2019 MARATHON SERIES OFF TO EXCELLENT START
AUBURN, Wash. (August 10, 2019) – Party for One and Freddies Dream each won races Saturday as Emerald Downs presented two $13,692 divisions of the first leg of the WHBPA and WTBOA Horsemen Helping Horsemen Distance Series for 3-year-olds and up.
Party for One (left) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.09 and paid $8.80 to win, out dueling Awesome Return in a prolonged battle and then holding off Cook Up a Storm for his 12th victory the last two years. Lorenzo Lopez was up for trainer Rigoberto Velasquez and owners Rancho Viejo and Jerry Carmody.
Freddies Dream (right) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.84 and paid $10 to win, exploding between rivals into the lane and scoring by 8 3/4 lengths over Oldtimers Vision. Kevin Krigger rode the winner for Tim McCanna and Hern/LePley Racing.
The series continues Saturday, August 31 at 1-¼ miles and concludes September 21 at 1-½ miles. However, a horse must have run in the first leg to remain eligible, and there were five claims from Saturday’s first division (Party for One, Cook Up a Storm, Awesome Return, Pass Due Payment and Elwood J) and three from the second division (Freddies Dream, Oldtimers Vision and Thorn Legacy).
A 6-year-old Washington-bred by Desert Party, Party for One earned $7,184 and is 13-6-7 from 53 starts with earnings of $82,227. Last year, he won eight races and was named Washington’s Top Plater.
An 8-year-old California-bred by Good Journey, Freddies Dream earned $7,184 and is 10-6-9 in 47 starts with earnings of $276,021.
NOTES: Jose Leon edged Eddie Martinez in the annual jockey foot race for the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund. . .Trainer Rosie Simkins notched her first win of the season as National Heroine ($11.40) cruised to an easy maiden victory in the Saturday opener. . .Wilson to Lockett ($6) scored a second race touchdown in race two, rallying for a 3 ¾-length maiden victory under Kevin Krigger for trainer Steve Bullock. . .Krigger rode three winners Saturday, already his third triple since arriving last week. . .Dan Agnew, Gerald Schneider, and John Xitco, owners of Longacres Mile contender Law Abidin Citizen, got the weekend off to a hot start with a victory by Collusion Illusion ($17) in the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar. . .Former Emerald Downs’ riding champions Gallyn Mitchell and Kevin Radke attended the races Saturday night. . .Live racing continues tomorrow with Championship Sunday featuring four stakes including the 84th running of the $200,000 Longacres Mile. First post 2 p.m.
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