The $100,000 Golden Gate Derby at Golden Gate Fields may have lacked numbers
Saturday but it certainly didn't come up short in excitement.
Due to scratches, only a trio of 3-year-olds competed in Northern California's first major race
for 2005 Kentucky Derby hopefuls. Two of those runners, Buzzards Bay and Sharp Writer, made
sure the race would be remembered for a thrilling finish rather than a short field.
Buzzards Bay, ridden by Mark Guidry, and Sharp Writer, with Frank Alvarado aboard, hooked up in
midstretch and slugged it out to the wire. Buzzards Bay proved best by a nostril, taking the
1 1/16 mile contest in 1:43.69 on a track rated good.
Buzzards Bay is owned by Fog City Stable, the Bay Area racing partnership of Woodside's David
Shimmon and Los Gatos' William Bianco. The victory - Buzzards Bay's first stakes triumph and his
second win in five career starts - was worth $55,000.
Guidry, a 45-year-old native of Duson, La., recently moved his tack from Kentucky to Southern
California. Guidry made his first visit to Golden Gate Fields Saturday to ride Buzzards Bay
for Santa Anita-based trainer Jeff Mullins.
"He broke sharp and broke running," said Guidry, who did a good job of rating Buzzards Bay on the
lead. "I thought the four horse (favored Dover Dere) would be the speed and I didn't want him
to get too comfortable out there. This race was like a match race. When you've ridden those,
you know you can't let a horse get out there by themselves."
Buzzards Bay set the pace under pressure from Dover Dere, the 3-5 favorite who was coming off a
front-running victory in the Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Dec. 18. Buzzards Bay
shook clear of Dover Dere approaching the stretch but then had to deal with Sharp Writer,
who was closing strongly under jockey Frank Alvarado.
"Every time the [Dover Dere] came to him, he got back underneath me," said Guidry. "When
[Sharp Writer] collared him, he dug in. He ran very hard and very game. I got into him pretty
good and he responded. Basically, he ran a very good race. Mr. Mullins did a great job
with him. I thank him and the owners for letting me ride this horse."
Buzzards Bay paid $5.00 as the second choice in the betting.
Iggy Puglisi, who rode Dover Dere to victory in the Gold Rush, said his mount was off his game
Saturday. Dover Dere is based at Hollywood Park and didn't arrive at Golden Gate Fields until
late Friday afternoon.
"Maybe the trip up yesterday got to him because he wasn't himself," said Puglisi. "He was
completely dull, even in the post parade. I know this horse and he's usually feisty and on his
toes. At the three-eighths pole I didn't have any horse left. I tried to shake him up when
the one horse (Sharp Writer) came up outside of us, but there was no fight in him today. He
was just lackadaisical."
Racing continues at Golden Gate Fields Sunday and Monday, when the track will present a special
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day racing card. Post time both days is 12:45 p.m.
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