Wear the Crown with jockey Kevin Radke

WEAR THE CROWN PREVAILS IN SATURDAY FEATURE

AUBURN, Wash. (August 12, 2023) – Wear the Crown shook off even-money favorite Whatwasithinking into the stretch and held off a surging Stephen James for a head victory in Saturday’s featured Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-yer-olds and up at Emerald Downs.

With Kevin Radke riding for a red-hot Joe Toye, Wear the Crown ran six furlongs in 1:10.71 and paid $10.20 as third choice in the wagering.

Owned by Paddock Partners Ltd., 4-year-old Wear the Crown won for the second time this season, improving to 6 for 20 lifetime with earnings of $49,865.

For Toye, the victory capped a three-win night as he moved into 10th place in all-time Emerald Downs’ wins with 404, two more than the late Bud Klokstad.

Frank Lucarelli

2023 WASHINGTON HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
Preceding the races was the 2023 Washington Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony featuring five new additions to the state’s racing elite: Frank Lucarelli (Trainer), Atta Boy Roy (Older Horse), Stryker Phd (Older Horse), Bar C Racing (Breeder), and George and Norma Sedlock (Owner).

NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $766,016 on a seven-race card. . .Carlos Montalvo posted his second consecutive three-win night and now ranks fifth with 26 wins. . .Kevin Orozco continued his late season resurgence with two more wins and has ridden at least one winner on six straight cards. . .Clovisconnection ($5.80) won Saturday’s $75,000 Robert Dupret Derby at Santa Rosa, running 1 1 1/6 miles on turf in 1:42.71 for trainer Blaine Wright and owner/breeder William Hedrick. A California-bred by Vronsky, Clovisconnection swept the Auburn Stakes and Irish Day Stakes this season at Emerald Downs. . .In Friday’s seventh race, 3-year-old gelding He’s a Flyin sustained a musculoskeletal injury of his left front cannon bone and was humanely euthanized. It’s the first racing catastrophic injury at Emerald Downs of 2023. Rider Alex Anaya escaped serious injury in the incident but was off his mounts Saturday due to soreness. . .Live racing continues Sunday with Championship Sunday featuring four stakes capped by the 88th renewal of the $150,000 Longacres Mile for 3-year-olds and up. First post 2 p.m.

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