Balnikhov Invades Golden Gate for San Francisco Mile

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Balnikhov Invades Golden Gate for San Francisco Mile
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Balnikhov (outside) wins the 2022 Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland

Topped by the $250,000 San Francisco Mile Stakes (G3T), Golden Gate Fields will host six stakes races April 29 during the Northern California track's Gold Rush Weekend. The San Francisco Mile drew horses from Southern California to compete, as well as some of that region's regular trainers and jockeys.

Phil D'Amato, leading trainer during the recently completed Classic Meet at Santa Anita Park, brings Balnikhov  to Golden Gate for the San Francisco Mile, naming jockey Umberto Rispoli to ride.

The graded stakes-winning 4-year-old Adaay  gelding most recently finished a non-threatening seventh in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T). But in earlier starts late last year he performed well in stakes competition, winning the Bryan Station Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland Oct. 29 and running second in the Santa Anita Mathis Mile Stakes (G2T) Dec. 26.

He is 5-4-2 in 16 starts with earnings of $438,843 for current owners Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables, and Old Bones Racing Stable.

The nine-horse field is complimented by a pair of Southern California raiders from the George Papaprodromou stable in Bob and Jackie  and Flavius , as well as the versatile Dicey Mo Chara  for trainer Leonard Powell.

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Dicey Mo Chara won the Dec. 26 San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita before disappointing when sixth in the Feb. 5 San Marcos Stakes (G3T) and bouncing back with a second in the April 8 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T) there.


Entries: San Francisco Mile S. (G3T)

Golden Gate Fields, Saturday, April 29, 2023, Race 11

  • Grade IIIT
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $250,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 6:24 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Tarantino (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Armando Ayuso 123 Ed Moger, Jr. 12/1
2 2Balnikhov (IRE) Umberto Rispoli 123 Philip D'Amato 9/5
3 3Rio King (KY) Santos Rivera 123 Samuel Calvario 12/1
4 4Bob and Jackie (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose Valdivia, Jr. 123 George Papaprodromou 6/1
5 5Tesoro (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Frank T. Alvarado 123 O. J. Jauregui 15/1
6 6Lamplighter Jack (KY) Abel Cedillo 123 Librado Barocio 8/1
7 7Il Bellator (KY) Alejandro Gomez 123 Jose Bautista 15/1
8 8Flavius (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Evin A. Roman 123 George Papaprodromou 5/1
9 9Dicey Mo Chara (GB) Drayden Van Dyke 123 Leonard Powell 3/1