Iron Rob and jockey Jose Zunino
IRON ROB RALLIES TO VICTORY IN MASON MEMORIAL
AUBURN, Wash. (July 28, 2019) – Iron Rob rallied past Wine At Nine in the final furlong for a three-quarter-length victory Sunday in the $13,600 Doc Mason Memorial Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
Receiving a rail-skimming ride from Jose Zunino, Iron Rob covered 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.01 and paid $17.40, $5.60 and $4.40. Ken Elison is the trainer and co-owner with Vicky Jo Elison of Boise, Idaho.
A 6-year-old gelding, Iron Rob scored his first win in five starts this year and ninth in 42 career starts. A Florida-bred by Twirling Candy, Iron Rob was a double stakes winner as a 3-year-old at Santa Anita, and now has a career bankroll of $267,580.
Wine At Nine, ridden by Javier Matias, resisted gamely when challenged by the winner but finished second and paid $4.60 and $4.80. A 7-year-old Kentucky-bred, Wine At Nine has a 14-6-5 record in 37 career starts at Emerald Downs.
Executive Decree, with Juan Gutierrez riding, finished third and paid $4.60, and Atypique finished fourth.
He’s Not Grey, the 2 to 5 favorite, was pulled up on the backstretch by jockey Gary Wales and vanned to the stable area. A 4-year-old Slew’s Tiznow gelding, He’s Not Grey has won four races at the meet and seven of his last nine starts.
Wheel Rally and Its Allabout Jerry were scratched earlier in the day.
Frank Lucarelli
NOTES: Trainer Frank Lucarelli continued his assault on the track record book Sunday with three more winners—his sixth consecutive multiple win day—and is just seven wins shy of 1,000 at Emerald Downs. Lucarelli has won with 15 of his last 32 starters and has 49 wins in 43 days of racing. He needs 17 wins in the remaining 24 days to break the single-season track record of 66 wins shared by Tim McCannna and Jeff Metz. Lucarelli now has six three-win days and eight two-win days this season. . . Close to Midnight ($12), Lucarelli’s third winner Sunday, also capped a five-win week for Chad Christensen, the meet’s leading owner with 17 wins. . .Five jockeys rode two winners each Sunday: Gary Wales,Eddie Martinez, Kevin Orozco, Javier Matias and Jose Zunino. . .5-year-old mare Dizzy Diva ($3), 4-year-old filly Foggia ($3.80) and 5-year-old gelding General Mach Four ($3.40) all became triple winners at the meet with victories in races three, four and seven Sunday. . . Longacres Mile nominee Rocky Tough breezed five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 Sunday for trainer Tim McCanna. . .Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:30 p.m.
