For the Reporter

Lady Rosberg gained command into the stretch and powered home for a 5½-length victory Sunday in the $50,000 Boeing Handicap for older fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 120 pounds, Lady Rosberg ran one mile in 1:35.92 and paid $10.60, $4.80 and $2.80. Tom Wenzel – saddling his seventh straight winner in the older filly and mare division – is the winning trainer for owner/breeder Karl Krieg of Oak Harbor, Wash.

Sarahline, a California invader ridden by Julien Couton at 115 pounds, finished well for second place and paid $5.40 and $2.80.

Kikisoblu, the 9-to-10 favorite with Rocco Bowen riding at 121 pounds, did well to finish third and paid $2.10 to show. Easy winner of both the Hastings Handicap and Washington State Legislators Stakes, Kikisoblu hesitated at the break, clipped heels early, rallied wide into contention on the backstretch, and then lacked her customary punch in the lane.

“She just stood there in the gate when it opened, didn’t break,” Bowen said. “The whole race was kind of a disaster.”

Lady Rosberg, meanwhile, enjoyed a perfect trip. She popped the gate nicely, settled into a stalking position behind Lady of the Nile and an unsettled Kikisoblu, swept to the fore leaving the last turn and proved a convincing winner.

A 5-year-old Washington-bred mare by Rosberg-Enter Laughing, Lady Rosberg is 7-2-2 in 14 career starts with earnings of $134,272. She has four stakes victories, three at Turf Paradise and Sunday’s triumph at Emerald Downs.

“This filly has been freshened up,” said Mitchell, No. 1 all-time with 78 stakes wins at Emerald Downs. “I got to work her the last couple times and I told Tom (Wenzel) that this filly was really sharp and on her game.

“I went to talk to Tom this morning at the barn and I said this is going to be a rider’s race. I said I’m going to let her run to the turn. If they give me the lead, watch out. If they don’t, I’m going to be right close behind them.”

After overseeing Stopshoppingdebbie’s four-race sweep in 2014, Wenzel has swept the first three races this year by a combined 15¾ lengths. Kikisoblu won the first two races this year – Hastings Handicap and Washington State Legislators Stakes – by 4¼ and 6¼ lengths.

Alli Leigh, a 42-to-1 long shot, rallied for fourth place, and was followed by Lady of the Nile, Finding More, English Lace and Our Little Hen.

Great week for Metz

Trainer Jeff Metz capped an amazing weekend when Sea Side Story edged Ducoti in a driving finish in Sunday’s seventh race.

The victory capped a 6-for-6 week for the 48-year-old trainer, who went 2-for-2 Friday, 3-for-3 Saturday and 1-for-1 Sunday. Metz, bidding for his third straight training title, leads Howard Belvoir 31-15 atop the standings.

Sea Side Story ($5) became the seventh horse to win three races at the meet, and Metz trains four of them – River District, Calculated Chaos, Rio Hondo and Sea Side Story.

Metz can extend the winning streak Friday when he runs five horses on the seven-race card including Rio Hondo in the $12,300 feature race for 3-year-olds and up at one mile.

With an overall mark of 31-for-109 (28.4%), Metz is on pace to challenge Tim McCanna’s single-season record of 66 wins set in 2008.

Friday marks the half-way point of the 70-day season that runs through September 27.

Notes

Leslie Mawing and Juan Gutierrez rode two winners each on the 10-race card. … Julien Couton, who leads with 50 wins, served the first of a two-day suspension Sunday, although he was permitted to ride Sarahline in the Boeing Handicap. … Couton also received another two-day suspension (July 12 and July 17) for causing interference aboard My Chief in Saturday’s seventh race. … Camille ($14.40) led gate-to-wire for a 3¼-length victory in the $24,000 allowance/optional claimer for older fillies and mares. Ridden by Francisco Duran for trainer Manny Ortiz, Camille ran six furlongs in 1:09.83. … Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:45 p.m.