Emerald Downs Wrap-Sunday, August 1

Nationheart

NATIONHEART TRIUMPHS IN SUNDAY FEATURE RACE

AUBURN, Wash. (Aug. 1, 2021) – Nationheart shook clear on the turn and drew away for a 5 ¾-length victory in Sunday’s $16,500 Budweiser Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.

With Javier Matias riding, Nationheart zipped six furlongs in 1:10.73 and paid $2.80 as the prohibitive favorite. Kay Cooper, saddling her third winner of the weekend, is the winning trainer for owner Poseidon Partners II.

Breaking from the outside post in a five-horse field, Nationheart dueled with Street Demand through an opening quarter mile in :22.51 seconds, opened a four-length lead into the stretch and cruised to a dominant victory.

A 3-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Nationhood, Nationheart is 2-0-0 in four career starts—all at the current meeting—with earnings of $24,136. The bay gelding debuted wityh a four-length victory against. maiden special weights, followed by a fifth in the Auburn Stakes and a fourth vs. allowance company.

Street Demand, longest shot on the board at 25 to 1, held second while A Gem Is a Gem, Bloodhorse Bud and Bennyandthechicks completed the order of finish.

NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $1,544,081 on the 10-race card which includedtwo quarter horse races. . .Jockey Edgar Velasco notched his first Emerald Downs victory, rallying Little John to a $14.60 upset in race seven. . .Juan Gutierrez rode three winners Sunday. . .Alex Cruz rode two winners and owns a 49-44 lead over Julien Couton in the jockeys’ standings with Gutierrez third with 43 wins. . .In the trainers’ race, Joe Toye leads with 17 wins followed by Frank Lucarelli and Ari Herbertson with 14 wins each. . .Grants Pass shippers Apolinaria Prize ($4.20) and Leaving Angelz ($4.80) captured Sunday’s trials for the $30,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge on Sunday, Aug. 22. Apolinaria Prize ran 350 yards in 18.311 seconds while Leaving Angelz ran 350 yards in 18.395. . .The top 10 finishers by time qualified for the John Deere Juvenile Challenge. . .The $0.20 Jackpot Pick Six carryover is $16,766. . .Live racing resumes Thursday with first post 6 p.m.
–##–