GREAT LADY ZEN ROLLS TO FEATURE RACE VICTORY
AUBURN, Wash. (August 13, 2016) – Great Lady Zen and jockey Erick Lopez powered to a 3 ½-length victory Saturday in the $11,500 Print NW Purse for older fillies and mares Saturday at Emerald Downs.
Trained by Manny Ortiz for owners Isaiah Ortiz and Thomas Glasgow, Great Lady Zen ran six furlongs in 1:09.20 and paid $8.80, $3 and $2.60.
A 4-year-old California-bred by Grazen, Great Lady Zen is 4-3-0 in seven starts this year and 5-5-0 in 15 starts lifetime. She earned $6,325 to increase her career total to $39,393.
Hustled to the lead from the No. 2 post, Great Lady Zen dueled with Top Kitty Cat through fractions of :21.91 and :44.46, drew clear after five furlongs in :56.42, and won with total authority.
Maggie’s Special, the 3-2 favorite ridden by Rocco Bowen, rallied from the clouds to finish second and paid $3.40 and $2.40, while Top Kitty Cat, ridden by Juan Gutierrez, held third and paid $2.40.
Seattles Best Copy, Iwannabeadivatoo, Showcase Winner, Forbidden Kee and Nightwalker rounded out the order of finish.
Ortiz is enjoying a second straight successful season at Emerald Downs with a 12-for-38 mark. He was 2-for-2 Saturday as Dugan Bill notched his second straight victory in race three.
NOTES: Jockey Rocco Bowen continued his hot streak with a four-win day and boosted his season total to 88 wins in 56 days. Recording his second four-bagger of the season, Bowen stretched his consecutive days win streak to 22, eight shy of Kevin Radke’s track record 30 set in 2003. Bowen nearly got a fifth win but Abeja just missed in race five, as Gold Will Do ($13.20) prevailed by a head under Leonel Camacho-Flores. . .Julien Couton on September 19, 2015 is the last rider to win five races at Emerald Downs. . .Jose Zunino warmed up for his Longacres Mile assignment on morning line favorite O B Harbor with two wins Saturday. . .Congratulations to Atta Boy Roy for his maiden victory as a sire as Risque’s Legacy ($6.40) scored a runaway victory in Saturday’s $18,500 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies, zipping five furlongs in :56.77 for trainer Tom Wenzel and owner/breeder Karl Krieg. One of the top sprinters in state history, Atta Boy Roy entered stud in 2013 at Blue Ribbon Farm in Buckley. . .Trainer Blaine Wright and owner Peter Redekop of Vancouver, who combine with Alert Bay in the Longacres Mile, teamed up for an easy win with 6-year-old Step On the Gas ($4.40) in Saturday’s seventh race. . . Wright also won the ninth race with Scarpetta Veloce ($10.20) and trails Jeff Metz 33-32 in the trainers’ race. . .Johnny Walker, Muckleshoot Casino Director of Gaming Operations, was in the winner’s circle for Saturday’s third race, the Muckleshoot Casino Purse won by 8-year-old gelding Dugan Bill ($3.20). . .Arrom Bear finished second as My Friend Emma ($6) smashed the course record in the $50,000 Jess Jackson Owners Handicap at Santa Rosa. A 4-year-old Tannersmyman gelding, My Friend Emma ran five furlongs on turf in :55.75 for his fourth win in eight starts this year. . .Live racing continues Sunday with the 81st renewal of the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) for 3-year-olds and up, and the 21st running of the $65,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares. First post is 2 p.m. with the Longacres Mile carded as Race 8 at 5:51 p.m.
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