For the Reporter
Betrbegone took command on the turn and scored an impressive 2¾-length victory Saturday in the $21,500 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Javier Matias, Betrbegone covered six furlongs in 1:09.61 on a fast track and paid $10.40, $4.60 and $3. David Martinez is the trainer for owner/breeder Jerry Maggard of Yakima.
Fire the Trainer, ridden by Leslie Mawing, closed strongly to finish second and paid $2.80 and $2.40.
Awesome Indian, the 9-to-5 betting favorite ridden by Rocco Bowen, held third and paid $2.40 to show. Moby, Wine At Nine, Red Ridge and Betsy’s Gold completed the order of finish.
A Washington-bred by Parkers Storm Cat-Final Drummer, Betrbegone has compiled a 2-1-0 record in four starts with earnings of $24,738, including $11,825 for Saturday’s triumph.
Betrbegone snuck inside of Betsy’s Gold and Awesome Indian at the three-eighths pole, opened a four-length lead past mid-stretch, and cruised to the wire.
Notes
Defending champion Leslie Mawing rode three winners – his second triple in the last three racing days – and is taking dead aim on the leaders. Mawing has seven wins in his last 15 mounts, and is up to 13 wins for the meet. … Julien Couton, No. 1 with 19 wins, and Juan Gutierrez, No. 2 with 14 wins, each had one win Saturday. … Couton has wins on 10 straight days and 11 of 12 overall. … It looks like Heidi Nelson (Nelson Family Racing) has another excellent prospect, Thetrailerguy ($2.80), who overcame a troubled trip to beat a good field of 3-year-old maiden special weights in 1:16.70 for 6½ furlongs. A $75,000 son of Henny Hughes, Thetrailerguy finished second in his debut last month. … Nelson starts Disruption in Sunday’s $50,000 Governor’s Handicap, the first stop on the road to the Aug. 16 Longacres Mile. … Monique Snowden, trainer of Thetrailerguy, had a two-for-two afternoon as 6-year-old gelding Power Fleet ($5) scored an easy win in race five. … Frank Lucarelli also had two wins and moved into second place in the trainers’ standings with seven wins, three back of first-place Jeff Metz. … Lucarelli also ranks No. 2 all-time with 806 wins at Emerald Downs, 90 behind all-time leader Tim McCanna. … Manny Ortiz saddled his first Emerald Downs winner, Billy Mac ($14.80) nosing out even-money favorite Money Cat in Saturday’s opener. Ortiz, who had a pair of seconds Friday, was 20-for-97 this year at Turf Paradise. … Preakness runner-up Tale of Verve has a connection to Emerald Downs: older sister Soul Patch won seven races here for McCanna between 2009-2012. By Perfect Soul-Verve, Soul Patch won four races at Emerald Downs in 2011alone, all at the $5,000 claiming level. … Surfliner was up to his old tricks in Saturday’s seventh race for $10,000 claimers, rallying for a $29.60 upset under Javier Matias. In his two wins here last year, Surfliner paid $49.60 and $34.80. … Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2 p.m.
