For the Reporter
Tros and Nosetodagrindstone produced the meet’s first dead-heat for a win in Friday’s featured Taxandres 40th Birthday Purse at Emerald Downs.
The long shots rallied in tandem and nailed Nitro Road in the final stride of the one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. The winning time was 1:36.72.
Ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, Tros paid $8.80, $7.40 and $5.20. Roddina Barrett trains the 5-year-old Invasor gelding for owner Wayne Williams. The same trio also connected with 4-year-old filly Ms. Sutherland at 15-to-1 on July 6.
Ridden by Anne Sanguinetti, Nosetodagrindstone paid $9.60, $5.60 and $5.20. Jeff Metz trains the 3-year-old Grindstone colt for owner Horseplayers Racing Club #098.
Nitro Road, ridden by Leslie Mawing, was a neck behind the winners and paid $8.40 to show.
Uptownfreddybrown, Happy Childhood, Bluegrass Fox Trot and Moony Moony completed the order of finish, while Stretch Home was a late scratch.
With the victory, Tros lifted his overall record to 2-1-1 in seven starts with earnings of $13,352. Friday’s race was his 2014 debut.
Nosetodagrindstone improved to 2-2-4 in 12 starts with earnings of $18,149. The Oregon-bred has a 2-1-1 mark in five starts at the meet.
Notes
In addition to the win by Nosetodagrindstone, Metz won races minutes apart Friday in California*Shoer Hugh ($4) winning race six at Sacramento and Run Sophia Run ($18.20) prevailing in race five at Del Mar. A 4-year-old Bedford Falls filly also owned by Horseplayers Racing Club, Run Sophia Run was winless in three starts this year at Emerald Downs. … Sanguinetti and Mitchell rode two winners each on the seven-race card. … Owner/trainer Calvin Bagby broke into the win column in 2014 as Nothing Like a Dame ($4.80) led gate-to-wire under Luis Gonzalez in race four. … Ankeny Hill, a Rodney Orr owned and bred Sharp Humor colt that broke his maiden at Emerald Downs last year, finished second to Pure Tactics ($9.40) in an $85,000 allowance turf sprint. … Live racing continues Saturday with the $50,000 Kent Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Canadian shipper Ole’s Miss is the 9-to-5 morning line favorite, and Irish Day Handicap winner Find Your Spot second choice at 2-to-1. First post is 2 p.m.
