Lie and Deny (No. 1) edges Dennard and Roll Dem Bones

LIE AND DENY PREVAILS IN FRIDAY NIGHT THRILLER

AUBURN, Wash. (Sept. 13, 2024) – Lie and Deny edged Dennard and Roll Dem Bones in a blanket finish in Friday’s $16,500 Pepsi Purse at Emerald Downs on the final night program of the 2024 season.

Ridden by Kevin Krigger, Lie and Deny ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.19 and paid $7.74 as the second betting choice in a field of 10 older sprinters. Justin Evans is the trainer and co-owner with Rakoczy Racing.

For Evans it was his third straight win on the card, boosting his season total to 59 wins in 53 days, and the Arizona native has clinched his second straight Emerald Downs title.

Evans and Rakoczy Racing also won the fourth race with Ferociously, upping their lead to 17-12 over Miguel Hernandez atop the owners’ standings.

Lie and Deny set contested fractions of :21.94 and :44.11, yielded the lead to Roll Dem Bones past mid-stretch and came back on for the victory at the wire, overhauling Roll Dem Bones and just touching out the onrushing Dennard.

For Lie and Deny it was his third win of the meet and improved his Emerald Downs record to 7-0-0 in 11 starts with earnings of $53,973. He now has back-to-back three-win seasons.

Dennard, ridden by Luis Reyes, angled out in mid-stretch and rallied strongly to miss his fourth win of the season by a nose.

Roll Dem Bones, the 2 to 1 favorite coming off a victory in the championship event of the Hollywood Harbor Sprint Series, finished a head back in third.

Napoletano rallied for fourth place while Beau Mischief, Ain’t No Sissy, Handr’sdream, Mr. Fireball, Mirror Image, and Pedal to the Metal rounded out the full order of finish.

NOTES: Luis Reyes and Kevin Krigger rode two winners each while apprentice Manuel Americano took the nightcap on Nation of Faith ($10.74) and has wins on six straight cards. . .Including Nation of Faith, trainer Charles Essex has wins with seven of his last 12 starters. . .With two days remaining in the meet, Alex Cruz leads Krigger 64-47 in the jockeys’ race, and Evans leads Blaine Wright 59-33 in the trainers’ race. . .George Todaro’s Red Cross Knight ($5) prevailed in the opening day feature at Los Alamitos, raising the colt’s record to 4 for 5 at the Cypress, Calif., facility. A 4-year-old by Bold Chieftain, Red Cross Knight debuted with a victory at Emerald Downs in 2022. Sunday, Todaro and Tom Wenzel attempt to win their fourth straight Gottstein Futurity with Candy Caballo listed 6 to 1 on the morning line. . .Northwest native and former Emerald Downs media member Jason Beem, currently track announcer at Tampa Bay Downs and Colonial Downs, was the celebrity guest thrower prior to Friday’s $1,000 horseshoe pitch. . .Racing continues Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. post.

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