For the Reporter
Fooled Again showed his heels to eight rivals Friday at Emerald Downs, racing to a 3¾-length victory in the $11,500 BetAmerica Purse for 3-year-olds and up.
Ridden by Juan Gutierrez, Fooled Again zipped 6½ furlongs in 1:15.58 and paid $7.40, $4.60 and $4.20. Jeff Metz, atop the standings with 29 wins, is the winning trainer and co-owner with Brett Brophy and Kelly Dougan.
A 4-year-old Scat Daddy gelding, Fooled Again has three wins at the meet and is 5-for-15 lifetime with earnings of $69,845 including $6,325 for Friday’s victory. At Emerald Downs, Fooled Again is 5-0-0 in nine starts, including victory in last year’s Auburn Stakes.
Hustled to the lead from the No. 5 post, Fooled Again set fractions of :21.85, :44.29 and 1:09.12 en route to victory.
Mr. Takahashi, ridden by Eswan Flores, rallied into contention into the stretch, but was unable to threaten Fooled Again in the final furlong. Mr. Takahashi paid $6 and $6.
Surfliner, ridden by Javier Matias, rallied from last to finish third and paid $8.60 to show. Perfect Night, Roman Boos, Arctic Vortex, Southern Solution, Wups and War Wizard completed the order of finish.
Notes
Jockey Jose Barnes notched his first Emerald Downs win in Friday’s nightcap, guiding Freedomofthehills to a 17-1 upset and triggering a carryover of $20,231 to Saturday’s $0.20 Pick 7. A 20-year-old South African, Barnes began riding here July 8 and had picked up one third in 12 mounts before Friday’s victory. … Ronald Richard was the lone jockey with two wins Friday. … Rocco Bowen guided Come On Cozzene ($6) to a gate-to-wire victory in the first race, and has at least one win on 12 straight cards. …. Little Scotty ($7.80), a 3-year-old Paddy O’Prado filly owned by Dave Heerensperger of Bellevue, raced to a gate-to-wire victory Friday in a $68,000 allowance turf marathon at Del Mar. … Live racing continues Saturday with the third of four summer twilight cards. First post is 6:30 p.m. … California Chrome is 3-5 and Dortmund 7-5 in Saturday’s $200,000 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar. Post time is 6:03 p.m. for the Grade 2 at 1 1/16 miles.
