Rimrock Lake with jockey Jennifer Whitaker
RIMROCK LAKE ROMPS IN $50,000 WASHINGTON CUP
AUBURN, Wash. (Aug. 27, 2023) – Rimrock Lake remained undefeated Sunday at Emerald Downs, powering through the lane for an easy 7 ½-length victory in the $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Colts & Geldings Stakes Presented by Pegasus Training & Rehabilitation Center.
Ridden by Jennifer Whitaker, Rimrock Lake covered 6 ½ furlongs in 1:18.81, returning $13.80 straight as third betting choice in the field of six Washington-breds. Howard Belvoir, saddling his 49th Emerald Downs stakes winner, is the winning trainer for owner/breeder Clemans View Farm (Jean and Jeff Harris, Naches, Wash.).
Stalking Chancellors Boom through a half-mile in :45.30, Rimrock Lake took the lead entering the stretch and drew off to win with total authority.
A Washington-bred by Raised a Secret out of Nightwalker, Rimrock Lake is two for two lifetime with earnings of $37,070 including $27,500 for Sunday’s win.
Raised a Secret, a stakes winning son of Songandaprayer, earned his first stakes victory as a stallion. Whitaker, the track’s all-time leading female rider with 523 wins, now has 23 stakes wins at Emerald Downs.
Knightline, the even-money favorite ridden by Rocco Bowen, came from off the pace to finish a clear second, while Allante, also trained by Belvoir and ridden by Carlos Montalvo, rallied from last to finish third. Beer Begone, Where You Gonna Go, and Chancellors Boom completed the full order of finish.
Knightline, a son of Coast owned and bred by Ron and Nina Hagen, has finished second in all three career starts and has earnings of $15,010.
Special Diva with jockey Isaias Enriquez
SPECIAL DIVA SCORES IN $50,000 WA CUP JUVENILE FILLIES
Special Diva overtook odds-on Neissa into the stretch and drew away for a 2 ¾-length triumph in latter half of Sunday’s stakes double-header—the $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Filly Stakes Presented by Pegasus Training & Rehabilitation Center.
With Isaias Enriquez aboard, Special Diva ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:19.43 and paid $19 as fourth choice in a field of 10 Washington-bred fillies. Vince Gibson is the trainer for owner Jeff Cissell of Des Moines, Wash.
A Washington-bred by Misremembered out pf Special Holiday, Special Diva earned $27,500 and is 2-0-0 from four starts with total earnings of $38,780.
Neissa, the 3-to-5 favorite ridden by Rocco Bowen, set fractions of :22.16, and :45.28, battled gamely when headed, and finished a clear second and now has two stakes placings to her credit—a third in the WTBOA Lassies Stakes to go with her second Sunday.
Coastal Girl, ridden by Kevin Radke, finished well to take third, while She’s a Kraken, Parker’s Fifteen, Betty Lute, Always Gallant, Lutes Sea Gypsy, Jeweled Again, and Flying Courage rounded out the complete order of finish.
NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $1,921,390 on a 10-race card. . .Washington Cup continues closing day Sunday, Sept. 17, with the $50,000 WA Cup Filly & Mare and $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic. . .Closing day also features the $70,000 Gottstein Futurity for 2-year-olds. . .Alex Cruz tripled and leads Luis Negron 59-53 and is zeroing in on his fourth consecutive riding title. . .Justin Evans tops the trainers with 39 wins including a gate to wire score by Mosquito Fleet ($5.60) in race five. . .Vince Gibson had a training double, his second in three days, including a stakes win with Special Diva. . .Fast Parade at 13 lengths in 2005 is the record winning margin in the Washington Cup Juvenile Colts & Geldings. . . Wegotbeeronice ($12.40) captured the Sally & Joe Steiner Appreciation Purse honoring the longtime and popular Quarter Chute Café proprietors at Emerald Downs. . .Only six days remain in the season: Saturday Sept. 2, 5 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 3, 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, 5 p.m.; Sunday Sept. 10, 2 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 16, 5 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 17, 2 p.m.
–##–
