Coastal Jazz and jockey Alex Cruz
COASTAL JAZZ PREVAILS AS EMERALD DOWNS LAUNCHES
2024 SEASON ON KENTUCKY DERBY DAY
AUBURN, Wash. (May 4, 2024) – Coastal Jazz and Alex Cruz resumed their winning ways as Emerald Downs launched its 29th season of live racing Saturday on Kentucky Derby Day.
With Cruz riding his second winner of the day, Coastal Jazz zipped 5 ½ furlongs in a brisk 1:01.75 and paid $3.92 as the public betting choice in the featured $21,500 Caliber Concrete Purse. Steve Bullock saddled the winner for owner Gold Coast Racing, a syndicate headed by breeder Ron Hagen of Buckley, Wash.
Cruz, bidding for his fifth straight Emerald Downs riding title, also scored aboard Autocrat in race three to get an early jump in 2024.
Coastal Jazz’ winning time was only a hundredth of a second off the fastest 5 ½ furlongs of the entire 2023 meeting. A 6-year-old Washington-bred son of Coast Guard, Coastal Jazz won three races here last year and is 8 for 26 all-time at Emerald Downs. The bay gelding has an overall record of 9-2-8 in 33 starts with earnings of $146,708.
Saturday, Coastal Jazz swept around Code Charlie with a three-wide bid into the lane, gained command past mid-stretch and held Boss of Themoss safe to the wire.
Boss of Themoss, a newcomer to Emerald Downs, finished second while Overly Fast, Firewalker and Code Charlie rounded out the order of finish. Muncey was scratched earlier in the day.
NOTES: Anniversaire d’Or took the season-opener under Carlos Montalvo, returning $3.18 for a $2 win ticket—or $0.18 more than it would have paid last year with Washington becoming the second state with penny breakage on all wagers. Previously, $3.18 would have been rounded down to the nearest $0.20 increment or $3. . .Blaine Wright doubled including first-timer Fast Times ($6.36), a 3-year-old Frosted gelding that prevailed in :57.82 under Jose Zunino for HX3 Incorporated. . . Luciano Medina Gabriel—21 for 70 last season—remains hot in 2024, saddling My Sunshine ($6.98) to win race four under Neptali Ortiz. . .Montalvo also rode two winners, bookending the card with Anniversaire d’Or and Rockit a Day ($10.88) . . .Party Foul, with a 1:01.75 clocking, ran the fastest 5 ½ furlongs of 2023. . .Muncey is reentered Sunday, May 12, in a $25,000 claimer against Itsallabouttheride, Coastal Kid, Executive Chef, Dirt Road Red, Welton, Elevado, and Prisoner. . Washington-bred Big Bowie ($14.40) prevailed in the $60,000 Turf Paradise Open Spring Futurity on closing day at the Phoenix track. Isaias Enriquez was aboard for Frank Lucarelli and owner Margaret Root. . .Coastal Jazz was claimed by Lucarelli for $20,000 Saturday. . .Opening day mutuel handle totaled $817,627 on a seven-race card. . . Racing resumes Saturday, May 11, with a 1:30 p.m. post.
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