Itsallabouttheride (inside) edges Poverty Bay (No. 7)

ITSALLABOUTTHERIDE PREVAILS IN BELMONT DAY THRILLER

AUBURN, Wash. (June 10, 2023) – Itsallabouttheride wore down Poverty Bay in the final strides and scored a nose victory in Saturday’s $24,000 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Silvio Amador, Itsallabouttheride ran six furlongs in 1:10.18 in his season debut and paid $4.60 as the betting favorite. Bonnie Jenne trains the winner for Friendship Stable, Q Stable, and Craig Fredrickson.

Winner of last year’s Irish Day Stakes, Itsallabouttheride improved to 3-1-2 from eight career starts with earnings of $72,699, including $13,920 for Saturday’s victory.

Itsallabouttheride dropped back to fourth around the turn, as Poverty Bay set splits of :22.01 and :45.17 but rallied up the rail and tagged Poverty Bay in a head-bobber at the wire.

Poverty Bay, ridden by Kevin Radke, resisted gamely through the stretch, and just failed to last for the victory. Jin Tong, ridden by Alex Anaya, was 1 ¼-lengths back in third while Napoletano, Peso, and Firewalker rounded out the order of finish.

Naval Escort was scratched earlier in the day.

NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $675,517 on an eight-race card. . .The track was labeled sloppy throughout the day. . .Jockey Luis Negron has at least one victory on all 12 cards to date including victories Saturday with Lady Atta Tude ($12.20) and Dirt Road Red ($5). . .Tim McCanna was two for two with wins by Lady Atta Tude and Holiday Hustle ($7.40) and is three for four at the meeting. McCanna’s ranks No. 2 all-time with 968 Emerald Downs victories. . Kevin Radke and Alex Cruz also rode two winners each Saturday. . .A replay of the 1973 Belmont Stakes starring the immortal Secretariat was shown on the big screen between races Saturday. . .Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2 p.m.

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