Reelfoot and Jose Zunino

REELFOOT SURPRISES IN WEDNESDAY FEATURE RACE

AUBURN, Wash. (June 16, 2021) – Reelfoot rallied from far back for a 26 to 1 upset in the $12,320 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.

With Jose Zunino riding, Reelfoot ran six furlongs in 1:09.64 and paid $54.20, $28.40 and $9.40. Edwin Cornier is the winning trainer for owner Run Free Racing.

The $2 win price is the largest to date this season, surpassing a $43.40 payout by Slew’s Tiz Whiz on June 3.

Reelfoot raced in sixth place as So Lucky and Fuzzy Dolphin dueled through fractions of :22.12 and :44.90 for the quarter and half-mile. The winner stayed inside through the stretch and reeled in the leaders to win by three lengths going away.

Claimed for $10,000 opening night, Reelfoot improved to 4-2-4 in 22 starts lifetime with earnings of $81,612. A Kentucky-bred 5-year-old by Flatter, Reelfoot is 3-0-0 in five starts this year with earnings of $36,546, including victories at Oaklawn Park and Sam Houston Park.

Grinder Sparksaglo, ridden by Julien Couton, finished second while making his 70th career start for trainer Robbie Baze and owner Richard Sena. The 10-year-old Washington-bred has 17 career wins and nearly $290,000 in earnings.

Candy Zip, the 2-to-1 betting favorite, edged So Lucky for third while Missed the Boat, Fuzzy Dolphin, Legitimate Cause, Maius and Code Charlie rounded out the order of finish.

NOTES: With a victory on Blowing Bayou ($11) in the eighth race finale, Alex Cruz kept alive his consecutive days winning streak. The meet’s leading rider with 17 wins, Cruz now has ridden at least one winner on 34 straight days dating to August 6, 2020. Her had blanked in six earlier mounts Wednesday. . .Wednesday’s $0.50 Pick 5 returned $28,880 to one winning ticket—the largest payout of any kind this season and the fifth largest Pick 5 payout in track history. . .The $0.20 Jackpot Pick Six carryover is up to $51,285. . .Julien Couton and Juan Gutierrez each rode two winners Wednesday. . .Ari Herberston was the lone trainer with two wins. . .Tonight’s Handle $1,380,292. . .Live racing continues Thursday with the $50,000 Budweiser Stakes for 3-year-olds and up and $50,000 Hastings Stakes for older fillies and mares. First post 6 p.m.
–##–