PROFOUND MOMENT PREVAILS IN LEGISLATORS STAKES
AUBURN, Wash. (June 17, 2017) – Rising star Profound Moment won a race-long battle with Citizen Kitty and edged clear for a two-length victory in the $50,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes for older fillies and mares Saturday at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Javier Matias at 119 lbs, Profound Moment zipped 6 ½ furlongs in 1:14.90 and paid $6, $3 and $2.60. Mike Puhich is the winning trainer for co-owners Dr. Mark Dedomenico of Redmond and Mike Waters of Seattle.
For Waters, last year’s co-leading owner at Emerald Downs, it was his first stakes win, and interviewed in the winner’s circle said, “This is awesome. I’m speechless.”
A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred by Haynesfield, Profound Moment began her career at Emerald Downs with a 13-length maiden win last year. She shipped to the Midwest this year and scored a pair of six-furlong allowance wins at Oaklawn Park before finishing fifth in a mile and one-sixteenth allowance at Churchill Downs last month.
“(Trainer) Jack Van Berg did a great job with her all year long and she came back to Washington in great shape,” Puhich said. “And I want to say it’s great that Mike Waters got his first stakes win.”
Profound Moment earned $27,500 for the victory to push her career bankroll to $110,826. She has a 4-3-0-0 record in seven lifetime starts.
Citizen Kitty, the 8-to-5 betting favorite ridden by Eswan Flores at high weight of 123 lbs, ran gamely to finish second and paid $3.20 and $2.40.
Winner of the Hastings Stakes last month, Citizen Kitty, with intense pressure from Profound Moment, led through fractions of :22.82 for the quarter-mile and :45.21 for the half. Profound Moment attacked from the outside, and the two raced head-and-head to mid stretch when Profound Moment finally got the better of Citizen Kitty and edged away for the victory.
Perhaps a Pie, with Kevin Orozco riding at 119 lbs, rallied from last to finish third and paid $3.40, while Protective Shield, defending champion B C Z Middleton, Princess Kennedy and My Heart Goes On completed the order of finish.
The $50,000 Boeing Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Sunday, July 16, is next for older fillies and mares.
NOTES: Matias has two stakes wins this season and is No. 5 all-time with 30 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. Matias rides 2-to-1 morning line favorite Barkley in Sunday’s $50,000 Budweiser Stakes for 3-year-olds and up. . .Puhich, Dedomenico and Waters, meanwhile, team up with 5-to-2 second choice Prime Engine in the Budweiser, with Scott Stevens coming in to ride. . .Hello Brown ($7) and Rockport Birdie ($5) became the meet’s fourth and fifth three-time winners with victories in Saturday’s first and third races. An 8-year-old Marino Marini gelding, Hello Brown has 13 career wins and is 3-1-0 in five starts this season. A 6-year-old Rockport Harbor mare, Rockport Birdie has seven career wins and is 3-0-1 in four starts at the meet. . .Trainer Frank Lucarelli finished one/two with Sugarseeker ($11.40) nosing out Madame Clouet in Saturday’s eighth race for $10,000 claiming fillies and mares. Lucarelli now has 888 career wins at Emerald Downs and gaining on Tim McCanna’s track record 921 wins. . . Tom Harris, the voice of Sam Houston Park and Portland Meadows, announced Saturday’ second race won by Alittle Bit Parker ($3), a Parker’s Storm Cat filly that accounted for nearly 90 percent of a $15,309 show pool. . . .Rocco Bowen, Kevin Orozco and Isaias Enriquez each rode two winners Saturday, and Bowen leads Orozco 55-29 atop the standings. . .Blaine Wright saddled Maurice Code ($9.80) to a win in race four and has wins on five of the last six cards. . .Former University of Washington and Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker visited Emerald Downs Saturday. . .And former University of Washington running back Junior Coffey saddled his first winner of the meet and his 169th at Emerald Downs as Betdesilvergold ($5.20) cruised gate-to-wire in the Saturday nightcap. . .Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2 p.m.
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