JOCKEY BEATO HAS HAT TRICK
ON OPENING DAY AT GGF
Jockey Inoel Beato kicked off the 2008 spring meeting at Golden Gate Fields in grand fashion Wednesday, riding three winners on the opening-day program.
Beato won the first two races of the season, taking the opener aboard Lockitup ($5.80) and the second race with Black Mallou ($3.00). The Beato Daily Double paid $10.40.
A 21-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, Beato completed his hat trick when he hustled 39-to-1 shot Bountyful Bar ($80.80) to a half-length victory over Sahara Sam in the eighth and final race of the day.
Beato, who finished in a tie for ninth place in the jockey standings at the 2008 Bay Meadows winter/spring meeting, was the only jockey to win multiple races on opening day at Golden Gate Fields. Perennial champion Russell Baze went 0-for-6.
Two turf races were contested Wednesday and both were won by longshots. Quan’s Girl ($25.80) defeated 9-to5 favorite Star Protocol by two lengths in the fourth race, and
Chichetari Miss ($23.60) led a parade of outsiders across the wire in the seventh race.
The seventh race was a 1 1/16-mile contest for fillies and mares entered for a claiming price of $6,250. Chichetari Miss scored by two lengths over 25-to-1 Christie’s Fame, who finished three-quarters of a length ahead of 27-to-1 Rainbow Star, who checked in a half-length in front of 21-to-1 Flex Time.
The $1 trifecta in the seventh race paid $3,002 and the $1 superfecta returned $12,565.
The 30-day spring season runs through Sunday, June 22, and racing is conducted Wednesday through Sunday. Post time is 1:05 p.m. and there will be a special Memorial Day racing program on Monday, May 26.