Elliott Bay and Jennifer Whitaker won two stakes in 2017
ELLIOTT BAY HEADLINES SUNDAY’S $50,000 AUBURN STAKES
Elliott Bat, voted track and state champion 2-year-old last year, makes his first start of 2018 Sunday in the $50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings at six furlongs.
A record field of 11 is entered in the Auburn, first of five open stakes for 3-year-olds culminating with the inaugural running of the $100,000 Getaway Stakes on Sunday, September 23.
Trainer Howard Belvoir said Elliott Bay is ready for Sunday’s assignment, but miffed that two allowance preps failed to fill last month.
“It’s interesting that we couldn’t get an allowance race to go, and then we have (11) horses in the Auburn,” Belvoir said. “My horse has been training great all spring, he’s ready to run. He’s bored with training.”
For the record, Elliott Bay has logged 12 official workouts this spring, including five at five furlongs and one each at six and seven furlongs.
By Harbor the Gold-Melba Jewel, Elliott Bay is 2-2-0 in five starts with earnings of $90,687 for Rising Star Stable II. Both his victories were in stakes races—by three-quarters of a length over Sippin Fire in the WTBOA Lads Stakes at six furlongs, and by 1 ½-lengths over Trump Itz in the Gottstein Futurity at 1 1/16 miles.
Elliott Bay drew the No. 10 post-position with regular rider Jennifer Whitaker the jockey. Interestingly, posts 10, 11 and 12 are a combined 0-26 in sprints the last two seasons at Emerald Downs.
Sippin Fire makes his first start since his 5 ½-length victory over Elliott Bay in the Washington Cup Juvenile Colts and Geldings. He skipped the subsequent Gottstein Futurity won by Elliott Bay.
A Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold-Bahati, Sippin Fire is 2-1-0 in four starts with earnings of $47,888 for trainer Steve Bullock and How We Roll 4.
Hastings shipper Boundary Bay, a full brother to 2016 Emerald Downs Horse of the Meeting O B Harbor, prevailed in a six-furlong allowance over the bullring April 22.
· Four of the 11 entrants are by Harbor the Gold: Elliott Bay, Sippin Fire, Boundary Bay and Winter Knight. Harbor the Gold is far and away No. 1 all-time with 56 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. Slewdledo ranks second with 27.
· The inaugural Auburn in 1996 drew 12 entrants, but that race was for 3-year-olds and up. The 2004 and 2011 Auburn both drew fields of nine.
· Entries for Monday’s $50,000 Hastings Stakes for older fillies and mares at six furlongs will be drawn Monday. Defending champion Citizen Kitty is the probable favorite.
The field for Sunday’s $50,000 Auburn Stakes, 3-year-old colts & geldings, six furlongs, Race 6, 5:07 pm: 1-Hey Sequoia, Patrick Henry Jr., 117 lbs; 2-Oldtoytrain, Gary Wales, 117; 3-Winter Knight, Jose Zunino, 117; 4-Sippin Fire, Rocco Bowen, 121; 5-Freiburg, Eswan Flores, 117; 6-Vicente’s Shadow, Erick Lopez, 117; 7-Whatwasithinking, Kevin Orozco, 119; 8-Choreography, Austin Solis, 117; 9-My Heart Awakens, Leonel Camacho Flores, 117; 10-Elliott Bay, Jennifer Whitaker, 121; 11-Boundary Bay, Julien Couton, 117.
RACING THIS WEEK
Friday, May 25
6:30 p.m. (7 races)
$0.20 Jackpot Pick 7 carryover: $5,535
Saturday, May 26
2 p.m. (9 races)
Sunday, May 27
2 p.m. (9 races)
$50,000 Auburn Stakes (3yo c&g, 6f)
Armed Forces Day
Monday, May 28
2 p.m. (9 races)
$50,000 Hastings Stakes (3&up f&m, 6f)
Memorial Day Outdoor Drawing
BEYERS & FAST TIMES
Friday, May 18
Race 1: Rough and Ready-53*
Race 2: Fly Far Away-64
Race 3: Uncle Ackie-49
Race 4: Private Boss-63
Race 5: Mitch and John E-76*
Race 6: Frisky Bear-48
Race 7: Will Not-42
Saturday, May 19
Race 1: Curious Rumor-61*
Race 2: K K’s Wonderwoman-58
Race 3: Mister Breeze-69
Race 4: Solemnly Swear-64
Race 5: Check and Raise-55
Race 6: Briana Jean-62
Race 7: Iron Rob-74
Race 8: Ryan Walt-62
No Talking Back
Sunday, May 20
Race 1: No Talking Back-74*
Race 2: Golden Cowboy-63**
Race 3: Hill Croome-63
Race 4: Aliante-64*
Race 5: Top Kitty Cat-60
Race 6: Ima Happy Cat-70
Race 7: Mintenized-61
Race 8: Dreamrider-61
Race 9: Vita Luna-37
* Career-high
**Ties career-high
# First-time starter
Fastest Times
5 Furlongs :56.52 Das Bear (3yog), May 5
5 ½ Furlongs 1:02.94 Barkley (5yoh), May 13
6 Furlongs 1:08.99 Guardian One (5yom), May 5
6 ½ Furlongs 1:15.21 Bullet Express (4yog), May 5
1 Mile 1:36.42 Awesome Return (7yog) May 13
Betting Favorites
Last Week: 11-24 (45.8%)
Season: 26-94 (27.6%)
Largest $2 Win: $60.40 No Talking Back (May 5)
$2 Place: $31 Colour of Money (May 11)
$2 Show: $16.20 Vintastic (May 13)
Leading Jockeys
21-Rocco Bowen
11-Kevin Orozco
10-Gary Wales
9-Eswan Flores
6-Julien Couton
6-Austin Solis
6-Jose Zunino
5-Leonel Camacho-Flores
4-Javier Matias
Leading Trainers
12-Jeff Metz
8-Frank Lucarelli
5-Blaine Wright
5-Jack McCartney
5-Vince Gibson
5-Joe Toye
4-Chris Stenslie
4-Robert Meeking
Leading Owners
5-Tawnja Elison
5-Saratoga West
3-Rick Kessler or Terra Firma Farm
2-North American Thoroughbred Racing Co.
2-Muddy Waters Stables
2-Allaire Farms
2-Mullens, Larson & Zenker
2-Mike Dale or Gary Borman
2-Randall and Rossi or Lucarelli Racing
Horses Wins
2-Ryan Walt
2-No Talking Back
2-Bet the Harbor
2-Curious Rumor
2-Dudley Studley
2-Rojo Bou Peep
Mike “Muddy” Waters
WEEKLY HONORS #4 (May 18-20): Valpak Jockey-Rocco Bowen; Las Margaritas Trainer-Robert Meeking; EmD Owner-Muddy Waters Stables; Quarter Chute Café Groom-Carlos Villa (Frank Lucarelli); WTBOA WA-bred-No Talking Back (One Horse Will Do Corp. breeder); Exercise Rider-Jaysen Brummer.
Fleet Eagle-2015 Governor’s Hcp
NOTES: Saturday’s opener is the first quarter horse race of the meet, a $5,000 allowance for 3-year-olds and up at 350 yards. Eduardo Gutierrez Sosa and Hector Magallanes—the leading QH rider and trainer last year—combine with Favorite Hawk on Saturday. Once again the biggest race for Quarter Horses is the $30,000 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge Stakes on August 26. . .Nominations close Saturday for the $50,000 Governor’s Stakes for 3-year-olds and up on Sunday, June 3. At six furlongs, the Governor’s is first stop on the road to the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) on Sunday, August 12. . .Alliford Bay scored an easy three-length victory in Monday’s $50,000 Vancouver Sun Handicap at Hastings Racecourse. Owned by Peter Redekop and trained by Blaine Wright, Alliford Bay ($2.30) ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:17.22 and earned an 83 Beyer. . .2015 Governor’s Handicap winner Fleet Eagle is still going strong at age 9, scoring a two-length victory in a $18,000 claimer Monday at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pennsylvania. In the 2015 Governor’s, Fleet Eagle ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14.27, earned a 100 Beyer, and paid $81.40 to win. . .Rocco Bowen, who begins the week with 21 wins and a 10-win lead atop the riders’ standings, celebrated his 29th birthday Wednesday. Bowen needs 13 wins to become the eighth jockey with 500 wins at Emerald Downs. . .
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