Blame It On Royce and jockey Julien Couton

BLAME IT ON ROYCE PREVAILS IN FRIDAY FEATURE

AUBURN, Wash. (May 11, 2018) – Blame It On Royce collared Capital Expense past mid stretch and held off Wine At Nine for a 1 ¼-length victory Friday in the $15,200 Muckleshoot Casino Purse under the lights at Emerald Downs.

With regular rider Julien Couton aboard, Blame It On Royce covered 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.53 and paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.20. Blaine Wright is the winning trainer for owners Luigi DiPietro and Diana DiPietro.

A 6-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Arch, Blame It On Royce was a multiple winner at Emerald Downs in 2016 and 2017, and has a career mark of 5-1-3 in 11 starts with earnings of $54,647. Friday’s race was his first start since a fifth in a $40,000 optional claimer last September.

Wine At Nine, the slight 6-5 choice ridden by Gary Wales, rallied strongly for second and paid $2.80 and $2.20. Voted the meet’s top claimer last year, Wine At Nine is one of the most consistent runners on the grounds and 11-3-4 in 25 starts at Emerald Downs.

Capital Expense, ridden by Austin Solis, nearly stole the race on the front end, setting blistering fractions of :21.74, :44.01 and :56.64 before weakening in the final furlong. Off at odds of 18-1, Capital Expense paid $4 to show.

Thorn Legacy, Big Hat Charlie and Uzta Have Money completed the order of finish; Guardingthemoney and Hit the Beach were scratched earlier in the day.

JACKPOT PICK 7 PAYS OUT OVER $16K

The $0.20 Jackpot Pick 7 was hit for the first time Friday, paying out $16,619.88 to one ticket that had all seven winners.

The Gold Monkey and Trelawny were the only horses covered heading into the seventh race, and Trelawny wound up dead heating with Royal Tale for the victory. The winning ticket, sold on track, included Seattle Smoke at 11-1 in Race 2 and Tesla at 13-1 in race five.

NOTES:  In the meet’s first two-turn race, 11-year-old Trelawany ($3.60) and 7-year-old Royal Tale ($5.80) dead-heated for the victory, running one mile in 1:38.62. . .Eswan Flores, rider of Royal Tale, now has 100 wins at Emerald Downs. . .Rocco Bowen rode Fernet Me Not to a six-length victory in Friday’s fourth race and has at least one win on all six cards to date. . .The $1 exacta combining fifth race winner Tesla ($28.80) and 39-1 Colour of Money paid $451.60, second largest of the season. . .Colour of Money paid a season-high $31 to place. . .Trainer Larry Ross saddled Seattle Smoke ($25.20) and Oopper Wallah to a one-two finish in race two. The latter, first starter of the year for the Emerald Racing Club, was claimed for $7,500 by Joe Toye and Rick Kessler. . . Racing resumes Saturday with first post 2 p.m.

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