TDN Weekend

April 2017

TDN Weekend December 2016 Issue 9

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race during the late summer while Golden Gate Fields takes a hiatus. That the same jockeys, trainers and horses that regularly compete at Golden Gate also campaign at the fairs ensures that this is an above-average brand of racing. And Santa Rosa is easily the best of the group, with only Pleasanton coming close. There were seven days of racing in 2015 at Santa Rosa and seven stakes, all of them worth $50,000. Jerry Hollendorfer was the leading trainer and with Russell Baze having retired, Frank Alvarado won the riding title. From the racing standpoint, what sets San- ta Rosa apart from the rest is that it is the only California fair track with a turf course. At a cost of $3 million, the turf course was unveiled at the 2005 meet. I made my first visit to Santa Rosa Aug. 7, 2016 and caught the $50,000 Joseph T. Grace Handicap, run at a mile-and-a-six- teenth on the turf. Hollendorfer (who else?), with three horses in the race, finished one- two as Southern Freedom (Pure Prize) edged stablemate Outside Nashville (Bro- ken Vow). Considering the type of trainers, horses and jockeys involved and that the race was on the grass, this was anything but a typical race at a typical county fair. Then there are the unique factors that makes the California fairs in general dif- ferent from virtually all other racetracks. I happen to like different. It's okay if you do not. On any given day at Santa Rosa, you can catch not only Thoroughbreds racing, but Arabians, Quarter Horses and, better yet, mules, some of whom may be clones. Pre- sumably, clones racing one another should

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