On a more positive note, the best view in my humble from Golden Gate Fields is from outside the Club House towards the valet lot.

An obstructed view of Sausalito, The Golden Gate Bridge....

and with a good angle...

The City By The Bay....


Perhaps Tony Bennett and others, agree.


"I Left My Heart in San Francisco"

Bennett, with some girl with the last name of Garland...



http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnex...&v=I6d03gbmAzc

Santa Anita Derby figures next for Connemara
By Chuck Dybdal

http://www.drf.com/news/article/111003.html

ALBANY, Calif. - After his victory in Saturday's El Camino Real Derby, Connemara looks headed to the Santa Anita Derby on April 3. Plans are not as solid for second- and third-place finishers Haimish Hy and Posse Power.

Connemara won for the third time in four starts on Saturday and avenged his lone defeat, which had come in his previous start, the California Derby.

"I think he moved up in our rankings," said trainer Todd Pletcher's assistant Mike McCarthy, who confirmed the Santa Anita Derby is the likely next start for Connemara. McCarthy made no commitments but hinted that Russell Baze would likely get a chance to ride Connemara back at Santa Anita.