This week at Golden Gate Fields, Jan. 20-22
Vending Machine, who won the Eddie Logan Stakes on Dec. 30 at Santa Anita, is the 2-to-1 morning-line favorite in a field of eight for the California Derby.
Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will ride the Peter Miller-trained Vending Machine instead of Sonneteer, a five-race maiden trained by Kent’s brother, Keith.
[...] Conflated, who was placed first by disqualification in his second start, has two-time Kentucky Derby-winning connections: jockey Mario Gutierrez, trainer Doug O’Neill and owner Reddam Racing LLC.
Jockey Jerry Olguin, who plans to retire after riding Jan. 29, collected the 2,000th winner of his career on his 44th birthday aboard Dumont in Sunday’s ninth race. …
Jockey Irving Orozco, who leads the winter-spring season with 15 winners from 75 mounts, will begin a three-day suspension Sunday for interference aboard Yahoo Tahoe in the fifth race Saturday.
The Eclipse Award winners for 2016 will be announced after a banquet Saturday night at Gulfstream Park, and California Chrome is expected to earn his second Horse of the Year title.
Finest City, making her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, is the 6-to-5 morning-line favorite against four opponents in the Santa Monica Stakes.