Executive Chef with jockey Juan Gutierrez
EXECUTIVE CHEF PREVAILS IN SUNDAY FEATURE RACE
AUBURN, Wash. (July 28, 2024) – Executive Chef caught Coastal Jazz in the final strides and scored a three-quarter-length victory in Sundays $25,500 Midas Joyeria Federal Way Purse for 3-year-olds and up on the final day of Fiesta Premio Esmeralda at Emerald Downs.
FIESTA PREMIO ESMERALDA PICTURES AT BOTTOM
Perfectly ridden by Juan Gutierrez, Executive Chef was timed in 1:17.10 for 6 ½ furlongs, returning $10.28 as second betting choice in a field of six. Blaine Wright is the winning trainer for the ownership of John and Janene Maryanski and Gerald and Gail Schneier, all of Auburn, WA.
A stakes winner at age 2 and stakes-placed at age 3, Executive Chef has two wins and a second from three starts at the meet, and six wins in 18 starts overall. A 5-year-old Virginia-bred, Executive Chef earned $14,535, upping his career total to $143,023.
Coastal Jazz, the 1 to 2 favorite ridden by Kevin Krigger, gained command from stablemate Cool Papa G past mid-stretch, but was unable to withstand the winner’s late surge. The runner-up finish ended a skein of six straight days in which Krigger and trainer Justin Evans combined for multiple victories on the card, though they did a collect a single win with Winter Falcon in race five.
Cool Papa G, ridden by Alex Cruz and also trained by Evans, finished third while Coastal Kid, Smiling Goodbye, and Langston Road rounded out the order of finish.
NOTES: Sunday’s handle was $1,476,585 on a 10-race card. . .Auburn Stakes runner-up Powerized ($3.36) held off Dynamic Secret to win Sunday’s $25,500 allowance co-feature for 3-year-olds in 1:10.20 for six furlongs. . . In quarter horse trials for the John Deere Juvenile Challenge, Secretarysbestcard ($4.10) won the first trial and Eyez On Corona ($2.34) and Mr Royal Cartel ($4.02) dead-heated in the second trial. The top 10 clockings all qualified for the $30,000 final Aug. 18. . .Trainer Hector Magallanes pulled off the rare feat of saddling both winners of the dead heat. . .Also, Aug. 18, the region’s fastest older quarter horses meet in the 14th running of the $40,000 Bank of America Championship Challenge at 440 yards. . .Code Charlie ($4.36) prevailed in a 870-yard mixed breed race with a track record :45.17 clocking, eclipsing the :45.42 set by Cm Once Ina Bluemoon in 2020. . .Trainer Michael Morris chalked up his first win of the meet with Anna’s Iron Man ($35.14) leading gate to wire in race eight. . .At Churchill Downs, Five Star General breezed a half-mile in preparation for the $150,000 Longacres Mile on Sunday, Aug. 11. Trainer Grant Forster said the defending Mile champ is booked on an Aug. 4 flight from Memphis and that Joe Bravo has the mount in the Mile. . .Mile Nominations close Sunday, Aug.4, with entries drawn Wednesday, Aug. 7. . . Live racing resumes Friday with first post 7 p.m.
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