Horse racing kicks off at Sonoma County Fair

The racing portion of the Sonoma County Fair, starting later than usual this summer, begins Thursday with the first of 11 programs.

Action gets underway daily at 1:15 p.m. except on Fridays when first post is 3:15 p.m.

The racing schedule differed this year because the California Horse Racing Board changed the Northern California schedule and awarded the Sacramento Fair dates that in years past had gone to Sonoma County.

So, in order to operate its usual three-week meet, management is offering three bonus dates of racing (Aug. 14-16). On those days, there will be no admission or parking charge.

“It was kind of an empty feeling last week with the fair being open but no racing going on,” interim fair manager Katie Young said. “Racing is such a big part of our fair.”

Sonoma County has applied for dates that will coincide with its fair in 2016 and is awaiting word from the CHRB.

Today, eight races will be decided with the first of those being for the Arabian breed.

The feature race is the seventh, a 5-furlong turf sprint with a $27,000 purse.

Steve Specht, a Santa Rosa resident and one of the leading conditioners in Northern California, has been bringing horses to the fair for 27 years and will have two racing today.

He’ll get into action with Kimnjet in the third and then send out first-time starter Heat Striker in the fifth.

“Both are doing good and both should run well,” he said. “Kimnjet has never run this cheap ($4,000) before but the race came up tougher than I thought it would.

“Heat Striker is by Unusual Heat, one of the top sires in California and she’s had some decent works.”

Frank Alvarado rides both horses.

Specht has gone only one meet locally without saddling a winner.

“It always feels good to get that first one,” he said. “I’ve got some live horses ready and I just hope they get a chance to run.”

NOTES

Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will be active opening day. The two will join forces in the third race with Elusive Plains. Hollendorfer will also be represented by Yomybato in the eighth. Baze, the world’s winningest rider, has mounts in all seven thoroughbred races.

As usual, the turf course will get plenty of use. Today, four races are scheduled over the lawn and five of the seven stakes events between now and closing day (Aug. 16) will be decided on the grass. This weekend’s grass stakes are the $50,000 added Wine Country Stakes (Saturday) and $50,000 added Luther Burbank Handicap (Sunday).

Trainer Gary Greiner, who calls Santa Rosa home, will send out Mr. Candy Bar in today’s second race.

A name from the past - Shudacudawudya - surfaces in today’s seventh race. He won the Jess Jackson Owners Handicap three years ago but hasn’t raced since Dec. 15, 2012.

If box season sales are an indication, business at the track should be good. Interim fair manager Katie Young reports sales for box seats are running 36 percent ahead of last year.