Friday, March 23, 2012

GOLDEN GATE FIELDS ANNOUNCES CHANGES REGARDING TWO STAKES

ALBANY -- Golden Gate Fields racing secretary David Jerkens announced Friday a pair of changes regarding upcoming stakes.

The $75,000 Golden Poppy, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies scheduled for Saturday, May 5, will be run one day later, Sunday, May 6. The Grade 3 $100,000 Berkeley, a 1 1/16-mile race for 4-year-olds and up that will be run Monday, May 28, will be run as a handicap race. The last time the Berkeley was run as a handicap was on Sept. 4, 2006, when Mr. and Mrs. Jerome S. Moss’ Spellbinder carried 118 pounds to victory under jockey Roberto Gonzalez.


“By moving the Golden Poppy we’re shooting for back-to-back big days, with the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby carrying us on Saturday and the running of the Golden Poppy providing excitement for our Dollar Day crowd on Sunday,” said Jerkens, who is in his first full season as a racing secretary at Golden Gate Fields. “The Berkeley was a handicap when it was first run in 1948 and has been a handicap for most of its existence. I just want to bring the race back to its history.”

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