For the Reporter
Arrom Bear reeled in Scat Daddybaby late and scored a three-quarter-length victory Saturday in the $20,500 Special Olympics Alaska Purse on Kentucky Derby Day at Emerald Downs.
Expertly handled by Javier Matias, Arrom Bear smoked six furlongs in 1:07.67 and paid $11.60, $6.20 and $4.40. Frank Lucarelli is the winning trainer for owners Center Point Racing Stables and Sabers Drawn Racing.
Scat Daddybaby, ridden by Juan Gutierrez, opened a clear lead early – setting fractions of :21.59, :43.66 and :55.44 – and maintained the advantage to deep stretch, but was overtaken by Arrom Bear from the inside in the final yards. Scat Daddybaby paid $9.20 and $5.40.
rick Or Retreat, with Ronald Richard riding, flew late for third and paid $4 to show, while Indian Brut, Awesome Indian, Botch and Solemnly Swear completed the order of finish.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred by Nationhood-Lite Nite, Arrom Bear is 6-0-2 in 14 starts lifetime with earnings of $67,092, including $11,275 for Saturday’s victory. Arrom Bear is especially tough at six furlongs, compiling a 3-1-1 record in six starts at the distance.
Notes
Two winning tickets in Saturday’s $0.20 Pick 7 paid $6,900 each, including one belonging to former Seattle Times handicapper Gary Dougherty. He was alive to two horses in the final leg, Papa Frank ($5.60) and runner-up Daves Birthday Boy (the latter would have paid over $13,000. … Matias rode three winners Saturday and is tied for fifth place with 10 wins, not including a Quarter Horse victory last week on Bh Lisas Boy. … Although Solemnly Swear didn’t fire in the feature, trainer Mike Puhich extended his streak to six straight days with a win, clicking with first-time starter Profound Moment ($6.60) by 13 lengths in race four and Royal Tale ($7.60) in race seven. … Dance With Effie, first-place finisher in Saturday’s opener, was disqualified for causing interference in the stretch, and Love Cautiously ($10.20) was promoted from second to first place. A 5-year-old mare owned and bred by Karl Krieg, Love Cautiously became the meet’s seventh two-time winner. … Leslie Mawing escaped serious injury when Luck Out went down in the Dance With Effie incident. Mawing was excused from his remaining mounts by the stewards. … Congratulations 88-year-old Bob Meeking, saddling his first winner of 2016 as Sophie Dopey ($9.60) cruised to an easy victory in Saturday’s second race. … Live racing continues Sunday with the $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6½ furlongs. Northwest newcomer Find Joy is the 5-2 morning line favorite in a seven-horse field, followed by Princess Kennedy at 3-1 and Jerre to Carrie at 7-2. First post is 2 p.m.
