Tim Tim Tim took control on the turn and powered home for a one-length victory Saturday in the $14,900 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
Tim Tim Tim—the longest shot on the board—ran 5 ½ furlongs in a fast 103.01 and paid $18.60, $6.80 and $4. Jake Barton, riding his second winner Saturday, rode the winner for owners/breeders Sue and Tim Spooner of Olympia, Wash., and trainer Dan Markle.
Calculated Chaos, ridden by Jose Zunino, finished third but was placed second and paid $3.60 and $3. Imfixintowin, ridden by Rocco Bowen, was promoted from fourth to third place and paid $3.60 to show.
My Chief crossed the wire second, but was disqualified for causing interference on Tizaplayer in the stretch run. My Chief drifted out at the eighth pole, causing Tizaplayer to take up sharply, sending jockey Julien Couton hurtling to the ground.
Neither Tizaplayer nor Couton were injured, but the mishap cost the 3-to-5 betting favorite any chance for the victory.
Couton, however, came right back to win race 10 on Caymus Kat ($3.80), capping his second five-win day of the month and boosting his meet-leading total to 94 wins. The 34-year-old Frenchman was 5-0-1 in nine mounts Saturday.
Tim Tim Tim has enjoyed a big meet for Markle and the Spooners, compiling three wins and a third in five starts, earning $23,495. A 4-year-old Washington-bred by Delineator-Country Whirl, Tim Tim has won two straight and is 3-0-0 in four starts under Barton.
NOTES: Jeff Metz continued his relentless march toward the record book with another three winners Saturday—his third straight day with multiple wins—and is up to 62 wins for the season. Metz needs five wins in the final four days to break Tim McCanna’s single-season mark of 66 wins set seven years ago. . .Trainer Craig Walters scored his first win of the season as On the Turn ($8.40) prevailed inSaturday’s second race for $25,000 maiden claimers. A 5-year-old Raise the Bluff gelding, On the Turn is 3-8-1 in 13 career starts with earnings of $38,529. In addition to training a small stable of runners, Walters also is one of the track’s most popular mutuel clerks. . . Cousin Wheelz ($8) won theSaturday opener and joined Jacango as the only Quarter Horses with three wins at the meet. Winning rider Javier Matias is now 60 percent (9-for-15) in Quarter Horse races this season. . .Matias also had a Thoroughbred win aboard On the Turn, and needs three more victories to reach the 1,000 win mark for his career. . .Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race program at 2 p.m.