El Dorado Shooter to Defend Maddy Sprint Title

(from Golden Gate Fields report)
The 7-year-old horse El Dorado Shooter will return from a layoff of more than eight months to try to defend his title in the $100,000 Ken Maddy Sprint, a six-furlong dash for California-breds that will be run Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

El Dorado Shooter, who has won 12 of his 23 lifetime starts and $529,740, hasn't raced since capturing the $150,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. III) on June 7. Shortly after the victory he had surgery to remove a chip from his right front ankle.

El Dorado Shooter had three wins and two seconds in five starts last year, the first victory coming in the Ken Maddy. El Dorado Shooter took the Ken Maddy by a head over Giovannetti, who will also be back for Saturday's sixth running of the stakes.

El Dorado Shooter will be competing in the Ken Maddy for the fourth straight year. He won the feature in 2001 and finished last in the 2002 running.

Bred by his trainer, Clifford Delima, El Dorado Shooter is owned by Delima's wife, Barbara. El Dorado Shooter has eight stakes victories lifetime and will carry high weight of 121 pounds Saturday.

Weighted right behind El Dorado Shooter at 120 pounds is Green Team, winner of the $150,000 California Cup Sprint last November. Trained by Jeff Bonde, Green Team has finished in the money in 20 of his 30 lifetime races and earned $468,202.

Entries for the Ken Maddy will be taken Thursday and the following horses are confirmed for the race: Con Quixote (Chad Schvaneveldt will ride), El Dorado Shooter (Dennis Carr), Giovannetti (no rider), and Green Team (Russell Baze). Texas Chili (Chance Rollins) is listed as a probable starter and Debonair Joe and Unfurl The Flag are considered possible starters.