Mr. Mad Max capitalized on a pace duel and rolled through the stretch for a head victory Friday in the $11,650 feature race for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
Under a rail-skimming ride by Debbie Hoonan, Mr. Mad Max ran one mile in 1:35.94 and paid $4.80, $3 and $2.10. Dan Markle is the trainer for owners Sue and Tim Spooner.
Ugottabcatty, ridden by Javier Matias, took the lead on the last turn, relinquished the lead to Mr. Mad Max past mid-stretch but surged back to just miss. Ugottabcatty paid $3 and $2.20.
Touch the Sun, ridden by apprentice Eliska Kubinova, was four lengths back in third and paid $2.80. Zagreus and Seven Torrents completed the order of finish; Ontheshadyside was scratched earlier in the day.
A 5-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Tribunal out of Tempered Dawn, Mr. Mad Max has a career mark of 5-5-5 in 30 starts with earnings of $64,415, including $6,408 for Friday’s victory.
The winner was claimed for $12,500 by trainer Blaine Wright for new owner KLG Racing.
Hoonan was the only jockey with two wins on the seven-race card to boost her Emerald Downs total to 397 wins, second only to Jennifer Whitaker’s 399 for most wins by a woman rider at Emerald Downs.
NOTES: The early $0.50 Pick 4 paid a meet-high $7,548.55 to one winning ticket. The knockout was a $27.40 win by Dakota Demon in the third race*The $0.50 Pick 5, bolstered by a $5,011 carryover, paid $4,289 even though Dakota Demon was the only winner to pay over $5*Jockey Jose Zunino and trainer Debbie Van Horne have become one of the track’s best jockey-trainer long shot combinations. In addition to Dakota Demon, Zunino and Van Horne have two boxcar wins this season with Light My Heart*$78.80 on June 3 and $50.40 on July 22*Russell Wilson is lighting it up for the Seahawks while Tebowmania is taking over at Emerald Downs. First-time starter Tebowmania led gate-to-wire in Friday’s opener with Hoonan aboard for trainer Dave Bennett and owner Debra Larson*Live racing continues Saturday with first post 2:15 p.m. Simulcast action includes the 143rd running of the $1,000,000 Travers from Saratoga at 2:46 p.m.
