While most of the national attention this weekend is keyed to places like Keeneland, Aqueduct Racetrack, Santa Anita Park, and Laurel Park, where the Maryland Million will be celebrated once again, the liveliest crowd will descend upon California’s 21st Agricultural District in the state’s vast Central Valley to take a bite out of horse racing at the Big Fresno Fair.
How big? Well, more than 600,000 folks will parade through the Fresno Fairgrounds by the time the fair ends its two-week run Oct. 14. A good portion of those visitors will have wandered into the racing space, where the sport is conducted on a one-mile track of sandy loam laid around an infield filled with cars and trees. One of them, sad to say, will not be trainer Doug O’Neill, who will be tending to business at Santa Anita Oct. 13 when the stable runs Mucino in Fresno’s $50,000 Bull Dog Stakes.
“I was there a long time ago, and they put on a great show,” O’Neill said, although he could not pinpoint the precise memory.
The Fresno Fair broke cover in 1884, presenting harness racing as its main attraction. During the early days of World War II, the fairgrounds were used as a staging area for Japanese-Americans on their way to being interned in camps scattered across the United States. Later, the U.S. Army Air Force used the fair as a training ground and pretty much trashed the place, requiring its rebirth with new facilities in 1948 after a dark seven years.
These days, the Fresno racing program is one of the last healthy stops on the once-thriving Northern California fair circuit, which also includes Pleasanton, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, and Ferndale. Once Fresno wraps up Oct. 14, the circuit will commence its great experiment with three months’ worth of sport at Pleasanton under the banner of Golden State Racing, as a hopeful replacement for the dates abandoned by 1/ST Racing on the closure of Golden Gate Fields. The fate of a two-region racing calendar hangs in the balance.
O’Neill’s experience with Fresno could have been as far back as 2001, when he ran the maiden claimer Park City Red at the Big Fresno Fair, or as recently as 2016, when O’Neill shipped Jimmy Bouncer to Fresno to win the $100,000 Harris Farms Stakes.
For the Bull Dog Stakes, named for the mascot of nearby Fresno State University, Mucino will be accompanied on the trip from Los Angeles by Coalinga Road , from the Carla Gaines barn, and Salesman , who made a splash last fall for Richard Mandella by winning the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes (G2) on day two of the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita. The invaders will face seven locals, led by 7-year-old Lammas , winner of the San Francisco Mile Stakes (G3T).
In terms of distance, the 1 1/8 miles of the Bull Dog will be kind of slumming for Mucino. The son of Nyquist last appeared at the Ferndale fair, way up there in the redwoods, going round and round the half-mile track for 1 5/8 miles in the C. J. Hindley Humboldt County Marathon Handicap. Mucino led the field the first time past the stands, the second time past the stands, the third time past the stands, and finally at the wire, by 1 1/4 lengths over runner-up Druidic . To suggest that Mucino could have gone around again and still won might be pushing it, but he and Cerapio Figueroa did pull up well in front of the opposition.
“He looks like a marathon-type horse for sure, but its hard to find even many 9- or 10-furlong races anywhere,” O’Neill said. “It turns out he likes to cruise around there early, and still have a lot to finish with. So far, so good.”
O’Neill has enjoyed success this year with the sprinters Raging Torrent , Happy Jack , and Mucho del Oro , but the big horse in the barn these days is Mixto , winner of the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) in his most recent start, Aug. 31. The son of Good Magic has been working steadily ever since, while passing up a chance to run in the $1 million California Crown Stakes (G1) along the way. The Classic win gave Mixto a free pass to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
“Mixto has only won twice, and they were both at Del Mar,” O’Neill said. “One was a maiden and the other was a grade 1 race. It’s a wacky business. Knock on wood, he’s been in regular training, and he obviously loves Del Mar, so why overthink it? The California Crown was a temptation, but we were able to fend it off and just wait for the Classic.”
In September of 2023, Mucino tried for the 12th time to win a maiden race. He finished second in the Del Mar event—a morale booster if nothing else—then came back a month later to break his maiden at Santa Anita. O’Neill was asked if he recalled who finished third that day. The trainer hesitated.
“Um, I want to say … Mixto?”
Correct.
Mucino breaks his maiden at Santa Anita Park
Mucino hails from the 2020 crop of Nyquist that includes such established stakes stars as Randomized , Xigera , Johannes , and Flying Connection . There were high hopes for a similar future when Mucino was purchased for $115,000 as a 2-year-old by the Mercado Stable of Alejandro Mercado and his son, Alex Mercado. He was bred by Don Alberto.
At the end of 2023, Mucino took a 1-for-14 record to the sidelines for a break and reappeared last June. A couple of second-place finishes set him up nicely for his Ferndale adventure.
“Being by Nyquist, I’ve got a soft spot for him,” O’Neill said, referring to one of his two winners of the Kentucky Derby (G1). “Some of them just need to take the time. If you do, they can come back stronger than ever. Mucino is no exception to that, and all credit goes to his owners for their patience. We always thought there was something to him, so now we’ll see if we can have another good day at the fair.”
