After riding two stakes winners last Sunday, Kevin Orozco repeated the feat on Championship Sunday Preview Day, capped with a perfectly timed ride on More Power to Him in the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Stakes for 3-year-olds and up.
Orozco, 22, scored his other stakes win Sunday aboard Show Me the Mints in the $50,000 King County Express as Emerald Downs presented four $50,000 stakes races on a 10-race card at Emerald Downs.
In the Mt. Rainier, More Power to Him closed from far back in the eight-horse field, surging past El Huerfano and Oh Marvelous Me in the final strides for a 1½-length victory. The winner covered 1 1/16 miles under 120 pounds in 1:42.62 and paid $10.20, $4.60 and $2.80. Faith Taylor is the winning trainer for owner/breeder Brett Mason of Vacaville, Calif.
El Huerfano, the 9-to-5 favorite ridden by Agapito Delgadillo at 124 pounds, finished second and paid $3.40 and $2.40, while ultra-consistent Oh Marvelous Me, ridden by Jorge Carreno at 120 pounds, finished third and paid $2.60. Elliott Bay, Hit the Beach, Concur, Vicente’s Shadow and Many Roses completed the order of finish; Respect the Hustle was scratched.
The Mt. Rainier is the final local prep for next month’s $200,000 Longacres Mile (Grade 3), and Mason said More Power to would remain here for the 84th renewal of the Northwest’s most prestigious race on Sunday, Aug. 11.
More Power to Him is no stranger to Emerald Downs. He finished third twice in stakes races here as a 3-year-old in 2017, but has mainly competed on the synthetic and turf surfaces at Golden Gate Fields. A California-bred by Slew’s Tiznow, his overall mark is 6-6-7 from 34 starts with earnings of $323,317, including $25,850 for Sunday’s triumph.
Although he settled for second, El Huerfano ran a much-improved race in the Mt. Rainier and also figures to contend in the Longacres Mile. Ditto third-place finisher Oh Marvelous Me, who now has two seconds and a third in three stakes this season and an overall record of 6-5-6 in 18 career starts at Emerald Downs.
Anyportinastorm, who sat out the Mt. Rainier after scoring convincing wins in the Governor’s Stakes and Budweiser Stakes, also is expected to run in the Longacres Mile.
In addition to the Longacres Mile, Championship Sunday includes the $50,000 Emerald Distaff, $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby and $50,000 Washington Oaks.
No Talking Back prevails in Boeing Stakes
In the $50,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares, No Talking Back rallied from far back to notch a 10-to-1 upset in 1:43.32 for 1 1/16 miles.
Scott Stevens — scoring his first Emerald Downs’ stakes victory – rode the winner at 117 pounds for trainer Chris Stenslie and owners Jody Peetz of Issaquah and Steve Shimizu of Bellevue. It’s the first win in four starts this year for No Talking Back, who won three races and nearly $60,000 here in 2018. including the Fan Appreciation Day Stakes.
Saving ground on the last turn, No Talking Back angled out in mid-stretch and collared Paddy’s Secret in the final strides. A 5-year-old Peetz homebred by Flatter-Talk to My Lawyer, No Talking Back earned $25,300 to boost her career earnings to $118,254.
No Talking Back paid $23.20, $13.20 and $7.20. Her overall record is 4-5-3 in 20 starts.
Paddy’s Secret gained command into the stretch and just failed to last for the victory. Ridden by Agapito Delgadillo at 118 lbs, the runner-up paid $8.40 and $4.80. Blazinbeauty, with Javier Matias riding at 119 pounds, closed from last to finish third and paid $4.20 to show.
Bella Mia, the 3 to 2 betting favorite, set the pace to mid-stretch and gave way late to finish fourth, while Reginella, Guardian One, Fly Far Away, Little Dancer and Dontkissntell completed the order of finish.
The $50,000 Emerald Distaff at 1 1/8 miles is next for older fillies and mares on Sunday, Aug. 11.
Show Me the Mints sharp in King County Express
Show Me the Mints used his blazing speed for a runaway four-length victory in the $50,000 King County Express for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Ridden by Kevin Orozco at 118 lbs, Show Me the Mints covered 5½ furlongs in 1:06.52 and paid $3.40 $2.40 and $2.10. Frank Lucarelli is the winning trainer for owner William Greenstein of Ashland, Ore.
Breaking sharply from the No. 4 post, Show Me the Mints shook off Reddy to Star after a half-mile in :46.82 and powered home for the victory.
Haveulostyourmind rallied from far back and caught Brett in the final jump for second place and paid $6 and $3.60, while Brett finished third and paid $3.40 to show. Harbors Rule, Coleinator, Northland Cable, Reddy to Star and Race Office completed the order of finish.
A Washington-bred by Coast Guard-Irene’s Bonus Baby, Show Me the Mints earned $23,265 and is 1-1-0 in two starts with earnings of $26,965. Show Me the Mints sold for $22,000 at the 2018 Washington Summer Yearling Sale.
The $50,000 WTBOA Lads Stakes at six furlongs in next for 2-year-old colts and geldings on Sunday, Aug. 18.
For You Only scores upset in Angie C
In the $50,000 Angie C Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, For You Only swept to the lead in deep stretch and held off betting favorite Windy Point for a 1¾-length victory in 1:05.18 for 5 ½ furlongs.
Ridden by Jennifer Whitaker at 117 pounds, For You Only returned $25.60, $11 and $6 as sixth choice in the wagering. Howard Belvoir is the trainer for co-owners Ray Loftis of Bellevue, Dixie Hitchcock of Bonney Lake and David Matsumoto of Olympia.
In her career debut two weeks ago, For You Only showed speed and tired late while finishing third in a five-furlong maiden special weight. Sunday she reversed tactics and came from off the pace, surging past Miss Prospector and Devilish Diva late for the victory.
A Washington-bred by Abraaj-Slew Tunes, For You Only earned $21,725 and is 1-0-1 in two starts with earnings of $24,555. Nina Hagen, who also bred King County Express winner Show Me the Mints, bred For You Only at El Dorado Farm in Enumclaw.
Windy Point, the 9 -to-5 choice ridden by Juan Gutierrez, finished second and paid $3.80 and $3.
The rider of Windy Point claimed foul against the winner, but the stewards’ made no change in the order of finish.
Devilish Diva, the early leader ridden by Scott Stevens at 119 pounds, held third and paid $3.60, while Jaded Tiger, You Go Girl, Miss Prospector, Lovefliesonwings, Sigrid’s Gold, Abraa Jabraa and Back to Mischief completed the order of finish. Informed Lady fell in mid-stretch and did not finish.
Next for 2-year-old fillies is the $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes at six furlongs on Sunday, Aug. 18.
Notes
The $0.50 All Stakes Pick 4 paid $961.70. … Nominations for the Longacres Mile close Sunday, July 28. … Gary Wales consecutive winning days streak ended at 28 Sunday – two days shy of tying Kevin Radke’s mark set in 2003. … Wales still owns a 61-44 lead over Kevin Orozco in the riders’ standings. … Orozco rode three winners Sunday and leads all jockeys with four stakes wins at the meet. … Jennifer Whitaker and Javier Matias rode two winners apiece Sunday. … Jockey Franklin Ceballos appeared to escape serious injury after going down while aboard Racy Opinion in a first race spill, after which third and fourth place finishers Code Charlie and Lasting Legend were both disqualified for interference in deep stretch. Ceballos was off his remaining mounts Sunday. … And in another incident, jockey Eddie Martinez walked off the track without assistance after going down in the stretch run while aboard Informed Lady in the Angie C Stakes. … In addition to breeding both 2-year-old stakes winners Sunday, Ron and Nina Hagen co-bred ninth race winner Irish Swing ($5.60). … Frank Lucarelli saddled two winners Sunday – his fifth and sixth of the week – and leads Blaine Wright 42-28 in the trainers’ race…Wright and Howard Belvoir also had two winners each Sunday. … Lucarelli is tied with the late Bud Klokstad for No. 3 all-time with 46 stakes wins at Emerald Downs, while Belvoir is No. 5 with 45. … Whitaker’s stakes win Sunday is her 20th at Emerald Downs, good for 10th place all-time. … Slew’s Tiznow, sire of More Power to Him, also sired He’s Not Grey, the lone four-time winner at the 2019 meet. … Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:30 p.m.
