Clovisconnection with jockey Kevin Radke
CLOVISCONNECTION SCORES IN $50,000 AUBURN
AUBURN, Wash. (June 18, 2023) – California invader Clovisconnection powered home to a record-setting 4 ¼-length victory over Lloyds Logic in the $50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings Sunday at Emerald Downs.
With Kevin Radke aboard at high weight of 123 lbs., Clovisonnection covered six furlongs in 1:07.59 and paid $3.60 as the odds-on favorite in a field of six. Blaine Wright—saddling his fourth consecutive Auburn Stakes winner—is the trainer for owner/breeder William Hedrick of Clovis, Calif.
The winning time is the fastest six furlongs of the meeting and eclipsed the stakes record of 1:07.98 set by Baja Sur in 2019.
Breaking alertly from the No. 1 post, Clovisconnection slipped through to take command into the turn, powered clear while running a half-mile in a blistering :43.59 and proved much the best in his local debut.
A California-bred son of Vronsky, Clovisconnection earned $27,500 to boost his career total to $133,880. His overall record is 4-1-0 from seven starts including a triumph in the 2022 Golden Nugget on Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields.
Wright is third all-time with 53 Emerald Downs stakes wins including four straight in the Auburn—Baja Sur (2019), Top Executive (2012), Executive Chef (2022), and Clovisconnection.
“It’s a credit to the owners, they put some great horses in our hands,” Wright said.
Lloyds Logic, ridden by Jose Zunino at 119 lbs, chased the winner home and was clearly second best in his 2023 debut, finishing 5 ¾ lengths clear of third-place finisher Company’s Dream. The 2022 Gottstein Futurity winner, Lloyds Logic earned $10,000 and upped his ledger to 2-2-1 from six starts with earnings of $70,600.
Company’s Dream, ridden by Ezequiel Lara at 119 lbs., was followed by Royal Halo, Stealing Hearts, and Table Bay. Jin Tong was scratched earlier in the day.
The $50,000 Irish Day Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs is next for 3-year-old colts and geldings on Sunday, July 16.
Aloha Breeze with jockey Carlos Montalvo
ALOHA BREEZE DOMINATES $50,000 SEATTLE STAKES
Heavily favored Aloha Breeze exerted her class with a runaway 4 ½-length victory in Sunday’s $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the second half of Sunday’s stakes twin-bill for sophomores.
Ridden by Carlos Montalvo at 118 lbs., Aloha Breeze zipped six furlongs in a stakes record 1:08.72 and paid $3.20 as the odds-on choice. Tom Wenzel is the winning trainer for Dr. George Todaro of Seattle.
Breaking from the No. 7 post in a field of eight, Aloha Breeze sprinted clear at once and set fractions of :21.51 and :43.71 for the quarter and half-mile. She kicked four lengths clear of Miss Dynamic into the lane and was clearly the best filly Sunday.
Riding his first Emerald Downs stakes winner, Montalvo credited his classy mount. “It was a piece of cake for her, I was just the passenger,” he said.
A Kentucky-bred daughter of The Factor, Aloha Breeze is two for two at the meet and improved to 4-2-0 in six starts overall with earnings of $109,210. She won last year’s Barbara Shinpoch Stakes and was the track’s champion 2-year-old filly.
For Wenzel, it was his 50th stakes win at Emerald Downs, tying him with the late Jim Penney for fourth on the track’s all-time list.
Miss Dynamic, also a stakes winner at age 2, chased Aloha Breeze from gate to wire and held second place. Ridden by Alexis Valdes at 118 lbs., the runner-up earned $10,000 and is 2-2-2 from six career starts with earnings of $68,375 for owner/breeder Antonio Mendoza.
Jamies Inheritance, ridden by Zunino at 118 lbs., rallied to finish third while Me Gusta Luna, Stepup, Pepper Mill, Get My Point, and Tennessee Moon rounded out the complete order of finish.
The $50,000 Kent Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs is next for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday, July 16.
NOTES: Mutuel handle totaled $1,441,772 on a 10-race card. . .Silvio Amador rode three winners Sunday while Alexis Valdes had two wins. . .In the season’s first 2-year-old race for colts and geldings, New York-bred Bourbon Dancer ($5.80) prevailed under Amador for Blaine Wright and owner Dan Warden. A gelding by Bayern, Bourbon Dancer covered 4 ½ furlongs in :51.49. . .Wright was the lone trainer with two wins Sunday. . .Kevin Radke, who led Emerald Downs jockeys with five stakes wins in 2022, is No. 7 all-time with 31 stakes victories overall. . .A member of the Washington Racing Hall of Fame, Dr. George Todaro now has 11 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. . .10th race winner Square Footage ($9.20) is out of the 2012 Washington Cup stakes winning filly Roveing Patrol, who was the final stakes winner trained by the late Don Munger. Trained by Niccolo Troiani, Square Footage is now owned by The Munger Girls. . .Live racing resumes Friday with a seven-race program. First post 7 p.m.
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