Dreamarcher captures Wine Country Stakes race

Jerry Hollendorfer, the Hall of Fame trainer and perennial leading conditioner at the Sonoma County Fair, added another trophy to his vast collection Saturday as his Dreamarcher captured the $54,300 Wine Country Stakes.

Tiza Diva, owned and trained by Santa Rosa connections, finished fifth in the field of five and had a wide trip.

While Tiza Diva was never able to save ground after starting from the outside post position, jockey Julien Couton managed to save all the ground after Dreamarcher started from the No. 1 stall.

Sweet Queen, the race favorite, set the pace and Couton was content to sit back and wait.

Once into the stretch, Couton guided Dreamarcher outside Sweet Queen and they went on to win by nearly two lengths.

“The race set up like I thought it would,” Couton said. “I wanted to stay close to Sweet Queen and then go after her at the top of the stretch.

“I had a nice hold of my filly all the way. She gave me a good burst of speed when I asked her.”

With an eighth of a mile to go in the mile and one-sixteenth turf race, Dreamarcher put her head in front. She continued to add to the lead racing to the finish line.

The winner’s share of the purse came to $31,600 and Couton and Hollendorfer will each receive 10 percent of that total.

NOTES

Frank Alvarado and Juan Hernandez both rode a pair of winners Saturday. Alvarado got Litigation Road (4th race) and Candy for Debbie (6th) home first while Hernandez clicked with My Friend Emma (7th) and Lexi’s Run (eighth).

Today’s feature is the $50,000 added Luther Burbank Handicap and finds the Bill Delia-trained Central Heat trying to win the race for the second year in a row. Last summer, the recently retired Russell Baze guided the mare to a come-from-behind victory. Now a 7-year-old, Central Heat has won 15 of her 34 races with earnings of $364,101. She’ll take a seven-race win streak into the turf event. Ricardo Gonzalez has the mount.

Today is the first Derby Dog Dash of the meet. The small dogs will race throughout the afternoon.

Owner Allen Aldrich will be the guest at today’s handicapping seminar at 11:30 a.m. in the park behind the grandstand.