Four stakes races, including the final local prep for the Longacres Mile, are featured Sunday on a 10-race card at Emerald Downs.
The $50,000 Mt. Rainier Stakes for older horses and the $50,000 Boeing Stakes for older fillies and mares share the spotlight with a pair of stakes for 2-year-olds – the $50,000 King County Express for colts and geldings and the $50,000 Angie C Stakes for fillies.
The four stakes drew a combined 37 entries; nine apiece for the Mt. Rainier and Boeing, 11 for the Angie C, and eight for the King County Express.
The Mt. Rainier at 1 1/16 miles is the final tune-up for the $200,000 Longacres Mile (Grade 3) and features an interesting sub-plot with Peter Redekop’s Anyportinastorm skipping the race. Trained by Blaine Wright, Anyportinastorm recorded the fastest 6 and 6½ furlongs of the meeting – 1:07.54 and 1:14.35 – while notching blowouts in the Governor’s Stakes and Budweiser Stakes.
But with Anyportinastorm being trained into the Mile on works, including an easy three furlongs in :36 3/5 Monday, the Mt. Rainier is a more competitive race. In fact, the largest $2 win pay in the last 15 runnings is $7 by Assessment in 2009, and in the 23-year history of the race only two winners reached double digits: Poker Brad, $14.20, 2003; Timely Stitch $75, 1997.
Oh Marvelous Me, second in both the Governor’s and Budweiser, is the probable favorite, but California shippers More Power to Him and Respect the Hustle have good histories around two turns. More Power to Him is 3-2-1 in 10 career starts with over $100,000 in earnings in 1 1/16 mile races, while Respect the Hustle is 2-1-0 in three starts at the distance and just scored vs. allowance company at Pleasanton.
El Huerfano didn’t fire as the second choice in the Budweiser, but the 7-year-old gelding also has a good history in routes and gets a new rider, Agapito Delgadillo, on Sunday.
Sunday marks the first of two stakes quadruple headers this season. Championship Sunday on Aug. 11 features the $200,000 Longacres Mile, $50,000 Emerald Distaff, $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby and $50,000 Washington Oaks.
The field for the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Stakes, 1 1/16 Miles (Race 8, 5:39 p.m.): 1-Oh Marvelous Me, Jorge Carreno, 118 pounds; 2-Elliott Bay, Javier Matias, 120; 3-Many Roses, Franklin Ceballos, 120; 4-Hit the Beach, Jose Zunino, 120; 5-El Huerfano, Agapito Delgadillo, 124; 6-Vicente’s Shadow, Scott Stevens, 118; 7-Concur, Eddie Martinez, 118; 8-More Power to Him, Kevin Orozco, 120; 9-Respect the Hustle, Gary Wales, 120.
2019 Longacres Mile series
June 2: $50,000 Governor’s Stakes, Anyportinastorm ($2.40) 6F/1:07.54/91 Beyer
June 30: $50,000 Budweiser Stakes, Anyportinastorm ($2.40) 6 ½ F/1:14.35/94 Beyer
July 21: $50,000 Mt. Rainier Stakes, 1 1/16 Mile
Aug. 11: $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3), 1 Mile
$50,000 Boeing draws seven stakes winners
Similar to the older handicap division, the first two winners of the older filly and mare series – Ima Happy Cat and Best of Me – will skip the transition to two turns in the $50,000 Boeing Stakes.
Nevertheless, the nine-horse field features seven Emerald Downs’ stakes winners – Blazinbeauty, Reginella, Dontkissntell, Fly Far Away, Little Dancer, No Talking Back and Bella Mia.
As usual, trainer Blaine Wright is loaded in the older filly or mare division. Luigi or Diana DiPietro’s Reginella captured the 2018 Emerald Distaff, Todd and Shawn Hansen’s Fly Far Away won the 2018 Washington Cup Filly and Mare, and John and Janene Maryanski’s Bella Mia finished second to Ima Happy Cat in the Hastings Stakes and runner-up to stable mate Best of Me in the Washington State Legislators Stakes.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold, Bella Mia is 5-4-1 in 12 starts lifetime with earnings of $160,923. She also was stakes-placed in routes twice last year at age 3.
Darlyne and Karl Krieg’s Dontkissntell also enters the fray in good form. A 4-year-old Rosberg filly, she finished third in both the Hastings and Washington State Legislators, and before that scored by eight lengths in a 5½-furlong allowance race. She also has a good history in routes, winning last year’s Washington Cup Sophomore Filly Stakes and finishing second two weeks later vs. her elders in the Washington Cup Filly and Mare Stakes.
The field for the $50,000 Boeing Stakes, 1 1/16 Miles (Race 7, 5:09 p.m.):1-Blazinbeauty, Javier Matias, 119 pounds; 2-Reginella, Kevin Orozco, 119; 3-Paddy’s Secret, Agapito Delgadillo, 117; 4-Dontkissntell, Ryan Barber, 119; 5-Fly Far Away, Jorge Carreno, 119; 6-Little Dancer, Eddie Martinez, 119; 7-No Talking Back, Scott Stevens, 117; 8-Guardian One, Gary Wales, 117; 9-Bella Mia, Franklin Ceballos, 119,
2019 Emerald Distaff series
May 27: $50,000 Hastings Stakes, Ima Happy Cat ($10.80) 6F/1:08.73 79 Beyer
June 23: $50,000 WA State Legislators S, Best of Me ($6.60) 6 ½ F/1:16.04 79 Beyer
July 21: $50,000 Boeing Stakes, 1 1/16 Mile
Aug 11: $50,000 Emerald Distaff, 1 1/8 Mile
King County Express/Angie C draw large fields
Two-year-old stakes action also begins Sunday with the $50,000 King County Express for colts and geldings and the $50,000 Angie C Stakes for fillies. Both are carded at 5½ furlongs, and the first of seven stakes overall for 2-year-olds, the series ending with the $100,000 Gottstein Futurity on Sunday, Sept. 22.
The field for the $50,000 King County Express, 5½ Furlongs (Race 5, 4:07 p.m.): 1-Brett, Eddie Martinez, 118 pounds; 2-Northland Cable, Franklin Ceballos, 118; 3-Haveulostyourmind, Jose Zunino, 118; 4-Show Me the Mints, Kevin Orozco, 118; 5-Reddy to Star, Javier Matias, 120; 6-Race Office, Jennifer Whitaker, 118; 7-Coleinator, Gary Wales, 120; 8-Harbors Rule, Scott Stevens, 118.
The field for the $50,000 Angie C Stakes, 5½ Furlongs (Race 6, 4:38 p.m.): 1-Jaded Tiger (s), Kevin Orozco, 119 pounds; 2-Informed Lady, Eddie Martinez, 119; 3-Back to Mischief, Ryan Barber, 117; 4-Sigrid’s Gold, Jose Zunino, 119; 5-Windy Point, Juan Gutierrez, 119; 6-Miss Prospector, Denny Velazquez, 117; 7-Devilish Diva (s), Scott Stevens, 119; 8-Abraa Jabraa, Jorge Carreno, 119; 9-You Go Girl, Julien Couton, 117; 10-For You Only, Jennifer Whitaker, 117; 11-Lovefliesonwings, Gary Wales, 119. (s) supplemental nomination
2-year-old colts & geldings series
July 21: $50,000 King County Express, 5½ F
Aug. 18: $50,000 WTBOA Lads Stakes, 6 F
Sept. 8: $50,000 WA Cup Juvenile Colt & Geldings Stakes (WA-Bred), 6½ F
Sept. 22: $100,000 Gottstein Futurity, 1 1/16 M
2-year-old fillies series
July 21: $50,000 Angie C Stakes, 5½ F
Aug. 18: $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes, 6 F
Sept. 8: $50,000 WA Cup Juvenile Filly Stakes (WA-Bred) 6 ½ F
Sept. 22: $100,000 Gottstein Futurity*, 1 1/16 M
*Open to colts & geldings & fillies
Amazing Mike Man’s Gold goes for record
Mike Man’s Gold bids for track history in Saturday’s sixth race, a $25,000 claimer for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.
With a victory, Mike Man’s Gold would move into sole possession of first place on the track’s all-time wins list; the 9-year-old gelding enters the race tied with West Seattle Boy at 21 wins apiece.
Mike Man’s Gold is 2-1-0 in four starts at the meet, scoring victories at six furlongs and one mile — the latter a four-length score on June 29 from which he was claimed for a third straight time. Owned by Inittowinit, Mike Man’s Gold is trained by Rigoberto Velasquez, who also trained West Seattle Boy for 17 of his 21 victories at Emerald Downs.
West Seattle Boy’s final Emerald Downs’ start was a victory at age 12 on September 25, 2011, while Mike Man’s Gold debut came July 7, 2012, when he rallied for a $42.80 upset under Javier Matias.
With Gary Wales electing to ride Blue Law, Eddie Martinez takes over the mount on Mike Man’s Gold.
Notes
Saturday’s feature is an $18,500 optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up at 6½ furlongs: Trump Itz, Upo, Grinder Sparksaglo, Bullet Drill, Boundary Bay, Leroy and The Press. … Alliford Bay attempts to win the $50,000 California Governor’s Cup Handicap for a third straight year Saturday at Sacramento. … Washington-bred Verynsky scored a $15.60 upset for trainer Mike Puhich and owners Tim Floyd and Roddina Barrett in a $16,000 claiming race Thursday at Del Mar. By Vronsky, Verynsky most recently finished fourth to Baja Sur in the Coca-Cola Stakes at Emerald Downs.
