Saturday marks the debut of the $50,000 California Wine Stakes at the Alameda County Fair, a 6-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

The field is headed by River Kiss, a Southern California shipper out of the Doug O'Neill barn. O'Neill has become a celebrity this summer as the trainer of Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I'll Have Another.

Saturday O'Neill will send out River Kiss with his jockey from Southern California – Daniel Vergara. The horse has won once in four starts this year, taking a $25,000 optional claiming race at Betfair Hollywood Park on June 1. Before that, River Kiss was third in back-to-back stakes starts, first in the $200,000 Evening Jewel at Santa Anita, followed by the $71,000 Warren's Thoroughbred at BHP.

Jerry Hollendorfer and Russell Baze will team up on Hennessy River, a horse with also one win in four starts this year. Her one win came back in January at Golden Gate Fields in a $32,000 optional claiming before shipping down south.

Following a 6th in the China Doll at Santa Anita and a 4th in a $75,000 claiming, Hollendorfer shipped the horse back and she was third in a $50,000 optional claiming race at Golden Gate.
Munnings Sister – out of the Tim McCanna barn and to be ridden by Francisco Duran – is a horse with plenty of early speed and who broke maiden here last year during the Fair. This year she has started twice, winning a $32,000 optional claiming race followed by a 4th for an optional tag for $50,000.

McCanna will also send out Youtheprizeandi, who won a pair of races in Washington last summer before coming down to Golden Gate Fields in this year.

Another interesting entry is William Morey's Distinctive Yolie. The horse started out by winning her first two career starts before running 5th in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields in late March. Baze had the mount in all three starts, but with the nation's leading jockey taking the mount on Hennessy River, Aaron Gryder will be in the irons Saturday.

ARABIAN STAKES

Saturday the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup with a purse of $20,000 will be held in Pleasanton.

All totaled, there will be 10 Arabian races sponsored by the group around the world. Pleasanton is the fifth race in the series as races have already been run in Australia, Texas, France, and Germany. After Pleasanton, races will be contested in Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, and France, before ending with the final round in Abu Dhabi in November.

Saturday Golly Bret looks the one to beat as the horse ships out west for the race. The 7-year-old has won $136,000 in his career, winning 12 times in 32 starts.

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