Miner League (No. 2) surges past Powerized in the Auburn Stakes

MINER LEAGUE PREVAILS IN $50,000 AUBURN STAKES

AUBURN, Wash. (June 16, 2024) – Miner League continued his winning ways Sunday at Emerald Downs, rallying inside for 1-¾ length victory over Powerized in the $50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

Ridden by Carlos Montalvo and trained by Tom Wenzel, Miner League ran six furlongs in 1:09.26 and paid $7.94 as the second betting choice. That makes four straight wins and two stakes triumphs for last year’s Gottstein Futurity champion.

A Kentucky-bred by Mineshaft, Miner League earned $27,500 to boost his total to $90,945 for owner George Todaro of Seattle.

In fourth place as Powerized carved fractions of :21.75 and :44.52, Miner League saved ground on the turn and rallied along the rail for the victory, collaring the leader in deep stretch and won going away.

“The horse and I have good chemistry,” said Montalvo, sidelined by suspension when Miner League won an allowance race last month.

Montalvo and Wenzel also have great chemistry the last two seasons, combining for 13 wins from 38 starts including five stakes victories.

Powerized, the 3 to 5 favorite ridden by Isaias Enriquez, finished second in his stakes debut for trainer Frank Lucarelli. The $10,000 runner-up check puts his ledger at 1-2-0 from six starts with earnings of $30,490.

Tougherthantherest, ridden by Silvio Amador, challenged four-wide into the lane and finished third, with Freightline, Conrad Meadows and Rundoft rounding out the order of finish. Where You Gonna Go scratched earlier in the day.

Next for 3-year-olds is the $50,000 Irish Day Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs on Saturday, July 13.

NOTES: Sunday’s on-track attendance was a season-high 9,041 with a total handle of $1,565,104 for a nine-race card. . .Last year’s 2-year-old champions swept weekend stakes with Appeal Factor winning the Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and Miner League taking the Auburn Stakes. . .Tom Wenzel is No. 2 all-time with 57 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. . .Justin Evans and Kevin Krigger teamed for three wins Sunday. . .Evans moved back atop the standings with 15 wins, two up on Blaine Wright. . .Evans finished first and second in races six and seven with 10-year-old Surprsinglyperfect ($8.72) notching career win No. 19 in the sixth and Arma d’Oro ($9.32) running a mile in a sizzling 1:34.04 in race seven. . .Rocco Bowen rode two winners. . .Although he blanked Sunday, Alex Cruz remains atop the riders’ standings with 20 wins, four ahead of Karlo Lopez. . .Aloha Breeze bulleted four furlongs in :45 3/5 and makes her 2024 debut Saturday in the $50,000 Hastings Stakes for older fillies and mares. . . A field of eight entered the Hastings, race seven on Saturday’s eight-race card. . .Brayan Pena packed his tack and is relocating to Canterbury Park in Minnesota. Pena began Sunday tied for fourth with eight wins. . .Racing resumes Friday with first post 7 p.m.

–##–