Fantastic Day and jockey Alex Cruz
FANTASTIC DAY PREVAILS IN FRIDAY NIGHT FEATURE RACE
AUBURN, Wash. (Sept. 9, 2022) – Fantastic Day collared Stand To in the final furlong and raced to a 1 ½-length victory Friday in the featured $22,000 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Alex Cruz, Fantastic Day ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.11 and paid $6.60, $3.40, and $2.10. Jorge Rosales is the trainer for owner Alan Peterson of Eugene, Ore.
Cruz rode two winners Friday, his 84th and 85th of the season, and appears headed to a third straight Emerald Downs’ riding title. With only four days remaining in the meet, Cruz leads Kevin Radke by 15 wins.
Rosales, meanwhile, leads Blaine Wright 36-28 in the trainers’ standings and is nearing his first Emerald Downs’ title after finishing finished third in 2019 and 2021, and second in 2020.
Combined, Cruz and Rosales have a 34 for 80 mark this season including a pair of wins with Fantastic Day.
A 5-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro, Fantastic Day has been a hard hitter the last three seasons at Emerald Downs. He holds the track record for largest winning margin of 22 ½ lengths set in 2020 and owns a 5-2-0 record in 12 starts in Auburn. Fantastic Day’s overall mark is 8-5-1 in 28 starts with earnings of $110,934.
Stand To shook off 8 to 5 favorite Coastal Jazz into the stretch, running a half-mile in :44.92, but couldn’t hold off Fantastic Day from over the top and finished second. Ridden by Jake Samuels, Stand To paid $4.40 and $2.20.
Coastal Jazz held third, returning $2.20 for show, and Mirror Image and Heredia Boxer rounded out the order of finish. Mixo was scratched earlier in the day.
NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $922,676 on a seven-race card. . .You’re the Cause ($16.20) upset odds-on Missed the Boat in a $16,500 starter allowance, adding the latest chapter in the 3-year-old’s dream season at Emerald Downs. Since being claimed for $8,000 on July 9, the Creative Cause gelding has gone 3 for 3 with earnings of $58,575 for trainer Debbie Van Horne and owner WilWin Stable, including a massive $115.60 upset in the Muckleshoot Derby last month. You’re the Cause is 4 for 4 overall at the meet and tied with Collecting Stars, Antecedence, Willing to Burn, and Crooked Finger Ray for most wins at the meet. . .Alex Cruz, Jake Samuels, and Jose Zunino rode two winners each. . .Zunino’s wins both paid double digits: You’re the Cause, and Alphabetical ($22.20). . .Friday’s card was the final night card of the 52-day meeting. . .Four days of racing remain in 2022—Saturday, Sept. 10, 2:15 pm; Sunday, Sept. 11, 2:15 pm; Saturday, Sept. 17, 2:15 pm; Sunday, Sept. 18, 2:15 pm.
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