San Francisco Mile (Grade 3)- $175.000 Purse
GG- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile on the Turf
April 27, 2024

The San Francisco Mile sees a purse cut this year, but that has not kept trainers from nearly filling up the race, as a field of ten will take part, including the reigning winner of the race, Jakarta. The race debuted on the schedule in 2006 as a Grade 2 for a $400.000 purse but that amount was short lived. Ultimately, the race ran at $100.000 for a while, but did see an increase up to $250.000 in 2019, so we seemed to be going in the right direction. Unfortunately, that is not the case as track officials cut the amount. This is still the largest field since 2021, and there are quality horses among them. Let’s take a look:

1- Cazadero (Mojica Racing, ridden by H Herrera)- Last ran at TUP for the $60.000 Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap, and came out on top. Those TUP ungraded races might not seem like much to some, but they are typically quite competitive and are great springboard races into something like this. Since being claimed, Cazadero has consistently earned some portion of the purse and should not be overlooked here. Does have one graded race in his past, coming two back in the Connally BC Turf.

2- Heres Sparky (Riggins Racing, ridden by C Montalvo)- Ran mostly in claimers since he was gelded in August, and was able to pick up a couple of wins in them as well as TUP allowance. After that race at TUP, Heres Sparky was entered into the $75.000 King Stakes at HOU, which is for TX-Breds, and he won that as well. His spark has been lit, and he is hot right now, making this a great time to make his graded debut. Not to mention, his works at HOU are impressive.

3- Penal Hockey Party (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by S R Amador)- With playoff hockey underway, Penal Hockey Party could seem like a good choice in this race, and he has certainly had an outstanding career. Last November, he finished second in the BC Mile and won both the Forester Turf Classic and the AP Million. Will have to bounce back from his last start, but hockey teams can come out flat sometimes, and so too, can Penal Hockey Party. With some time to rest, he will be hard to beat here.

4- Ozark (Mb Stables, ridden by J Couton)- After winning an allowance at PRK, Ozark was moved into the graded ranks and promptly won the Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf In November. He has only made two starts since then and comes here out of the Canadian Turf, where he finished fifth after hanging around at the back for half the race. He’s been a frontrunner early for most of his career, so it will be interesting to see how the trainer plays the start here. Worked nicely at AQU at the start of the month.

5- Love Of The Derby (Mb Stables, ridden by F T Alvarado)- Won over $1,100.000 during his three-year-old season as a strong summer led to his entry in the BC Mile, where he then finished third. Since then, he’s been actively sent to the track with six starts, winning one of them which was the Mathis Brothers Mile at SA. He’s consistently able to pick up a piece of the purse and did place second last month in the American Stakes. Typically, we see him at or near the front early on, so it’s probable that he will do similar here. But you never can tell.

6- Local Port (Rock Creek, ridden by S Rivera)- Claimed in February for $10.000, and that’s the type of race that Local Port has been in for most of his career. However, Rock Creek had different ideas and ran him in a TAM allowance last month. Local Part got the win there while earning a 94 SRF, so if nothing else that should keep him out of claimers for a while. Now, can he handle the stakes ranks? We’ll find out Saturday.

7- Jakarta (Nakamura Stables, ridden by I Orozco)- Last year, Jakarta won the SF Mile, which was the second of three straight graded races he’d win. Prior to the race, he won the Canadian Turf, but took this win and made the trip to SA for the Shoemaker Mile and won that as well! All of the led to a start in the BC Mile, and he’d finish in the middle of the field there. Since then, Jakarta has struggled to get going, with a couple of subpar efforts leading to being dropped into an open allowance in February at SA, where he was second. This is his first race since then.

8- Sikara (Night Rider Stables, ridden by En Garcia)- Night Rider claimed him two years ago and routinely entered him in claimers afterwards. The results were hit and miss, but he would be able to handle running in allowance company early this year. Then, out of nowhere he was a surprising entry in the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile, as the trainer was not going to take it slow in trying stakes with this horse. Sikara was soundly beaten there and should be happy to not have to see the likes of King Que Niagra and Albaquirky in this race. That will help, but he still must be at his best.

9- Rod Knockin Me (Mark88, ridden by F Monroy)- It’s been over seven months since we last saw this one at the track, when he placed seventh of eight in the Grade 3 International Turf Cup. That was his graded debut, and perhaps something that could be built off of, but instead he went idle. Rod Knockin Me does have some nice works earlier this month, but you always have to wonder if a horse needs a race when it’s this long of a layoff.

10- Storm Cloud (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by C Martinez)- It’s a much-deserved graded stake debut for this gelding after a successful stretch of races since the trainer claimed him for $16.000. There is an ungraded attempt, the $75.000 Harris Stakes for CA-Breds, where he did run third on that October day, but he still would not have another stake chance until right now. His last two races are wins, included an impressive showing in an optional claimer for CA-breds at SA two months ago.

Prediction: 5-1-3-7

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES