Dutton and jockey Jennifer Whitaker all alone in the WTBOA Lads Stakes
DUTTON EXPLOSIVE IN $40,000 WTBOA LADS STAKES
AUBURN, Wash. (August 27, 2020) – Dutton delivered a dazzling debut Thursday evening at Emerald Downs, leading all the way for a record nine-length victory in the WTBOA Lads Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Ridden by Jennifer Whitaker at 115 lbs, Dutton ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.25 and returned $17.80, $10 and $7.60. Howard Belvoir trains the winner for Rising Star Stable VIII, a syndicated headed by Vicki Potter of Auburn, Wash.
Dutton was to have debuted in the King County Express last month but was a late scratch after a starting gate mishap. Nothing was amiss this time. Breaking from the No. 3 post, Dutton outsprinted John’s On Point for the early lead, set fractions of :21.74 and :44.05 for the quarter and half-mile, kicked four lengths clear into the stretch, and drew off to win with complete authority.
The winning margin broke the stakes record of eight lengths set by Name for Norm in 1996.
“He’s kind of a freak, he just runs,” Belvoir said. “I’ve been saying he’s a nice colt.”
A Washington-bred by Noosito-Ms Moscow Mattie, Dutton sold for $30,000 at the 2019 WTBOA Yearling Sale and showed a series of blazing workouts this spring and summer. Thursday’s victory was worth $19,800.
Belvoir now has won the Lads a record five times, including four in the last five years. Rising Star Stable, meanwhile, has owned or co-owned four of the last five Lads winners—So Lucky (2016), Elliott Bay (2017), Muncey (2019) and Dutton.
Seattlesbestsecret, ridden by Alex Cruz at 119 lbs, chased the winner home to finish second and paid $4.60 and $3.60. The Steve Bullock trainee now has a win to go with seconds in the King County Express and WTBOA Lads Stakes.
Naval Escort, an 89 to 1 long shot ridden by Jose Zunino at 120 lbs, rallied from last to finish third and paid $15.40 to show.
Top Executive, winner of the King County Express last month, finished fourth and was followed by Great Gasby, Franks Fix It, Captain Dashi, John’s On Point and U.S. Cee Gee.
Time for Gold and Javier Matias dominate the Barbara Shinpoch Stakes
TIME FOR GOLD AWESOME IN $40,000 BARBARA SHINPOCH STAKES
An hour after Dutton captured the Lads Stakes, Time for Gold delivered another brilliant performance in the $40,000 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
With Javier Matias riding at 121 lbs, Time for Gold ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.68—fastest by a 2-year-old filly at the distance in track history—and rolled to an 11-length victory for trainer Frank Lucarelli and owners Chad Christensen and Josh McKee. The winner paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.10 as the odds-on choice in a field of eight.
The winning margin broke the stakes record of 8 ¾ lengths set by Princess Kennedy in 2015 and bettered Time for Gold’s nine-length victory in the Angie C Stakes last month.
“Lots of horses run one big race, but to do it two straight times makes me think she’s a really good horse,” said Lucarelli, who has saddled four of the first eight stakes winners at the meet.
Since debuting with a third in a $25,000 claimer, Time for Gold has won consecutive stakes by a combined 20 lengths while earning $43,620, including $21,780 for Thursday’s triumph.
A Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold-Back in Time, Time for Gold set fractions of :22.30, :45.04 and 1:09.26, opened a six-length advantage into the stretch and widening to the wire.
Sacagewea, ridden by Eddie Martinez at 121 lbs, held second and paid $6.20 and $4, while Patricia L., also trained by Lucarelli and ridden by Alex Cruz at 119 lbs, finished third and paid $2.60.
Easy Silence, a first-time starter, finished fourth and was followed by Malibu Mistress, La Panzanella and Bethel Ridge.
NOTES: Total mutuel handle was $2,200,077 on the 11-race card. . .Jennifer Whitaker has 21 stakes victories and needs one win to become the first woman rider with 500 wins at Emerald Downs. . .Alex Cruz, Juan Gutierrez, Javier Matias and Jake Samuels rode two winners apiece Thursday. . . Cruz leads the standings with 31 wins, followed by Gutierrez with 29 and defending champion Gary Wales with 26. . .Trainers Frank Lucarelli, Bonnie Jenne and Howard Belvoir had two wins apiece Thursday, and Lucarelli owns a 25-18 lead over Jorge Rosales atop the standings. . .Six Blessings ($9.20) at 12 to 1 and Candied Lute ($2.20) at 6 to 5 dead-heated for win in Thursday’s sixth race for $15,000 maiden claiming 3-year-olds, both hitting the wire in 1:10.06 for six furlongs. . .Coast Guard sired the winner in three of the first four races Thursday: You Go Girl ($3.20), Bearcreek Mountain ($14.20) and Brett ($3). . .Live racing resumes Wednesday, September 2, first post 2:15 p.m.
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