From Golden Gate Fields
ALBANY, Calif. (May 14, 2017) — California-bred Grecian Fire held the pace then was much the best in the stretch to win Sunday’s $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes for 3-year-olds at Golden Gate by 1 ¼ lengths.
Grecian Fire is by Unusual Heat, out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Maddie’s Odyssey, was bred by owner KMN Racing and is trained by Jerry Hollendorfer. He has two wins in six starts, earnings of $90,625 and was coming off a sixth in the Apr. 30 Silky Sullivan.
Ridden by William Antongeorgi III, Grecian Fire completed today’s route in 1:37.81. The performance rewarded fans $11 for their $2 wager. The runner up, fellow Cal-bred More Power To Him, by Slew’s Tiznow, trained by Faith Taylor, kept pace to the turn then moved outside to close in late for the nod.
“My horse was running in spots in the last race and so I felt ok coming back in two weeks,” said Hollendorfer. “Actually, jockey Frank Alvarado, told me to try some blinkers on the horse and I was going to do that anyway. I was surprised he didn’t ride him back. He kept to his task a little better today; he’s a really nice colt and Unusual Heat has a good record as a sire.”
“We wanted him to get on his way,” said Antongeorgi. “The last time he won, he was right up on his lead. Jerry put blinkers on him so we wanted to get him out on his way. The one went so we sat off him then toward the quarter pole the horse on the outside headed us and I got into him left handed and he responded for me and kicked back on. And he ran very game. He was on his toes in the paddock and in the post parade. I knew he would be alive out there and he dug in for me.”