Miss Bella with jockey Silvio Amador
MISS BELLA ALL THE WAY IN SATURDAY FEATURE
AUBURN, Wash. (June 17, 2023) – Miss Bella utilized her blazing speed to score a 3 ¾-length victory over Our Lyla Grace in Saturday’s $25,000 Cutwater Spirits Purse for older fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.
With Silvio Amador aboard for trainer Blaine Wright, Miss Bella covered 5 ½ furlongs in a meet best 1:02.36 and paid $10 as second choice in a field of six.
Breaking smartly from the No. 2 post, Miss Bella set fractions of :21.43, :44.00, and :56.01 enroute to her second gate to wire score in three starts at the meeting.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold out of Bella Campana, Miss Bella improved to 3-3-3 in 13 starts overall with earnings of $64,988 for John and Janene Maryanski of Auburn.
Our Lyla Grace, the 3 to 5 favorite ridden by Jose Zunino, rallied late to snatch second over Frisco Frills while Chic Samarai, Your Roil Coil, and Brilliant Bird rounded out the order of finish.
MUCKLESHOOT GOLD CUP CONTINUES AT EMERALD DOWNS
In addition to seven live Thoroughbred races, Saturday action co-featured day two of the 2023 Muckleshoot Gold Cup Indian Relay Races. The seventh annual three-day competition features 18 teams from seven states and western Canada competing in a grand total of nine races concluding with Sunday’s championship $10,000 Muckleshoot Gold Cup.
In Saturday’s races, Old Sun, Amskapi Pikunii, and Two Medicine each won qualifiers and are in line for a chance to prevail in Sunday’s Gold Cup. Amskaapi Pikunii, Gold Cup champions two years ago, covered two miles in 3:36.44 under Vincent Bertelsen to capture Heat 2 while Two Medicine posted the day’s fastest clocking, 3:27.00 while nipping BirdInGround Relay in Heat 3. Also winning Saturday, was Old Sun with Ian Big Tobacco riding to victory in Heat 1.
Action continues Sunday with two consolation heats followed by the Muckleshoot Gold Cup at 5:28 p.m.
Results of Saturday’s qualifying heats:
Heat 1: 1st Old Sun (Ian Big Tobacco rider), Siksika, Alberta, 3:33.66; 2nd Teton (Miaus Teton), Lincoln Creek, Idaho, 3:37.40; 3rd Omak Express (Tyler Peasley), Omak, Washington, 3:41.75; 4th Tissidimit (Azeri Coby), Fort Hall, Idaho, 3:43.43; 5th Cedar Ridge (Jorge Galloway), Fort Hall, Idaho, 4:03.47; DNF-Strong Horse Relay.
Heat 2: 1st Amskapi Pikunii (Vincent Bertelsen rider), Browning, Montana, 3:36.44; 2nd River Road (Darren Charges Strong Jr.), Crow Agency, Montana, 3:37.56; 3rd Starr School (E J Enos), Starr School, Montana, 3:41.09; 4th Little Badger (Justin Burd), Browning, Montana, 3:47.31; 5th Mountain Crow Relay (Joey Gutierrez), Crow Agency, Montana, 4:23.63; DNF-S/M Express.
Heat 3: 1st Two Medicine (Cody Carlson rider), Browning, Montana, 3:27.00; 2nd BirdInGround Relay (Tristen BirdInGround rider), Crow, Montana, 3:27.30; 3rd Abrahamson (Scotty Abrahamson rider), Omak, Washington, 3:34.25; 4th Grizzly Mountain (Terrence Holford), Omak, Washington; 3:41.28; 5th Carlson Relay (Chazz Racine), Browning, Montana, 3:42.07; 6th Counting Coup (Narsis Reevis), Browning, Montana; 3:49.75.
Results of Friday’s qualifying heats:
Heat 1: 1st Abrahamson (Scotty Abrahamson rider), Omak, Washington, 3:29.37; 2nd Omak Express (Tyler Peasley), Omak, Washington, 3:32.62; 3rd Cedar Ridge (Jorge Calloway), Fort Hall, Idaho, 3:37.97; 4th Strong Horse Relay (Mathew Pakootas Jr.), Nespelem, Washington, 3:41.00; 5th Starr School (E J Enos), Star School, Montana, 3:42.87; DNF-Teton.
Heat 2: 1st BirdInGround Relay (Tristen BirdInGround rider), Crow, Montana, 3:28.38; 2nd Two Medicine (Cody Carlson), Browning, Montana; 3:31.56; 3rd Old Sun (Ian Big Tobacco), Siksika, Alberta, 3:33.85; 4th Carlson Relay (Chazz Racine), Browning, Montana, 3:33.86; 5th Counting Coup (Narsis Reevis), Browning, Montana; 3:47.86; 6th Mountain Crow Relay (Joey Gutierrez), Crow Agency, Montana; 4:43.13.
Heat 3: 1st Tissidimit (Azeri Coby), Fort Hall, Idaho, 3:37.40; 2nd River Road (Darren Charges Strong Jr.), Crow Agency, Montana, 3:37.41; 3rd Grizzly Mountain (Terrence Holford), Omak, Washington; 3:48.22; 4th Amskapi Pikunii (Vincent Bertelsen), Browning, Montana; 3:49.75; 5th S/M Express (P J Nomee), Lodge Grass, Montana; 3:50.83; DNF-Little Badger.
Sunday’s Heat Schedule
Heat 1 – 2:53 p.m. (after Emerald Downs Race 2)
Heat 2 – 4:11 p.m. (after Emerald Downs Race 4)
Championship – 5:28 p.m. (after Emerald Downs Race 6)
Muckleshoot Gold Cup Winners
2022: Omak Express
2021: Amskapi Pikunii
2020: cancelled Covid
2019: River Road Relay
2018: Abrahamson
2017: Starr School
2016: Carlson
NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $676,246 on an eight-race card. . .In the $24,000 co-feature for 3-year-olds and up, Tax Code ran the fastest six furlongs of the meet (1:07.68) under a rail skimming ride from Kevin Radke while posting a one-length victory over Missed the Boat. A 4-year-old Speightstown gelding trained by Shelly Crowe and owned by Mischief Racing, Tax Code is 2-1-0 in three starts at the meet. . .Bourbon Tiger ($8) edged Mocktails Anyone in the first 2-year-old race of the meet, zipping 4 ½ panels in :51.17 under Alexis Valdes for trainer Blaine Wright and owners Dan Warden and Double R Racing. The winner by Smiling Tiger sold for $9,000 at the 2022 Washington Yearling Sale. . .Congratulations jockey Neptali Ortiz on his first career Emerald Downs victory aboard Baby Frankie ($10.80) in the Saturday finale. . .Valdes and Kevin Orozco rode two winners each while Luis Negron, the meet’s leading rider with 25 wins, was blanked for the first time this season after 14 straight winning days. . .Wright was the lone trainer with two wins. . .Live racing continues Sunday with the Muckleshoot Gold Cup and the first two stakes of the 2023 season—$50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings and $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. First post 2 p.m.
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