Washington-bred Ladyledue will make her season debut tomorrow in the $30,000 Inaugural Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
The six-furlong Inaugural is the first of 35 stakes worth $2,015,000 to be run during the 2009 meeting. Formerly the US Bank Stakes, the Inaugural is the first stop on the road to the $75,000 Washington Oaks on Aug. 15. A dark bay or brown filly by the sensational late stallion Slewdledo, Ladyledue turned heads last season with two jaw-dropping scores in as many starts. She debuted with an eight-length victory in the Aug. 9 Knights Choice Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs and followed with a 4-¾ length score in the Sept. 14 Diane Kem Stakes at six furlongs on Washington Cup Day.
In both events, she took control early and won as easy as jockey Ricky Frazier pleased. In fact, it was so easy trainer Bonnie Jenne and owner Jon Sather considered a winter campaign against stiffer competition in California.
“We had to decide whether to keep racing her or give her the winter off,” Jenne said. “We decided to give her the winter off and we’re very happy with that decision.
“I’ve had some nice horses but I don’t think I’ve ever had one this good,” added Jenne, who has conditioned several stakes horses in her career including Muckleshoot Tribal Classic winners Mr. Makah and Colony Lane.
Ladyledue’s work tab includes five furlong drills in :58 1/5 and :59 4/5, and last Saturday’s a half-mile blowout in :47 4/5. “She developed a little bit over the winter, she’s a little taller,” Jenne said of her prized filly. “She’s easy to gallop but tends to work too fast if you don’t know her. She’s doing really well.”
A field of seven is entered in the Inaugural with post time at approximately 5:45 p.m.
Although still a maiden, the regally bred Seeking Ema will be interesting to follow this season. A Kentucky-bred by Seeking the Gold-Ema Bovary, Seeking Ema finished second in both starts against her own sex last year and her dam was one of the best sprinters in Emerald Downs history.
The field for the 14th running of the Inaugural Stakes in post-position order (race eight, all carry 116 pounds): Crocodile Tuff (5-1-2-0-$27,904), Matt Hagerty; Known as Lu (6-2-1-1-$25,345), Gallyn Mitchell; Where I Belong (5-1-3-0-$20,478), Saul Arias; Shamus On Me (10-3-3-1-$45,382), Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo; Ladyledue (2-2-0-0-$50,261), Ricky Frazier; Mizzen You (1-M-0-0-$1,740), Cassie Papineau, and Seeking Ema (3-M-2-0-$7,862), Juan Gutierrez.
SETH MARTINEZ RETURNS SUNDAY RIDES SNAKE ATTACK IN AUBURN
Jockey Seth Martinez returns to Emerald Downs on Sunday to ride Snake Attack for trainer Tim McCanna in the $30,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-olds.
In one of the closest races in track history, Martinez edged Ricky Frazier 121-117 for the 2008 riding title. En route, Martinez had several spectacular days topped by a record-tying six-win day on July 27 that included stakes scores on Shampoo and Chhaya Dance.
Martinez plans to ride at Turf Paradise until that meet ends on May 3, and then will return to Emerald Downs for the summer. The 29-year-old New Mexico native currently ranks fourth with 73 wins at Turf Paradise through Wednesday.
Snake Attack (4-2-0-1-$23,800) is a Kentucky-bred gelding by You and I and one of two horses McCanna nominated to the Auburn Stakes. The eight-time Emerald Downs training champion also has Rooster City (5-1-1-2-$24,897) in line for the six-furlong Auburn.
Entries for the Auburn, first step to the $75,000 Emerald Derby on Labor Day, will be taken Friday morning.
NOTES: Emerald Downs now offers two Pick 4’s per day—always on the first and last four races on the card…Trainer Tom Wenzel said The Great Face emerged from his third-place finish in good shape and would be pointed to the $30,000 Seattle Handicap on May 3. In his first start since winning the 2007 Longacres Mile, The Great Face was off a step slow and beaten a half-length and a neck by Assessment and Margo’s Gift…Saturday marks the 10-year anniversary of the final race of one of the track’s all-time great runners — Ropersandwranglers — who bowed out with her second straight victory in the Mountain View Stakes. The Bud Klokstad trainee won nine stakes and holds the Emerald Down record of seven straight stakes wins from Oct. 20, 1996-May 31, 1998…Weekly honors for April 17-19: Trainer-Howard Belvoir (six wins); Jockey-Juan Gutierrez (five wins); Owner-Swag Stable (four wins); Groom-Ramon Fernandez (Assessment/Triple Tee). The Quarter Chute Café again is sponsoring Groom of the Week while The Gift Shop is sponsoring both Trainer and Jockey of the Week…Apprentice Cassie Papineau, who doubled here opening week, rode two winners Tuesday at Turf Paradise and is tied for 12th with 37 wins at the Arizona track. Another familiar face, perennial Emerald Downs jockey Wilson Dieguez, is fifth with 71 wins at TuP…Saturday’s seventh race includes Emerald Downs stakes winners Chickasaw Park, Immigration and Emancipated, and 2008 Longacres Mile sixth-place finisher Call On Carson…Trainer Frank Lucarelli has a busy day Saturday with four runners at Emerald Downs and three more at Golden Gate Fields including Yacht Spotter in the $300,000 San Francisco Mile (GII) on turf.
