Emerald Downs News & Notes-Friday, September 15

Wine At Nine

TERRIFIC BATTLE FOR TOP CLAIMER

Of all the year-end honors, Top Claimer figures to be among the most hotly contested categories of 2017.

Two of the top contenders for the award, Rockport Birdie and Wine At Nine, are both in action this weekend.

Rockport Birdie, the meet’s only six-time winner, is the 3-1 morning line favorite in Sunday’s ninth race for $5,000 claiming fillies and mares at one mile. A victory would mean a seven-race winning streak, and she also would finish the season No. 1 in wins—traditionally a big factor for winning the Top Claimer award.

Wine At Nine, 5-1-1 in seven starts at the meet, is the 2-1 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $13,000 starter allowance for 3-year-olds and up at one mile. It marks the first route test this year for the $5-year-old Divine Park gelding, 7-2-1 in his last 10 starts here beginning with a victory in a rock-bottom $2,500 claimer in August 2016.

Incidentally, Vince Gibson trains both Rockport Birdie and Wine At Nine, so excuse him if he takes a pass on choosing between the two. The actual voting is up to track personnel, officials and media.

Rockport Birdie

Other top contenders for Top Claimer:

Exit Sixty Slew: 5-0-1 in six starts, beginning with a victory vs. $8,000 claimers and culminating with a triumph over 2-5 favorite Citizen Kitty in the Washington Cup Filly or Mare.

Emmett Park: 4-4-0-0 in four starts. 6-year-old gelding capped a perfect season with a last-to-first victory for a $40,000 claiming price last week. Beyers this season of 87, 87, 78 and 87.

Mike Man’s Gold: 4-0-2 in six starts, reeled off four straight wins beginning in the $10,000 claiming ranks and ending with a victory vs. $40,000 optional claimers. Also finished a close third in the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.

Jerre to Carrie: 4-0-0 in five starts, and goes for win No. 5 in Saturday’s eighth race vs. $40,000 claiming fillies and mares.

Image of Truth: 4-1-0 in 11 starts at the meet, goes for win No. 5 in Sunday’s fourth race for $5,000 claimers.

Maurice Code: 4-0-0 in five starts, reeling off four straight wins in the $7,500-$20,000 range.

Oh Marvelous Me: 4-0-2 in six starts, one of four on this list trained by Blaine Wright.

Party Pooper: 4-0-0 in seven starts, hard-hitting 5-year-old has seven wins here the last two seasons.

RACING THIS WEEK

Saturday, September 16
2 p.m. (9 races)

Sunday, September 17
2 p.m. (11 races)
Jersey Day

CLOSING WEEK

Saturday, September 23
5 p.m.

Sunday, September 24
2 p.m.
$65,000 Joe Gottstein Futurity

BEYERS & FAST TIMES

Saturday, September 9
Race 1: Thereis Thatharbor-55*+
Race 2: Aprils Not Foolin-41
Race 3: Fortunate Cookie-35*+
Race 4: Sassy Debs Firefly-54
Race 5: Image of Truth-73
Race 6: Swiss Script-66
Race 7: Time On the Run-49
Race 8: Commander Lute-66
Race 9: Party Pooper-69
Race 10: Good Company-60

Sunday, September 10
Race 1: Winning Bluff-50*+
Race 2: Maurice Code-76
Race 3: C I M Sweet-32*+
Race 4: Seattle Smoke-56
Race 5: Mitch and John E-55
Race 6: Nightwalker-48
Race 7: Coast Is Clear-48
Race 8: First Heritage-68
Race 9: Emmett Park-87*
Race 10: Belltown Beauty-32
* Career-high
# First-time starter
+ 2-year-old

Fastest Times
4 ½ Furlongs :51.45 Rosie’s Reward (2g) June 24
5 Furlongs :56.38 All for Me (4g) April 9
5 ½ Furlongs 1:01.10 Prime Engine (5g) April 22
6 Furlongs 1:07.65 Luz Atticus (7g) Sept 1
6 ½ Furlongs 1:13.94 Mach One Rules (4g) June 18
1 Mile 1:33.85 Gold Rush Dancer (4c) Aug 13
1 1/16 Mile 1:42.55 Mach One Rules (4g) July 16
1 1/8 Mile 1:47.88 Citizen Kitty (5m) Aug 13
1 1/4 Mile 2:02.73 Commander Lute (6g) Sept 9
300 Yards :15.787 Augie Meyer (5g) June 10
350 Yards tie-:17.958 Cm Boom Shakalaka (2g) Aug 20 &
Silvies (5m) Sept 2
440 Yards :22.167 Secretly Fast (4g) Aug 20
870 Yards :45.826 Rare Ed (6g) Aug 20

Wins
Rockport Birdie (6m) 7-6-0-1-$24,995
Wine At Nine (5g) 8-5-1-1-$28,615
Exit Sixty Slew (4f) 6-5-0-1-$58,535
Pat’s Inheritance (4c) 8-4-1-2-$18,585
Image of Truth (4g) 11-4-1-0-$19,860
Mr. Takahashi (5g) 6-4-1-0-$18,900
Mike Man’s Gold (7g) 6-4-0-2-$44,975
Oh Marvelous Me (5g) 6-4-0-2-$39,840
Party Pooper (5h) 7-4-0-0-$30,025
Bella Mia (2f) 5-4-0-0-$91,523
Jerre to Carrie (4f) 5-4-0-0-$36,960
Maurice Code (3g) 5-4-0-0-$27,150
Emmett Park (6g) 4-4-0-0-$47,575
3-28 tied

Earnings
$135,250-Mach One Rules (4g)
$114,510-Citizen Kitty (5m)
$110,000-Gold Rush Dancer (4c)
$91,523-Bella Mia (2f)
$88,925-Riser (3c)
$71,725-Little Dancer (3f)
$58,535-Exit Sixty Slew (4f)
$58,050-Barkley (4c)
$56,250-Aqua Frio (3g)
$47,888-Sippin Fire (2g)

Leading Jockeys
115-Rocco Bowen
61-Kevin Orozco
53-Julien Couton
45-Eswan Flores
42-L. Camacho-Flores
37-Juan Gutierrez

Jockeys Stakes Wins
6-Julien Couton
4-Rocco Bowen
3-Isaias Enriquez
3-Eswan Flores

Leading Trainers
53-Blaine Wright
33-Joe Toye
29-Frank Lucarelli
28-Charles Essex
27-Jeff Metz

Trainers Stakes Wins
10-Blaine Wright
4-Frank Lucarelli
3-Jeff Metz

Leading Owners
18-John E. Parker
13-Conley, Conley & Terra Firma Farm
9-Rick Kessler
8-Peter Redekop BC Ltd
7-Elwin Gibson & Arturo Arboleda
6-Muddy Waters Stables
6-John & Janene Maryanski
6-Two Putts for the Win #7
6-Vann Belvoir

Owners Earnings
$303,557-John E. Parker
$168,850-R.E.V. Racing
$165,610-Peter Redekop BC Ltd
$121,915-John & Janene Maryanski
$116,422-Highlander Racing Stables
$99,025-Conley, Conley & Terra Firma Farm
$91,645-Chappell Alpine Farms
$77,113-Darrin L. Paul

Leading QH Jockeys
4-Eduardo Gutierrez-Sosa
2-Luis Gonzalez
2-Lorenzo Lopez

Leading QH Trainers
4-Hector Magallanes
2-Adrian Quinones

Betting Favorites
Last Week: 9-20 (45.0%)
Season: 201-553 (36.3%)
QH Favorites: 3-10 (30.0%)

Largest $2 Win:
Tbred-$103.80 Betting On Dr Bow (June 18)
QH-$123.00 Secretly Fast (Aug 20)
$2 Place: $34.60 Fluidity (Aug 25)
$2 Show: $16.20 Dedicated to You (Aug 13)

Kevin Orozco

WEEKLY HONORS #23 (Sept 9-10): Valpak Jockey-Kevin Orozco; Las Margaritas Trainer-Blaine Wright; EmD Owners-Pat LePley, Gordy Jarnig and Bob and Caroline Medley; Quarter Chute Café Groom-Angel Cruz (Larry Ross); WTBOA Washington-bred-Fortunate Cookie (Todd & Shawn Hansen breeders); Exercise Rider of the Week-Angela Gonzalez (Rigoberto Velasquez).

FINISH LINES: Blaine Wright needs just $933 in earnings to have the second highest total in track history. Doris Harwood with $931,916 in 2009 is No. 1 followed by Jim Penney with $793,760 in 2005 and Wright with $792,827. . .Wright has three horses entered this weekend including Washington Cup Sophomore Stakes winner Pulpits Power in Sunday’s $21,000 allowance feature for 3-year-olds. . .The following horses are all four-time winners this season for Wright: Bella Mia, Emmett Park, Maurice Code and Oh Marvelous Me, and Exit Sixty Slew and First Heritage have each won three races. . .Wright also has been red-hot with jockeys Julien Couton (17-39), Kevin Orozco (13-27) and Eswan Flores (7-11). . .Recent allowance winner and Emerald Downs Derby fourth-place finisher Monydontspenitself will be shipped to trainer Mark Glatt in California, trainer Kay Cooper said. . .The richest racehorse in Washington history—Heza Dasha Fire—continued his winning ways recently at Los Alamitos. Owned by Don and Kathy Meneely of Kennewick, Heza Dasha Fire rolled to a 1 ¾-length victory in the Grade 1 Go Man Go Handicap and now has career earnings of $1,989,237. A 5-year-old gelding by Walk Thru Fire-Dasha Freda, Heza Dasha Fire is 14-4-0 in 19 starts with eight stakes wins.
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