FOOLED AGAIN CONTINUES TO THRIVE AT EmD
AUBURN, Wash. (July 22, 2016) – Fooled Again showed his heels to eight rivals Friday at Emerald Downs, racing to a 3 ¾-length victory in the $11,500 BetAmerica Purse for 3-year-olds and up.
Ridden by Juan Gutierrez, Fooled Again zipped 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.58 and paid $7.40, $4.60 and $4.20. Jeff Metz, atop the standings with 29 wins, is the winning trainer and co-owner with Brett Brophy and Kelly Dougan.
A 4-year-old Scat Daddy gelding, Fooled Again has three wins at the meet and is 5-for-15 lifetime with earnings of $69,845 including $6,325 for Friday’s victory. At Emerald Downs, Fooled Again is 5-0-0 in nine starts, including victory in last year’s Auburn Stakes.
Hustled to the lead from the No. 5 post, Fooled Again set fractions of :21.85, :44.29 and 1:09.12 en route to victory.
Mr. Takahashi, ridden by Eswan Flores, rallied into contention into the stretch, but was unable to threaten Fooled Again in the final furlong. Mr. Takahashi paid $6 and $6.
Surfliner, ridden by Javier Matias, rallied from last to finish third and paid $8.60 to show. Perfect Night, Roman Boos, Arctic Vortex, Southern Solution, Wups and War Wizard completed the order of finish.
NOTES: Jockey Jose Barnes notched his first Emerald Downs win in Friday’s nightcap, guiding Freedomofthehills to a 17-1 upset and triggering a carryover of $20,231 to Saturday’s $0.20 Pick 7. A 20-year-old South African, Barnes began riding here July 8 and had picked up one third in 12 mounts before Friday’s victory. . .Ronald Richard was the lone jockey with two wins Friday. . .Rocco Bowen guided Come On Cozzene ($6) to a gate-to-wire victory in the first race, and has at least one win on 12 straight cards. . .Little Scotty ($7.80), a 3-year-old Paddy O’Prado filly owned by Dave Heerensperger of Bellevue, raced to a gate-to-wire victory Friday in a $68,000 allowance turf marathon at Del Mar. . . Live racing continues Saturday with the third of four summer twilight cards. First post is 6:30 p.m. . .California Chrome is 3-5 and Dortmund 7-5 in Saturday’s $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. Post time is 6:03 p.m. for the Grade 2 at 1 1/16 miles.
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