Editore flies past Force for victory

With a capacity field of 14 going 11⁄16 miles on the Tapeta Footings main track, it was pretty likely that luck would play a role in the result of the Grade 3, $102,025 Berkeley Handicap on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

Brazilian-bred Editore found the opening he needed when he was ready to move at the top of the stretch, and he accelerated from sixth place to a victory by 2¼ lengths over 2-1 favorite Force.

“I had the chance to split horses to get him going,” jockey Brice Blanc said. “The horse on the lead was getting (drifting) out, and the horse to the inside was done. I had just a little gap, but when I asked him, he flew through it. He’s really got a good turn of foot.”

Force, who had won his previous four starts at Golden Gate Fields (two on turf, two on Tapeta), was between and behind horses down the backstretch. He had clear run when jockey Juan Hernandez got him to the outside on the turn, but he lost significant ground.

“It was a good trip, but I had to go wide at the quarter pole,” Hernandez said. “I didn’t have a choice because there were a lot of horses in front of me. He ran a good race, but the other horse got the jump on him.”

Camino Del Paraiso also ran a good race to be third — a half-length behind Force — as he tried to break an eight-race losing streak.

One horse that wasn’t going to have traffic issues was Black Tie Event, who had finished second to Force in an allowance race Oct. 29 in his second local start after shipping from Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., with trainer Anthony A. Stabile.

Black Tie Event sped from his No. 13 post position to take a clear lead going into the first turn. But though he pretty much survived fast fractions in the allowance race, they took their toll Saturday as he tired to ninth place after a first quarter-mile in 23.45 seconds, a half in 48.36 and three-quarters in 1:12.17.

G.G. Ryder, who had finished second twice and third once in three previous appearances in the Berkeley Handicap, faded to eighth after racing in third place down the backstretch. Hard Aces, the only Grade 1 winner in the field, did not unleash his finishing kick and ended up 11th.

Editore had run his previous 14 races on grass, with two victories in four starts in Brazil and a win in an allowance/optional claimer Oct. 15 at Santa Anita. Trained by Paulo Lobo, Editore went off at 10-1 in the Berkeley Handicap and finished in 1:43.37.

“I’ve worked him for the past month, and he’s really improved,” Blanc said. “He used to be very nervous and get hot and let things bother him, but he’s got his mind set now. Just from the way he’s been working, I had confidence for this race. Turf horses usually handle the Tapeta, and he did.”