Grinder Sparksaslgo and red-hot jockey Juan Gutierrez powered home for 3 ¼-length victory Saturday in the $21,500 Marysville-Pilchuck High School Staff Celebration Purse at Emerald Downs.
With Gutierrez riding his third winner on the card, Grinder Sparksaglo ran 6 ½ furlongs in a brisk 1:15.88 and paid $16.40, $6.40 and $4. Robbie Baze is the winning trainer for owners/breeders Les Lynd and Richard Senna.
Gutierrez, No. 2 all-time with 1,169 wins at Emerald Downs, has wins on 16 straight cards and 20 of 21 overall. He failed to make up ground on Julien Couton, however, as Couton also tripled Saturday and maintained his two-win lead, 29-27, over Gutierrez atop the jockeys’ standings.
Botch, with Couton riding, held second and paid $3.60 and $2.40. Fist Full of Green, ridden by Eliska Kubinova, finished third and paid $4.60.
Spit and Shine, Thundering Away, Valiant Flame and Daytona Beach Beach completed the order of finis
Valiant Flame, the 3-to-5 betting favorite, lagged in last place early and failed to rally in the stretch.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred by 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone, Grinder Sparksaglo is 4-2-3 in 12 starts with earnings of $56,926, including $11,825 for Saturday’s triumph. The dark bay gelding was a stakes winner last fall at Portland Meadows.
NOTES: Emerald Downs gave away 5,000 $2 win tickets on American Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes. Fans could either keep the souvenir on racing’s first Triple Crown winner in 37 years or cash out for $3.50. . .Trainer Manny Ortiz continued his winning ways with a two-for-two day withDehere Is Gone ($5.60) and Diamonds Dena ($7) scoring back-to-back in races six and seven. Ortiz is 5-4-1 in 12 starts since arriving from Turf Paradise last month. . .Trainer Howie Gibsonalso had two wins Saturday. . . For the third straight day and fourth in the last five, Natasha Coddington was the winning rider in the day’s final race. Saturday, Coddington guided Wide Rule ($4.60) to a gate-to-wire victory in the Race 11 nightcap. . .Live racing continues Sundaywith the $50,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes for older fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs, with Hastings Handicap winner Kikisoblu is the 2-to-1 morning line favorite. Sunday also is Robert Geller’s final day at Emerald Downs and Race 10 is the $18,800 Robert Geller Classic for 3-year-olds. Geller begins his new job at Woodbine next week while Matt Dinerman officially takes over Friday at Emerald Downs. First post is 2 p.m.
