Hope's Love Returns at Golden Gate

Minutes after 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome   makes his 5-year-old debut Jan. 9 in Santa Anita Park's San Pasqual Stakes (gr. II), his full sister Hope's Love will return from a seven-month layoff in a maiden special weight event at Golden Gate Fields.



A daughter of Lucky Pulpit   out of the Not For Love mare Love the Chase, Hope's Love was a fast-closing second in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race June 13 at the Bay Area track and will make her second career start in Golden Gate's eighth race Saturday, a six-furlong event for 3-year-old fillies. She was installed as 7-2 second choice on the morning line in the field of 13. Post time is scheduled for 4:18 p.m. PST.



NOVAK: Solid Debut for Cal Chrome Sister Hope's Love



Steve Sherman, the son of California Chrome's trainer Art Sherman, conditions Hope's Love for breeders Steve Coburn and Perry Martin. Coburn and Martin owned California Chrome in partnership before Coburn sold his share in the colt to Taylor Made in July.



"(Hope's Love) ran really good her first time and we hope she can duplicate that race from the spring," Steve Sherman said. "Hopefully she'll come running like she did in the first race."



Following her debut, Hope's Love was pointed toward the Juan Gonzalez Stakes in July at Pleasanton before she was sidelined with a hairline shoulder fracture. She has posted eight workouts since returning to the worktab in November, most recently covering five furlongs in 1:02 4/5 Jan. 1 over the Golden Gate synthetic main track.



BALAN: 'Chrome' Sister Hope's Love Sidelined



"She never left the track. We just kept working on (her shoulder) and jogged her out of it," Steve Sherman said. "Everything looks good now."