Lets Declare Peace (No. 5) with jockey Jose Zunino
LETS DECLARE PEACE TAKES A SUNDAY THRILLER
AUBURN, Wash. (June 4, 2023) – Lets Declare Peace rallied from last and scored a neck victory over You Go Girl in Sunday’s $28,000 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for older fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Jose Zunino, the winner covered 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.52 and paid $9 as third choice in the wagering. Frank Lucarelli saddled the winner for owners Chad Christensen and Josh McKee of Enumclaw.
A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by Declaration of War, Lets Declare Peace won for the sixth time in 21 career starts and the second time in eight tries at Emerald Downs. The $16,240 winner’s share increased her earnings to $131,641.
Last as You Go Girl and Zippin Sevenz dueled through fractions of :22.26 and :45.25, Lets Declare Peace gathered momentum into the stretch and wore down the leaders over the top in the final strides.
You go Girl, a 9 to 1 longshot ridden by Kevin Orozco, held second by a nose over Zippin Sevenz, who was ridden by Alex Cruz and finished a close third. Last year’s track champion older filly or mare, Zippin Sevenz raced for the first time since finishing a close second in the Washington Cup Filly and Mare last September.
Slack Tide, a triple stakes winner at Emerald Downs and Sunday’s 4 to 5 betting favorite, finished fourth while Head Start finished last. Ms Parkside was scratched earlier in the day.
The $50,000 Hastings Stakes at six furlongs is the first stakes for older fillies and mares on Sunday, June 25.
Carlos Montalvo
NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $1,095,316 on a nine-race card. . .Carlos Montalvo was the riding star with three wins Sunday while Jill Soranno led trainers with two wins. . .Jennifer Whitaker and Howard Belvoir combined for their 381st Emerald Downs victory with Validate ($6.40) in Sunday’s third race. . .Trainer Sergio Alvarez scored his first career Emerald Downs victory with Reign of Speed ($3.40) in race four and Hilario Perez notched his first career training victory with Your Royal Coil ($15) in race six. . .Also in race six, third-place finisher In the Vault was claimed for $15,000 by Lisa Baze and John Sneesby and trainer Rigoberto Velasquez, tying for the biggest claim of the meet. . .Lusk Racing and trainer Vince Gibson won an eight-way shake for Zaccheus, the romping winner of Sunday’s fifth race as the 4 to 5 favorite in a $5,000 claimer. . .Live racing resumes Friday at 7 p.m.
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