Twin turf stakes feel wide open

There are a total of 13 horses entered to run at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday in the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes and the $100,000 Campanile Stakes, and most of them will be entering unfamiliar territory.

Both the Silky Sullivan, for 3-year-old California-breds, and the Campanile, for 3-yearold California-bred fillies, are at one mile on turf. Ten of the 13 most recently raced in sprints on the main track, and only one has ever raced over the Golden Gate turf course. Seven have never run on turf.

In the Silky Sullivan, the two locally based runners, More Power to Him and Tribal Storm, have an edge in route experience over their rivals.

More Power to Him’s last six races have come on the Golden Gate Tapeta at a mile to 1 1/8 miles, including a maiden win, two optional-claiming victories, a second in the California Derby, and thirds in the Gold Rush and Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby. He has never run on turf, but his half-sister Bleach Blonde finished second in stakes and won $116,000 on turf.

“I hope he’ll like the turf,” said trainer Faith Taylor. “It may run in the family.”

Tribal Storm finished fourth in the El Camino Real Derby, third in the California Cup Derby going 1 1/16 miles on the Santa Anita dirt, and won going five furlongs on turf here in his debut. He comes off a closing third behind Sunday foes Mr. Hinx and B Squared in the Echo Eddie, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for California-breds on dirt at Santa Anita.

“He’s talented, and I’m not sure what his best distance is,” said trainer Ed Moger Jr.

Mr. Hinx has won all three of his sprints, including an optional claimer on Santa Anita’s hillside turf course, and finished fourth in his two routes. He outdueled B Squared by a nose in the Echo Eddie.

The Echo Eddie was only the second start for B Squared, who won his March 4 debut sprinting on dirt at Santa Anita. He is a full brother to Ralis, a Grade 1 stakes winner who has a Grade 2 stakes placing on turf.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer entered two in the Silky Sullivan: Elwood J and Grecian Fire. Elwood J has run third in his two turf sprints and will be trying two turns for the first time. Grecian Fire ran sixth after getting bumped several times in the stretch of a statebred allowance on the Santa Anita turf last out.

Ninety Nine Proof, seventh in the Echo Eddie, will make his route and turf debut.

◗ The Campanile will test the quality of Lucky Christiana, who has won two straight since finishing fifth in her debut. She opened up early against allowance rivals here last time and won by 3 1/2 lengths. This will be her first route and first race on turf.

“She’s a neat little filly,” said trainer John Martin. “There was a six-furlong race that didn’t fill. That’s what we’re doing here.

“She’s never done anything wrong and should like the turf.”

She’s by Lucky Pulpit, a solid turf sire, and her dam, by Unusual Heat, was a stakes winner who placed in graded stakes on turf.

Taylor, who has More Power to Him in the Silky Sullivan, will saddle Shari in the Campanile. Like More Power to Him, she’s been running two turns on Tapeta but has never run on turf.

“She’s got big, flat feet, the biggest feet I’ve ever seen, and they say horses with big feet run well on the turf,” said Taylor. “If nothing else, she’s at the top of her game.”

Jeff Bonde brings the stakes winner Miss Sunset north for the race, and she is the lone winner on turf in the field, having won the Sweet Life Stakes down the hill. Bonde also has entered You’re Late, who won the CTBA Stakes on the Del Mar main track last July.

Radish is still a maiden but just edged Miss Sunset for second in the Evening Jewel at Santa Anita.