Champali Lace takes derby day feature | Emerald Downs

Of the bench and into the winner's circle; it's a formula Champali Lace has used to perfection time and again at Emerald Downs.

May 5, 2013 1:41 pm
Champali Lace edges clear of Clemens Brook in the feature race for fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.
Champali Lace edges clear of Clemens Brook in the feature race for fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.

Of the bench and into the winner’s circle; it’s a formula Champali Lace has used to perfection time and again at Emerald Downs.

Saturday, the 6-year-old mare was up to her old tricks with a gate-to-wire victory over Clemens Brook in the $9,350 feature race for fillies and mares before a packed house on Kentucky Derby day.

Ridden by Ronald Richard, Champali Lace ran six furlongs in 1:11.78 on a fast track and paid $3.20 and $2.10. Junior Coffey is the trainer for owners K Bar J Stables Inc. and Al Rainwater.

The victory marked the fourth straight year that Champali Lace has won her season debut at Emerald Downs. She won by 3¾ lengths on April 9,2010, by one length May 13, 2011, and by 9 ¾ lengths on April 15,2012.

After Saturday’s race, Coffey said, “(Champali Lace) has several problems, but not major ones.”

A Kentucky-bred by Champali-Galileo’s Star, Champali Lace is 8-for-13 at Emerald Downs and 10-for-19 overall, with earnings of $55,799.

Champali Lace took a short early lead while running the opening mile in :23.62, extended the margin around the turn after a half in :47.12, and gradually edged clear through the stretch.

Clemens Brook, with Juan Gutierrez riding, chased the winner fromflag-fall to finish, but settled for second and paid $2.40 for place.

Lady Aragorn and Debbie’s Striker completed the order of finish; Montelena and Jadedite were scratched earlier in the day.

Although he came up short in the feature, Gutierrez managed a win on El Gran Bebe ($4.60) in race two and has at least one victory on all eight programs to date. Gutierrez owns a 14-9 lead over Isaias Enriquez in the jockeys’ standings.

Notes

Enriquez and Ronald Richard each rode two winners on the nine-race card. … Another prolific Emerald Downs’ winner raced Saturday, as Olympic Lights ($4.20) notched his 15th Emerald Downs victory with a come-from-behind score under Isaias Enriquez in race seven. A 9-year-old gelding, Olympic Lights is No. 1 in wins among active horses and tied for fourth with Fleet Pacific on the all-time list. … First-time starters Follow My Tracks ($12) and Belt finished one-two in the $17,850 maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up, with Wasserman’s little brother, Perfect Night, finishing third. The winner, who ran six furlongs in 1:10.83 for jockey David G. Lopez and trainer Jim Penney, is a full brother to $102,000 earner The Gang and I. … The sixth race superfecta paid a meet-high $4,577.80, after 8-to-1 Guzzlingin rallied past 12-1 Adam N Ryan for the victory*Art McFadden, owner of Lady Aragron, third-place finisher in the Emerald Downs feature, scored a victory at Hollywood Park as Sudden Kick won Saturday’s second race for trainer Kathy Walsh. … Live racing continues today with first post 2:15 p.m. Carving is the 9-to-5 morning line favorite in the $21,000 allowance feature for 3-year-olds at six furlongs. Music of My Soul, Emerald Downs’ Top Juvenile Male of 2012, is 5-2, while Really Mr Greely (3-1), Boyett(5-1) and Mike Man’s Gold (5-1) round out the field.