For the Reporter

Guinevere’s Finale out-finished Perhaps a Pie in a long stretch battle and scored a neck victory in the $16,600 Stella Artois Purse for older fillies and mares Saturday at Emerald Downs.

Benefiting from a ground-saving trip under Erick Lopez, Guinevere’s Finale ran one mile in 1:36.25 and paid $8.40, $4.20 and $2.60. David Martinez is the winning trainer for owner/breeder Oak Crest Farm LLC (Jack and Theresa Hodge, Enumclaw).

A 5-year-old Tale of the Cat mare, Gunievere’s Finale is the last foal out of 1998 Washington Horse of the Year Guinevere. While not quite as gifted as her mother, Guinevere’s Finale is proving to be a useful runner; Saturday’s victory was her second straight triumph in a $25,000 claiming race and worth $9,130 to her connections. She has an overall record of 5-1-2 in 14 starts with earnings of $85,406.

Saturday, Guinevere’s Finale sat behind Perhaps a Pie and S U M racer as the 4-year-old fillies battled through fractions of :24.29, :48.02 and 1:12.52. Lopez then elected to keep his mount inside, and Guinevere’s Finale and Perhaps a Pie hooked up in a driving finish.

“She was just tugging me along,” Lopez said of his mount. “I was just waiting for a seam, and she responded.”

Perhaps a Pie, the 3-to-1 betting favorite ridden by Eswan Flores, paid $4.20 and $3.20, and If You Like It, ridden by Isaias Enriquez, finished third and paid $3.60.

Alli Leigh and S U M Racer finished in a dead-heat for fourth and were followed by Cup of Soup and Love Cautiously.

Notes

John Parker’s Gold Rush Dancer ($5) had to withstand a stewards’ inquiry but was declared the official winner Saturday of the $200,000 Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf at Santa Anita. Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Vann Belvoir, the 2015 Gottstein Futurity winner is now two-for-two on grass and has an overall record of 4-3-2 in 11 starts with earnings of $294,423, including $110,000 for Saturday’s victory. Parker, who resides in Pierce County, was on hand at Santa Anita for the victory. … Back at Emerald Downs, Bh Lisas Boy lost for the first time in five career starts here, finishing third as Sorelli ($20.40) prevailed by one length in :17.98 for 350 yards in Saturday’s opener. The winning connections – jockey Osvaldo Gonzalez and trainer Roddina Barrett – top the Quarter Horse standings with three wins apiece. … Madera Thoroughbreds’ Inexcess Again ($4.80) became the meet’s second three-time winner with an eight-length victory in race six under Leslie Mawing. Conditioned by Blaine Wright—the meet’s leading trainer with 14 wins—Inexcess Again zipped 6½ furlongs in 1:13.96, and now has winning margins of 1 ½, 2 ¾ and 8 lengths this season at Emerald Downs. … Also in race six, runner-up My Chief was disqualified and placed fifth for causing interference out of the starting gate. … And in race five, Pete’s Slew was declared a non-starter, the stewards ruling the 2-1 betting favorite received an unfair start in the six-furlong race won by Whiskey Prince ($6.60). … Jeff Metz saddled two winners – Pecos Breeze($6.60) in race three and Cantcatchme ($7.40) in race seven – and the three-time defending training champion has gained second place in the trainers’ standings with 13 wins. … Trainer K. G. “Dinos” Apostolou is two-for-two at the meet as Kat’s Hurricane ($11.80) prevailed by a nose over Analysis Paralysis in race nine. … Erick Lopez rode two winners and gained sole possession of third place in the jockeys’ standings with 18 wins. … Rocco Bowen and Mawing each had a win Saturday and Rocco maintains a three-length lead – 28-25 – over Mawing in the jockeys’ standings. … Live racing continues Sunday with eight 3-year-old fillies racing one mile in the 21st edition of the $50,000 Irish Day Handicap. Invested Prospect, unbeaten in three starts including the May 8 Seattle Stakes, is the 2-1 morning line favorite. … First post is 2 p.m.