Balnikhov beats Rio King by a nose in San Francisco Mile

Balnikhov, the classy Santa Anita-based 7-5 favorite who travels well, put on his patented stretch kick to win the Grade 3, $250,000 San Francisco Mile on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

But how about Golden Gate Fields’ own Rio King?

Sent off at odds of 51-1 in the grass race despite coming off of three straight decisive victories on the Tapeta Footings synthetic main track, Rio King matched Balnikhov’s strong finish but fell a nose short at the wire.

“I thought I had it,” said Rio King’s jockey, Santos Rivera. “I’m disappointed not to win, but I’m happy my horse ran so well. I love riding him because he finishes really strong all the time.”

Rivera rides him correctly, too, keeping him outside because he doesn’t like to be close to the rail. So even though Balnikhov beat Rio King, the latter had to run farther.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli kept Balnikhov on the rail and in last place around the first turn, down the backstretch and into the second turn while Rio King moved from next-to-last four or five horses wide.

Meanwhile, Lamplighter Jack was setting the type of moderate fractions of (24.26 seconds, : 48.21 and 1:11.35) that usually hinders horses coming from the back of the pack. But by the top of the stretch, Balnikhov and Rio King had gathered momentum and they were going to keep it.

Rispoli guided Balnikhov off the rail and found room between horses to get the jump on Rio King, leading him by a half-length at the sixteenth pole. But Rio King kept coming and nearly pulled off the huge upset.

The Irish-bred Balnikhov finished in 1:36.21 for his sixth victory in 17 starts and his second Grade 3 win after the 2022 Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland. He also finished second in two Grade 2s — the American Turf Classic at Churchill Downs and the Mathis Brothers Mile at Santa Anita.

“He’s a horse that does well when he travels,” Rispoli said. “This is the way you have to ride him, you can’t put him into a race too soon.  You just have to lay back and then you have to be lucky and find a spot. He doesn’t finish if you don’t ride him like that.”

Il Bellator, another Golden Gate Fields-based horse, surprised almost as much as Rio King as he finished just a half-length behind the top pair at odds of 56-1.  

In the race preceding the San Francisco Mile, Prince Abu Dhabi — an $8,000 yearling purchase — made it four wins in four starts by taking the $101,800 California Derby. El Camino Real Derby winner Chase the Chaos finished next-to-last in the field of nine.

Earlier, Golden Gate Fields’ best sprinter, Top Harbor, rallied from farther back than usual to win the $75,900 Lost in the Fog Stakes as Crazy Dreams broke down in the stretch and had to be euthanized. It was the sixth equine death of the winter-spring season that began Dec. 26.

Southern California-based horses won the other three stakes: Alice Marble in the $77,250 Camilla Urso, Rose Maddox in the $77,250 Golden Poppy and Lily Poo ($3.80) in the $75,000 California Oaks. Rispoli rode Lily Poo and Alice Marble, and Rivera rode Rose Maddox.