Risky Road outfinishes Improviso in Friday feature | Emerald Downs

Risky Road, claimed earlier this month, made for a profitable investment for his new connections Friday at Emerald Downs. Ridden by Anne Sanguinetti, Risky Road rallied from sixth place and captured the $9,975 feature race for 3-year-olds and up, running one mile in 1 minute, 37.85 seconds while defeating 4-to-5 betting favorite Improviso by a head. Trained by Jim Penney for Where We At Stable, Risky Road paid $14.80, $5.40 and $3.40. Claimed for $7,500 on June 2, Risky Road earned $6,035 for Friday’s victory and was reclaimed by Tim McCanna for $12,500, giving Where We At Stable a net profit of $11,035 for its 19-day stay with Penney.

June 22, 2013 2:12 pm
Risky Road (No. 3) and jockey Anne Sanguinetti edge Improviso by a head in the Friday feature race at Emerald Downs.
Risky Road (No. 3) and jockey Anne Sanguinetti edge Improviso by a head in the Friday feature race at Emerald Downs.

Risky Road, claimed earlier this month, made for a profitable investment for his new connections Friday at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Anne Sanguinetti, Risky Road rallied from sixth place and captured the $9,975 feature race for 3-year-olds and up, running one mile in 1 minute, 37.85 seconds while defeating 4-to-5 betting favorite Improviso by a head.

Trained by Jim Penney for Where We At Stable, Risky Road paid $14.80, $5.40 and $3.40. Claimed for $7,500 on June 2, Risky Road earned $6,035 for Friday’s victory and was reclaimed by Tim McCanna for $12,500, giving Where We At Stable a net profit of $11,035 for its 19-day stay with Penney.

Improviso, ridden by Juan Gutierrez, rallied from far back and gained a short lead from the inside, but was unable to withstand the winner. Improviso paid $3.20 and $2.40.

Popular Pick, with Javier Matias riding, attempted to steal the race on the lead–setting fractions of :23.65, :46.52 and 1:11.10–but weakened slightly and finished third. Popular Pick paid $2.80. Leadership, Orcas Gold, Jimmeny Creek, Expenses Paid and Donell’s Dancer completed the order of finish.

Riding mainly for leading trainer Jeff Metz, the 32-year-old Sanguinetti is enjoying a successful first full season at Emerald Downs. She ranks sixth in the jockeys’ standings with 16 wins, and scored a stakes victory last month aboard E Z Kitty in the Hastings Handicap.

For Penney and assistant/daughter Kay Cooper, meanwhile, they’ve won two races each of the last two racing days, including a win by Longacres Mile contender Jebrica in the Budweiser Handicap last Sunday.

NOTES: Penney was the only trainer or jockey with more than one win Friday… Four different woman riders won races – Sanguinetti, Jennifer Whitaker, Cassie Papineau and Eliska Kubinova… Majorca Gold, six-for-10 in 2012, scored his first victory of 2013 with a perfectly timed ride by Nathan Chaves in race five. Trained by Rigoberto Velasquez and owned by Lisa Baze, Jerry Carmody and Jerry Pelliken, the 5-year-old Washington-bred gelding ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.28 and paid $8.80… Live racing continues Saturday with first post 2:15 p.m. Polish Dollar is the 8-to-5 morning line favorite in the $22,575 allowance race for 3-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs.