Shelby Gold (inside) prevails over Reservoir

SHELBY GOLD PREVAILS IN SATURDAY FEATURE RACE

AUBURN, Wash. (July 1, 2023) – Shelby Gold held off Reservoir in a driving finish and scored a neck victory in the $18,000 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for older fillies and mares Saturday evening at Emerald Downs.

With Isaias Enriquez riding his second winner on the card, Shelby Gold covered six panels in 1:09.11 and paid $9 as third betting choice in a field of seven. Frank Lucarelli is the winning trainer for Shelby Gold Racing Stable.

The winner slipped inside Reservoir into the lane, and the two fillies raced head and head to the wire with Shelby Gold proving narrowly best.

A 3-year-old Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold, Shelby Gold has improved each out at the meet—finishing third on May 13, second on May 28, and first on Saturday. Her overall mark is 2-1-3 from 10 starts with earnings of $43,776.

Reservoir, the 9 to 5 favorite ridden by Kevin Radke, set fractions of :22.21, :45.01, and :56.82, and held gamely to finish second.

Donne Cattive, ridden by Silvio Amador, raced wide throughout and finished third, while Olivia’s Choice, Princess Payton, Queensboro, and Driveway rounded out the order of finish.

NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $740,008 on an eight-race card. . .Owner/trainer Luciano Medina Gabriel and jockey Neptali Ortiz clicked back-to-back with Nan Elizabeth ($4) and Orczy ($5.40) in races four and five, both rallying from far back to win going away. Ortiz then completed a natural hat trick with a gate-to-wire victory aboard Foster Boi ($4.20) in race six, capping his first three-win day at Emerald Downs. . .Isaias Enriquez and Frank Lucarelli also combined for two wins, Stickinittotheman ($7) in race two and Shelby Gold ($9) in the featured seventh. . .Jockey Alex Anaya notched his first win of the meet aboard Fun City ($5.60) in the eighth race finale. . .Top Harbor ($3.80) prevailed in the $75,000 Oak Tree Sprint at Pleasanton, rallying from last under Frank Alvarado for trainer Tim McCanna and owners Gordy Jarnig, Ken Marshall, and Eric Schweiger. Now 8 for 18 lifetime with earnings nearing $400,000, the 5-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding out of 2009 Washington Horse of the Year Reba Is Tops is possible for next month’s $150,000 Longacres Mile. . .Bryan Matthews filled in as track trumpeter Saturday. . .Live racing continues Sunday at 2 p.m.
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