Sunday, August 17, 2008

DRYSDALE FILLY FAVORED TO WIN FINAL RACE AT BAY MEADOWS

SAN MATEO -- Sensational Love, a Kentucky-bred filly trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, is a 7-to-5 morning line favorite to win the final race in Bay Meadows history.

Sensational Love heads a field of six 3-year-old fillies in Sunday's $50,000 Last Dance Stakes, the final race of the 2008 San Mateo County Fair season and the last race that will ever be run at Bay Meadows. The historic track, which opened in 1934, is slated for redevelopment.
Post time is 1:45 p.m. Sunday and the fair is offering $1 grandstand admission to the 10-race finale. Grandstand gates open at 10 a.m.; club house and turf club gates at 10:30 a.m.

The Last Dance Stakes, which is scheduled to be run at 6:15 p.m., will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the Longden Turf Course. Sensational Love will break from post position two under jockey Brice Blanc.

Sensational Love faced Grade 2 stakes competition in the San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar on July 26 and finished seventh, however, she was beaten less than four lengths by winner Storm Mesa. A bay daughter of War Chant, Sensational Love figures to appreciate the drop in class Sunday.

The field for the Last Dance Stakes, in post position order, is as follows: My Maloof Rocker, David Lopez rides at 122 pounds, 3-to-1; Sensational Love, Blanc, 122, 7-to-5; Joyful Me, Kyle Kaenel, 119, 8-to-1; Shake It Off, William Antongeorgi III, 119, 12-to-1; Tiz Madison, Roberto Gonzalez, 119, 8-to-1; and You Lift Me Up, Frank Alvarado, 122, 5-to-2.

The first race Sunday is the $15,000 San Mateo Stakes, a 440-yard event for Quarter Horses. Ed Burgart, the track announcer at Los Alamitos and the top Quarter Horse announcer in the country, will call the San Mateo Stakes.

The remainder of the closing-forever program will be called by Bay Meadows' talented track commentator Michael Wrona, one of the nation's top thoroughbred announcers.

HOLLENDORFER WINS FOUR RACES -- Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and owner George Todaro won four races Saturday at the fair. They captured the first race with Epitome of a Lady ($7.40), the fourth with Devil Cielo ($5.80), the ninth with You're My Boy Blue ($22.00) and the 10th with Alottadar ($4.20).

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