Mister Breeze rallied to the lead into the stretch and drew off for a 3 ¼-length victory Saturday in the $12,300 feature race for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
The longest shot on the board, Mister Breeze ran six furlongs in 1:10.97 under Rocco Bowen and paid $54, $22.60 and $8.40.
Alan Bozell is the winning trainer and co-owner with Dalton Stecker. Bozell is 3-3-0 in six starts at the meet, and his winners paid $13, $11 and $54.
Harbor Design, ridden by Jorge Rosales, finished second at 10-to-1 and paid $11 and $5.60. The $1 exacta (2-4) paid a season-high $278.30.
Carl Command, the 9-to-5 favorite ridden by Jennifer Whitaker, finished third and paid $3 for show. Marvin’s Magic, Big Bad Brown, T.D.’s Gold, Ontheshadyside, Oregon State and Charlie’s Gold completed the order of finish.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Hampton Bay-Skylar May, Mister Breeze improved to 4-1-1 in 11 lifetime starts, with earnings of $27,092. Bowen has been up for the last three wins at odds of 6-1, 7- and 26-1.
Bowen completed a sweep of the late daily double with a victory on Nearlycocktailtime ($17.40). For $2, the “Bowen double” returned a meet-high $624.80.
The series of long shots led to a second straight carryover in the $0.50 Pick 5. Sunday’s Pick 5—including the $10,514 carryover— on races 4 through 9.
NOTES: Julien Couton rode three winners—the first three-win day by a rider at the meet—and moved atop the jockeys’ standings with eight wins. . .Assistant racing secretary Rene Harris reports trainer Manuel Ortiz has arrived from Phoenix and plans to campaign about 15 runners this seasons at Emerald Downs. Ortiz currently ranks eighth with a 20-for-97 mark at Turf Paradise. . . Turf Paradise winds up its 144-day meeting Tuesday with the $35,000 Hasta La Vista Handicap at 1 ¾ miles on turf. . .Seeing as its Derby Day, how ’bout a tip of the cap for 11-year-old Immigration, turning in his 46th career in the money finish in Saturday’s fourth race at Emerald Downs. The Delineator gelding broke his maiden here way back on May 25, 2006 . . .Washington-bred Spin Forty ($11.20), co-owned by Gordy Jarnig, made it two straight wins at Santa Anita with a head victory vs. $30,000 starter allowance company at one mile. . .Trainer Jaqueline Smith saddled her first Emerald Downs winner, Our Boy Ken, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred that surged late for a $13.20 victory in race six. . . Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2:15 p.m.
