Jennifer Whitaker 500 Wins
500 WINS FOR JENNIFER WHITAKER AT EMERALD DOWNS
AUBURN, Wash. (Sept. 2, 2020) –Jennifer Whitaker rallied Mr Bingley past Last One Standing for a milestone victory in Wednesday’s seventh race at Emerald Downs. With the win, Whitaker became the first woman and only the 10th jockey overall with 500 victories at Emerald Downs.
Whitaker has been a mainstay at Emerald Downs for two decades. She rode her first winner here on April 27, 2000 and ranks No. 10 all-time with 21 stakes wins, including the 2008 Longacres Mile on Wasserman.
Of Whitaker’s 500 Emerald Downs’ wins, 362 have been aboard horses trained by Howard Belvoir, for whom she gallops every morning and is pretty much the barn’s assistant trainer. The two have clicked with several major horses over the years, including Wasserman, Mulcahy and Immigration, and last week they combined with first-time starter Dutton to take the $40,000 WTBOA Lads Stakes.
“(Howard Belvoir) is my mentor, I couldn’t have done any of this without him,” Whitaker said in the happy winner’s circle.
In the milestone victory, Whitaker and Mr Bingley pushed past Last One Standing in the closing yards to score by one length. “This horse runs good every time, he’s a good little horse,” Whitaker said.
Jennifer Whitaker and Mr Bingley win the seventh race.
A 4-year-old Papa Clem gelding, Mr Bingley ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.56 and paid $6.80 as second choice in the wagering.
Whitaker and Belvoir will be busy again Thursday. They combine in four races including Muncey in the $40,000 Muckleshoot Derby and For You Only in the $40,000 Washington Oaks.
NOTES: In the $0.20 Jackpot Pick 7, one winning ticket paid a whopping $30,520. . .Total mutuel handle was $1,790,578 on the 10-race card. . .Missed the Boat ($20.60) became the third triple winner at the meet with a gate-to-wire victory in race two, running a mile in a meet-best 1:34.63 under Gary Wales for trainer Dan Markle and owners Glyn Kelly and Anne MacLennan. . .First-time starter Perfect D ($7) overcame a slow start to score a 2 ¼-length victory vs. $25,000 maiden claiming 2-year-olds. A Washington-bred by Dominus, Perfect D is the first winning foal out of Perfect Pie, a nine-time winner at Emerald Downs for Jody Peetz, Chris Stenslie and Tony Loften. . .Jockey Alex Anaya and trainer Rigoberto Velasquez combined for victories with 3-year-old gelding Stand To ($7) and 5-year-old gelding Crest Drive ($5.20). . .Anaya completed a three-bagger with a three-length victory on 6-year-old mare Shoe Game ($18.40) in the Muckleshoot Casino Purse. . .Alex Cruz rode two winners and leads Juan Gutierrez 33-29 atop the jockeys’ standings. . .Trainer Vince Gibson also had two wins. . .Noosito, sire of WTBOA Lads Stakes winner Dutton, clicked again Wednesday with Sunshine Beach ($3.60) for Alan Bozell, Prisco Vacca and Victoria Miller. . .Live racing continues Thursday with the $40,000 Muckleshoot Derby for 3-year-olds and $40,000 Washington Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, both at 1 1/16 miles. First post 5 p.m.
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