IT’S LITTLE RICHIE COAST-TO-COAST IN EMERALD FEATURE
It’s Little Richie put it all together Saturday at Emerald Downs, sprinting to a long early lead and holding off Prince of Silver for a half-length victory in the $11,900 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up.
Ridden by Leonel Camacho-Flores, It’s Little Richie ran six furlongs in 1:09.53 and paid $44, $15.60 and $5. Charles Essex is the winning trainer and co-owner with Rich and Ann Richardson of Chelan, Wash.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Harbor the Gold-Butterfly Belle, It’s Little Richie carved out fractions of :22.19, :45.49 and :57.29, was three lengths clear past mid-stretch and held Prince of Silver safe to the wire.
Prince of Silver, Eswan Flores riding, paid $13.20 and $4.80, while Volume Twelve, ridden by Isaias Enriquez, finished third paid $2.20 to show.
Christmas Caballo, West Coast Wheelie, Illumination Road, Showball’s Chance, N.Y. Smoke and Riotuff completed the order of finish.
Volume Twelve, the 1-5 betting favorite, was claimed for $15,000 by trainer Candi Tollett and owner John Parker.It’s Little Richie is 2-2-1 in nine career starts with earnings of $27,050 including a $6,545 winner’s share.
In the $0.20 Pick 7, there were no tickets with seven winners and the carryover to Sunday is $4,466.
MUCKLESHOOT GOLD CUP INDIAN RELAY RESULTS
Saturday was the day two of 2016 Muckleshoot Gold Cup, featuring 18 of the nation’s finest Indian Relay Racing teams from Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.
There are three more qualifying heats for Sunday’s championship Gold Cup at 6:45 p.m.
Results from Saturday three qualifying heats for Sunday’s championship race:
Heat 1: 1st-Little Badger (Blackfeet Nation, MT); 2nd-Grizzly Mountain (Colville Tribe, WA); 3rd-Two-Tone (Sho-Ban, Idaho)
Heat 2: 1st-Omak Express (Colville Tribe, WA); 2nd-AwaSapsii Express (Blackfeet Nation, MT) 3rd-Blanket Bull (Crow Nation, MT)
Heat 3: 1st-Starr School (Blackfeet Nation, MT); 2nd-Marchand Relay (Colville Tribe, WA); 3rd-Pikuni Express (Blackfeet Nation, MT)
Indian Relay Racing continues Sunday with three more races:
Consolation Relay Race 1: 3:07 p.m. (between Emerald Downs’ races 3 & 4)
Consolation Relay Race 2: 4:54 p.m. (between Emerald Downs’ races 6 &7)
Muckleshoot Gold Cup: 6:45 p.m. (following Emerald Downs race 9)
NOTES: Paddy’s Secret ($17)—a Kentucky-bred by Paddy O’Prado —captured the meet’s first 2-year-old race by 6 ¼ lengths in :51.48 for 4 ½ furlongs. Leslie Mawing rode the winner for trainer Frank Lucarelli and owner Donnybrook Stable . Lucarelli also saddled runner-up Blazinbeauty , a Kentucky-bred filly by Tale of Ekati owned by Darrin Paul . . . Jeff Metz saddled two winners— Papa Frank ($8.20) and Pecos Breeze ($5) and leapfrogged Blaine Wright atop the trainers’ standings by a 17-16 margin. In the seventh race, Metz finished first and second with Pecos Breeze and Da Brooklyn Kid ,and Pecos Breeze became the sixth triple winner at the 2016 meet. . .Mawing and Rocco Bowen rode two winners each Saturday and Mawing continues to lead Bowen 36-35 in the jockeys’ standings. . .First post Sunday is 2 p.m.
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