Mister Breeze wore down heavily favored Chaching Pete for a three-quarter-length victory Friday in the $12,300 feature race for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
Under a well-timed ride by Debbie Hoonan, Mister Breeze ran six furlongs in 1:09.54 and paid $21.20, $6.20 and $3.40. Alan Bozell is the winning trainer and breeder for owners Kimberly and Dalton Stecker.
Chaching Pete, the 4-to-5 favorite ridden by Juan Gutierrez, battled gamely to the wire but finished second. A winner of 16 career races including 13 at Emerald Downs, Chaching Pete paid $2.40 and $2.10.
Hoody, ridden by Joe Steiner, finished well for third and paid $2.80 to show.
Advancement finished fourth, followed by He’s Zuberrific, Midnight Lou, Jen’s Jag and St Nicholas Becky.
Mister Breeze saved ground in fourth place, as Advancement, Chaching Pete and Jen’s Jag dueled three deep across the track, setting fractions of :21.60, :44.25 and :56.62. Chaching Pete kicked clear into the stretch, but Mister Breeze angled off the rail and swept past Chaching Pete in the final sixteenth.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Hampton Bay-Skylar May, Mister Breeze is 6-1-1 in 17 career starts with earnings of $40,109. He has three wins this season including the meet’s fastest five furlongs—:56.65—last month.
NOTES: Hoonan rode the only two non-favorites to win on Friday’s eight-race card—Mister Breeze and first-race winner Gold Will Do ($47.40). . .Julien Couton and Juan Gutierrez—the meet’s leading riders—also rode two winners each Friday, and Couton now leads Gutierrez 89-76 atop the standings. . .Bozell and Jeff Metz led the trainers with two wins apiece, and Metz with 59 wins in 65 days, needs seven wins in the final five days to tie Tim McCanna’s track record of 66 wins. . .Hoonan is No. 2 all-time among woman riders with 439 wins at Emerald Downs; Jennifer Whitaker is first with 457. . .Gallyn Mitchell is the track’s all-time leader with 1,416 wins including a triumph aboard Top Kitty Cat($5) in Friday’s second race. . .Live racing resumes Saturday with first post 2 p.m. Plenty of pre-race activity Saturday; Stryker Phd makes a guest appearance at Emerald AM. Jacob Pollowitz anchors the FREE show beginning at 9 a.m. . .Joe Withee and Gary Dougherty are guest handicappers atEmerald ED from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Emerald Room. Emerald ED features FREE programs, FREE coffee and lots of winners!
