Three-time Washington Horse of the Year Stryker Phd makes only his fourth lifetime start on turf Saturday in the $100,000 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields.
A field of seven 3-year-olds and up entered the Grade 3 event, with the Blaine Wright-trained Alert Bay the 8-to-5 morning line favorite.
Stryker Phd is listed 12-1 with William Antongeorgi aboard for trainer Larry Ross and owners Jim and Mona Hour. The 8-year-old gelding looks to bounce back after finishing fourth in a pair of one-mile allowance races on Tapeta.
Stryker Phd is No. 3 all-time in Washington-bred earnings with $627,761, including $220,000 earned while winning the Longacres Mile in 2014 and 2015. He broke his maiden on turf at Golden Gate on Nov. 2, 2012.
The race features three horses from the 2016 Longacres Mile – fourth-place finisher Alert Bay, fifth-place finisher Stryker Phd and eighth-place finisher Star Student.
Emerald Downs’ regulars Fred and Cindy Desimone, Glyn Kelly and Anne MacLenna own Star Student, a 7-year-old Student Council gelding trained by Dan Markle.
The San Francisco Mile is Race 7 with post time 3:45 p.m.
The field for the $100,000 San Francisco Mile (Grade3), 3-year-olds & up, one mile on turf: 1-G. G. Ryder, Irving Orozco, 122 lbs, 5-1; 2-Stryker Phd, William Antongeorgi, 122, 12-1; 3-Patentar, Clinton Potts, 122, 5-2; 4-Many Roses, Abel Cedillo, 122, 8-1; 5-Camino Del Paraiso, Ricardo Gonzalez, 122, 8-1; 6-Alert Bay, Juan Hernandez, 122, 8-5; 7-Star Student, Julien Couton, 122, 6-1.
Teacher Appreciation Weekend
Emerald Downs’ honors Puget Sound area educators Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the fifth annual Teacher Appreciation Weekend.
Teachers simply present valid school ID at the gate and receive free admission, program, chips and sodas. Fans are encouraged to bring apples!
First post is 6:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Friday is another Fab Friday with $2.50 Bud and Bud Lite at track level, and Accidental Heroes perform pop rock between races.
Finish lines
Nomination close Saturday for the $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. To be run Sunday, May 7, the Seattle is first of 29 stakes this season at Emerald Downs. … Prime Engine’s 95 Beyer in Saturday’s feature race win is largest at Emerald Downs since Point Piper got a 103 in the 2016 Longacres Mile. … In addition to leading the Emerald Downs’ standings with six wins, Blaine Wright ranks third with 27 wins at Golden Gate Fields. Frank Lucarelli and Tim McCanna also are enjoying good meets at Golden Gate, Lucarelli is fifth with 22 wins and McCanna sixth with 21 wins. … Percy’s Bluff goes for his eighth straight win Saturday in a $12,500 starter allowance at Golden Gate Fields. Honored as WTBOA Most Improved Plater of 2016, the 5-year-old Raise the Bluff gelding is 13-for-31 lifetime with earnings of $150,608. … Also Saturday at GG, 2016 Washington Oaks runner-up Brookys Star makes her season debut in a $27,000 allowance race on the turf. … Including Sunday’s victory on Invested Prospect, Wright and jockey Juan Gutierrez are a combined 4-for-5 at the meet and 70-for-211 lifetime at Emerald Downs. …. Longtime Thoroughbred owner Del Kelly died last week of pneumonia. A Federal Way resident, Mr. Kelly was 71 years old. … Emerald Downs Soccer Club, led by two goals by apprentice Kevin Orozco and one by jockey Eswan Flores, defeated Northlink 5-3 in indoor soccer action Wednesday in Issaquah. Jockeys’ agent Aldo Zamora is team manger for EDSC and track announcer Matt Dinerman plays forward.
