Party Pooper (#8) prevails in 1:35.67
PARTY POOPER EDGES MIKE MAN’S GOLD IN FEATURE
AUBURN, Wash. (August 27, 2016) – Party Pooper held off Mike Man’s Gold in a driving finish and scored a neck victory Saturday in the $16,600 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Eswan Flores, Party Pooper ran one mile in a brisk 1:35.67 and paid $10.60, $4.60 and $2.80. Rigoberto Velasquez is the winning trainer for owner Matt Hughes, who claimed Party Pooper for $25,000 in May.
A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred colt by Desert Party, Party Pooper has been exceptionally consistent throughout the meeting, compiling a 2-3-3 record in eight starts with earnings of $34,835. His overall mark is 3-6-4 in 14 starts and earnings of $72,207.
Perfectly handled by Flores, Party Pooper settled in third place as Remembertobreathe and Mike Man’s Gold battled for the lead while setting fractions of :24.00, :46.64 and 1:10.68. Bidding three-wide into the lane, Party Pooper collared the leaders in mid-stretch and then out finished a resilient Mike Man’s Gold for the victory.
Mike Man’s Gold, bidding for his fifth win of the meet under Rocco Bowen, gamely held second place and paid $3.60 and $2.80, while Remembertobreathe, a Canadian shipper ridden by Amadeo Perez, finished a close third and paid $2.80.
Its Allabout Jerry, Fire the Trainer and Raspberry Road completed the order of finish; Grinder Sparksaglo and Big Hat Charlie were scratched earlier in the day.
NOTES: Leslie Mawing rode three winners and Eswan Flores had two wins Saturday. . .Miss Creston ($4.40) and Nearly Enuf ($9) produced the meet’s fourth dead-heat for win in Saturday’s seventh race, racing head-and-head from the quarter-pole to the wire with Rocco Bowen riding Miss Creston and Javier Matias on Nearly Enuf. . .Trainer Vince Gibson saddled back-to-back winners in races six and seven—Wine At Nine (14.40) and Miss Creston. In fact, Gibson finished first and second in race six as Wine At Nine prevailed by 2 ¾ lengths over 9-year-old Chaching Pete, with jockey Matt Hagerty collecting his first win of the meet aboard Wine At Nine. . .Trainer Rigoberto Velasquez also had two wins Saturday including the feature race with Party Pooper. . .Step On the Gas ($3.40) led gate-to-wire in race three to give trainer Blaine Wright his 34th win of the meet and a first-place tie with Jeff Metz atop the standings. Frank Lucarelli with 31 wins and Howard Belvoir with 27 also remain in contention for the training title. . .92-year-old owner/trainer Don Munger scored his 100th career win at Emerald Downs as Stuck River ($16.80) rallied to win Saturday’s fourth race under Mawing. . .Saturday’s first race—The Friends of Duane Hamamura Purse—honored the renowned equine photographer and lifetime Auburn resident who died in 2011. Among those on hand were mother Ritz Hamamura and sister Joyce Hamamura. . .Live racing continues Sunday with the 2016 Washington Cup presented by Xpressbet. First post is 2:25 p.m., preceded by the 2016 Washington Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony at 1:45 p.m.
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