Stand To (No. 3 with white blinkers) prevails in Thursday feature race
STAND TO PREVAILS IN THURSDAY FEATURE RACE
AUBURN, Wash. (Oct. 22, 2020) – Stand To finally shook off Spittin Image in the final strides for a half-length victory Thursday in the $20,900 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Alex Anaya, Stand To ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.13 and paid $9.20 as third choice in the wagering. Rigoberto Velasquez is the winning trainer for owner/breeder John Sneesby.
An improving son of Harbor the Gold, Stand To has two wins and three thirds in five starts this season with earnings of $29,620. He most recently had finished third against the extremely quick 4-year-old Papa’s Golden Boy on Oct. 15.
Stand To and Spittin Image raced virtually head and head from gate to wire, dueling through fractions of :22.39, :44.61 and 1:09.33, with Stand To edging clear late for the victory.
Spittin Image, the 9 to 5 betting favorite, dueled outside the winner and notched his third consecutive runner-up finish. A full brother to 2016 Horse of the Meeting O B Harbor, Spittin Image has finished in the money five of seven starts this season.
Muncey was a neck back in third place, while Aero Street, Lolo Paniolo, Harbors Rule and Haveulostyourmind completed the order of finish. Lolo Paniolo, bidding for his third allowance win of the season, broke in the air and rallied late for fifth.
Total mutuel handle on the 10-race card was $1,331,082.
NOTES: Alex Cruz rode three more winners and extended his lead to 65-48 on Juan Gutierrez in the jockeys’ standings, while defending champion Gary Wales is third with 47. . .Cruz also had four seconds and extended his consecutive days winning streak to 23. . .Kevin Radke owns the track record with 30 straight winning days in 2003. . .Harbor the Gold was the winning stallion of three winners Thursday including a one-two finish by Stand To and Spittin Image in the feature. . .Plenty of 2-year-old action Thursday, including Forever Gold ($5.80) winning a $20,900 allowance in 1:11.37 for six furlongs and Ethan’s Animal ($7.20) prevailing in a $20,350 maiden special weight in 1:10.59 for six furlongs. By Animal Kingdom, Ethan’s Animal is the first foal out of multiple Emerald Downs’ stakes winner Ethan’s Baby. . .Hard-hitting 6-year-old Buckley Bay ($5.20) became a triple winner at the meet with a victory vs. $15,000 claimers in race two, running six furlongs in 1:09.43. . .Live racing continues Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 2:15 p.m.
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