Jockey Frank Alvarado, a 45-year-old native of Panama City, Panama, earned his 3,000th victory in North America June 6 when he guided Curly Girly to a 1 1/2-length score in the eighth race at Golden Gate Fields.
Hudson Landing needed every inch of the Golden Gate Fields homestretch to nose out Control Seeker in the $100,000 All American Stakes (gr. III) Nov. 23.
Jockey Frank Alvarado was perfect at Golden Gate Fields Feb. 24, winning with all five of his mounts on the eight-race program. Three of his victories came aboard horses trained by Steve Specht.
Steve Specht, a mainstay in the Northern California training ranks since the mid-1980s, collected his 1,000th career victory Oct. 28 at Golden Gate Fields when his 2-year-old filly Veillit' won the fifth race.
Siren Lure snapped a 12-race losing streak Nov. 22 when he charged powerfully down the stretch to score a 1 1/4-length victory over odds-on favorite Indyanne in the $75,000 Sausalito Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.
Jockey Frank Alvarado, known as a strong finisher, displayed his skill while recording his 2,000th career victory Sept. 18 at Golden Gate Fields.
Bay Meadows wrapped up 74 years of racing with the $63,450 Last Dance Stakes Aug. 17 and fittingly, it was trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, winner of 37 consecutive training titles at the San Mateo track, who had the honor of winning the final race with a filly named You Lift Me Up.
Favorites Tribesman and Vicarino dueled each other into submission in the $100,000 Bay Meadows Sprint (gr. III), allowing the late-running Bonfante to earn an easy 4 1/2-length win for trainer Ron McAnally March 15 in San Mateo, Calif.
The millionaire McCann's Mojave captured the first graded race contested on Golden Gate Field's new Tapeta Footings main track, fighting back along the inside in deep stretch to win the $150,000 All American Stakes (gr. III) Nov. 17.
Now Victory, sent off at odds of 31-1, skipped away from the field at the start for jockey Frank Alvarado and never looked back, winning the $140,000 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) on the turf without a serious threat Sept. 22.
McCann's Mojave, on the upswing this winter after bottoming out on the Southern California circuit last year, shook loose of the favored Sweetnorthernsaint in upper stretch and was all out to win Saturday's $1 million Sunshine Millions Classic for California and Florida breds at Gulfstream Park at odds of 33-1.
Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze capped off his 33rd career riding championship at Bay Meadows by winning four races Sunday.
Jockey Kent Desormeaux, currently seventh in the Del Mar riding standings with 12 winners, has replaced his agent of the past two years, Tom Knust, with Brad Pegram, who also serves currently as agent for rider Frank Alvarado.
Nelson Bunker Hunt's Chilean-bred Gondolieri, ridden by Frank Alvarado, scored an easy victory in Saturday's $103,782 Inglewood Stakes, which was transferred from the turf to the dirt track.
Ninebanks and Surprise Halo turned the $150,000 Golden Gate Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) into their own match race Sunday at Golden Gate Fields, battling from start to finish in the 1 1/8-miles turf race for 4-year-olds and up.
Jimmy Z snapped a 16-race losing streak in grand style Friday at Golden Gate Fields when he got up in the final jump to win the $100,000 Forty-Niner Handicap by a head.
