PLEASANTON, Calif. (July 8, 2017) – Kimberlea K ($3.80), coming off a sizzling debut victory, controlled the race as she defeated males in the $100,675 Everett Nevin for Golden State Series eligibles on Saturday at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meeting at the Alameda County Fair.
The homebred filly, the first stakes winner for sire Indian Evening, was outbroken by second-choice Schulace, and Holy Yodeler was also in front of her in the first 50 yards of the race, but Kimberlea K quickly took command.
The Indian Evening filly is owned and bred by KMN Racing. She earned $57,000 for her victory and now has a career bankroll of $77,280. Six of the nine runners in the race for Cal-breds were coming off wire-to-wire maiden wins.
Kimberlea K led Schulace, a wire-to-wire winner in his June 2 debut at Santa Anita, by one-half length through a 23.12 opening quarter. She stretched her margin to a full length through a 45.76 opening half-mile.
While Joe Talamo was urging Schulace with left-handed whipping, Frank Alvarado sat cooly and was ahead by two in the stretch. When Alvarado used his whip, Kimberlea K responded nicely, and he then let her finish on her own.
Sent off as the 9-10 favorite, Kimberlea K ran the 5 ½ furlongs in 1:05.27 and won by 1 ¾ lengths in a field of nine.
Jacks Masterpiece was third, another length behind Schulace.
In the race just prior to the Everett Nevin, Little Doe, who ran second to Kimberlea K in their debut, scored an easy victory.
“I wasn’t worried about anyone else in the race,” said Alvarado, who won last weekend’s Juan Gonzalez for 2-year-old fillies aboard Song From Above.
“I knew as long as she broke good, we would be OK.”
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer passed on the Juan Gonzalez because it was only two weeks after Kimberlea K’s debut.
Song From Above, a stalker who defeated males in the first 2-year-old race of the year in Northern California, won the Juan Gonzalez by three lengths in 1:05.24.
“I got lucky that they ran one last week and one today,” said Alvarado, who mentioned after the Juan Gonzalez he was looking forward to riding Kimberlea K in the Everett Nevin.
When asked which of the two fillies was better, Alvarado said, “I won’t make a choice.”