Crooked Finger Ray and jockey Kevin Radke

CROOKED FINGER RAY ALL THE WAY IN FRIDAY FEATURE

AUBURN, Wash. (Aug. 12, 2022) – Crooked Finger Ray continued his winning ways Friday at Emerald Downs, carrying his speed all the way for a 1 ¾-length victory in the $13,000 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Kevin Radke, Crooked Finger Ray ran six furlongs in 1:10.88 and paid $5.40 as second choice in a field of seven. Candi Cryderman is the winning trainer for John Parker, the meet’s leading owner with 17 wins.

With Friday’s victory, Crooked Finger Ray joins Willing to Burn as the meet’s only four-time winners.
A 5-year-old California-bred son of Verrazano, Crooked Finger Ray improved to 7 for 20 lifetime with earnings of $125,508, and 4-0-0 in five starts at Emerald Downs with earnings of $29,288.

Sir Deputy, the slight 8 to 5 favorite also bidding for his fourth win of the meet, held second under jockey Juan Gutierrez, while Six Blessings rallied for third with Jose Zunino riding.

NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $1,076,752 on a seven-race card. . .Alex Cruz and Jorge Rosales combined for two victories—Aly’s Nation ($5.80) and Balius ($3.80). Cruz tops the jockeys’ standings with 64 wins while Rosales leads trainers with 26 wins. Amazingly, Cruz is 25 for 51 (49 percent) riding for Rosales at the meet. . .Trainer Frank Lucarelli also had two wins. . .Stonus Maximus ($4.40) became a triple winner at the meet with another gate to wire score under Juan Gutierrez for Blaine Wright and owner/breeder Margaret Root. . . Washington-bred The Big Wam ($3.40) prevailed in Del Mar’s $125,000 Graduation Stakes for 2-year-olds. . .Live racing continues Saturday with first post 2:15 p.m.

–##–