BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Unraptured will try to build on a victory in his last race in an attempt to win his first stakes in the $50,000 Oakland at Golden Gate Fields Saturday. Trained by Tim McCanna for Angela Adams, James Michael Connors, Oliver Paris Connors and Richard Rasmussen, Unraptured will challenge 10 other 3-year-olds and older going six furlongs on the synthetic main track.
Unraptured has won two of his last three starts, the most recent being a second level, $62,500 optional claiming allowance going six furlongs at Golden Gate on Sept. 3. The 4-year-old son of Uncaptured also won a $40,000 claiming going six furlongs on the main track at Pleasanton on June 16 before finishing third in the $76,000 Oak Tree Sprint won by stablemate Top Harbor at Pleasanton on July 1.
Top Harbor is the 9-5 morning line favorite for the Oakland while Unraptured is the co-second choice at 4-1 in the program.
Bred in Florida by Dennis Edward Foster, Unraptured is out of Petunia Face, by Congrats and was a $70,000 purchase by James Michael Connors at the 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale where he was consigned by Randy Bradshaw.
Unraptured has earned $127,419 from five wins with one second and four thirds from 15 starts in his career.
Jockey Kevin Radke will ride Unraptured for the first time Saturday and they have post seven.
Top Harbor will break from post five and McKanna has given the return mount to Frank Alvarado.
Since winning the Oak Tree Sprint, the son of Harbor the Gold finished second to Clovisconnection, who had won his fourth straight in the $73,500 Harris Farms at Fresno going six furlongs on Oct. 7.
Top Harbor is the defending champion in the Oakland, having won this race by three-quarters of a length last year, and looks for his second stakes victory of the year after winning the $75,000 Lost in the Fog at Golden Gate in April—a race in which Unraptured was fourth.
Top Harbor will race for Gordy Jarnig, Kenny Marshall and Eric M. Schweiger and will try to improve on his career record of eight wins, seven seconds and a third in 19 tries with earnings of $399,364.
Also at 4-1 in the program is Rager, another Tim McCanna trainee who exits a third-place finish against $50,000 claimers going six furlongs on the turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 15.
Rager is another graduate of OBS having passed through the auction ring there twice. The first time, he did not meet his reserve in the 2019 Spring Sale but sold two months later in June for $87,000 to Dennis O’Neill and ERJ Racing. He was consigned by Kings Equine in both sales.
Luis Manuel Jimenez Aburto will ride Rager, a son of Into Mischief who will race in the colors of Jethorse LLC and break from post six.
Others entered for the Oakland include Love Candy with jockey Catalino Martinez, Talbot Bay with Silvio Amador up, Alexander’s Dream will carry Alexander Chavez, Robie will have Brayan Pena in the saddle, Honeymoonz Over has William Antongeorgi III named to ride, Star Race and jockey Assael Espinoza and Santos Rivera will ride Cairo Calling.
