For the Reporter
There were two stunning developments Sunday in the $65,000 Gottstein Futurity for 2-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
First and foremost, Prime Engine, fresh off a superior maiden score 15 days ago, made it two-for-two with a dominating 5½-length victory over Private Boss in the 77th renewal of the Northwest’s traditional championship event for juveniles.
In the process, previously unbeaten Trackattacker – the 3-to-5 betting favorite with over $143,000 wagered to show – stopped badly, yielding the lead to Prime Engine at the quarter-pole, and was eased through the stretch and finished last.
“I was going at a comfortable pace, but when we got to the five-sixteenths pole I felt that his stride was shortening,” jockey Leslie Mawing said of Trackattacker. “He swallowed his tongue at the time, and down the lane he never spit his tongue back out at all. He didn’t have a tongue-tie. I just took care of the horse after that.”
Prime Engine, ridden by Isaias Enriquez at 120 pounds, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.49 and paid $4.80, $3.60 and a whopping $29.80 to show. Mike Puhich is the winning trainer for Dr. Mark Dedomenico of Redmond, Wash.
Private Boss, a 27-to-1 long shot ridden by Javier Matias at 120 pounds, finished second and paid $12.60 and $96.40, and the filly Val de Saire, a 28-to-1 shot ridden by Rocco Bowen at 120, rallied for third and paid $87.
Bolshoi’s Bluff, Old Fashioned Grit and Trackattacker completed the order of finish.
A Kentucky-bred by Northern Afleet-Gravy Train’s Song, Prime Engine earned $35,393 for the win, pushing his overall ledger to 2-2-0-0 with earnings of $45,111.
Prime Engine stalked the leader as Trackattacker led through fractions of :23.24, :47.08 and 1:11.77. Enriquez pushed the button on the last turn, forged to the lead into the lane, and the outcome was never in doubt.
“When I saw (Trackattacker) run ahead, I said, ‘Perfect, this is where I want to be,’ ” Enriquez said. “I wanted my horse to follow a pace, instead of being on the lead where all the horses put pressure on me.
“The horse responded beautifully. By the five-eighths pole, I tapped my horse and we left Trackattacker in the dust. By the three-eighths pole, I saw (Leslie) Mawing tapping his horse on the shoulders and shaking the reins at him, and I said ‘he’s beaten.’ This is the nicest horse I’ve been on. I’ve been riding horses all over the country, and he’s the nicest two-year old I’ve ever been on.”
Daytona Beach captures stakes
In the $50,000 NWSS Cahill Road Stakes for 2-year-olds, Daytona Beach dominated from flag-fall to finish, scoring a 5½ -length victory in 1:09.81 for six furlongs. David G. Lopez was aboard the winner at 120 lbs for trainer Doris Harwood.
“He’s such a nice horse that he just pulled me to the lead,” Lopez said. “I was asking him down the stretch a little bit, and at one point I looked back and was about seven lengths in front. I just stopped riding and let him finish the race.”
The victory was worth $27,225 for owners Jeff Harwood of Auburn and Patricia and Mullen Chinn of Federal Way. A Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold-Hit a Star, Daytona Beach is 2-1-0 in five starts overall with earnings of $41,152.
Moby, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 120 pounds, finished second and paid $3 and $2.80. By Harbor the Gold-Last Thoughts, Moby was stakes-place three times at the meet.
Eight Ball Parker, ridden by Leonel Camacho-Flores, finished third and paid $5.40 to show. Carson’s Start, who chased Daytona Beach through a half-mile in :44.57, weakened to finish fourth and was followed by Ididn’taskforthis, Gavinator and Caddy Shack Cat.
Notes
The three highest show payoffs in track history – $187, $156.40 and $108.60 – were set in the 2009 Diane Kem Stakes when Knight Raider finished fourth with over $153,000 wagered to show. … 4-year-old filly Blueberry Smoothie ($3.20) ended her career on a winning note with a hard-earned nose victory over Chu and You in the $21,000 sub-feature for fillies and mares. Blueberry Smoothie, who spent most of her career chasing unbeaten stable mate Stopshoppingdebbie, ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.61 and upped her career mark to 14-3-4-7-$135,342. Chu and You, meanwhile, was voted the meet’s Top 3-Year-Old Filly. … Stopshoppingdebbie is scheduled to have a workout Monday at Santa Anita, with regular rider Rocco Bowen flying in to work the 9-for-9 Curlin filly. Entries for Saturday’s $100,000 L.A. Woman will be taken Wednesday. … Trainer Howard Belvoir finished first and second with Heza Witch Doctor ($5) and Advancement in the $10,700 David L. Ashbaugh Memorial Purse, a $2,500 claiming race which included an additional $5,000 in purse money courtesy of Ashbaugh Beal. A 7-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding, Heza Witch Doctor also won an Ashbaugh Beal race on closing day of the 2011 season. … Gallyn Mitchell was aboard Heza Witch Doctor to finish the meet with 39 wins and boost his track record total to 1,387 wins. …
Congratulations to trainer Gary Lonctot, whose one-horse barn of Skip My Turn ($19.20) improved to 3-for-5 this season with a victory in Sunday’s fifth race. … Mike Alhadeff, grandson of Joe Gottstein, served as honorary steward for the Gottstein Futurity. … Jockey Jose Zunino, who won the first race of the meet April 12 on Poly Squat, also won the meet finale aboard Miners Thunder ($33.40). … Leonel Camacho-Flores finished the meet in style, recording his first three-win day of the season including back-to-back wins on Twelfth Fan ($5.20) and Ringo’s Gold ($13). … David G. Lopez rode 15 winners in September, including two Sunday, and finished fourth overall with 54 wins. … Although winless Sunday, Juan Gutierrez tied for fifth with 51 wins*his 13th straight season in the top five at Emerald Downs. … Bill Tollett saddled two winners Sunday while Alan Bozell and Doris Harwood, honored as co-winners of the Durkan Award, each had a winner Sunday. The win by Daytona Beach gave Harwood a meet-high five stakes wins and upped her track record stakes victory total to 66. … Harbor the Gold, sire of Daytona Beach, was the meet’s leading stakes stallion with nine wins. … Congratulations to Seattle Times writer/handicapper Scott Hanson, who showed a positive R.O.I. on both his top picks and best bets during the 2014 season. … Live racing resumes at Emerald Downs in spring 2015. The track remains open daily for simulcast wagering.
