Belt powered to the lead into the stretch and held off Del Siete Leguas for a neck victory Saturday in the featured Muckleshoot Tribal Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
With leading rider Rocco Bowen aboard, Belt ran six furlongs in 1:09.32 and paid $4.20, $3.40 and $2.40. The winner, a 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding, is trained by Tom Wenzel and owned by Ron Crockett Inc.
Del Siete Leguas, ridden by Leslie Mawing, closed strongly to finish second and paid $6 and $3.40. It was an encouraging comeback for the 5-year-old gelding, making his first start in over a year.
Financial Officer, the early leader ridden by Jennifer Whitaker, held third and paid $3.60 to show. Big Black Cat, Regal Valid, Improviso and Brock Says completed the order of finish.
Belt improved to 2-0-0 in three starts at the meet, prevailing for a $25,000 claiming price on April 19 and finishing fourth in an optional claiming race May 3. By Cahill Road-La Mariah, Belt has an overall mark of 3-3-0 in nine starts with earnings of $40,135, including a $5,665 check for Saturday’s triumph.
NOTES: Reflective Glory sustained a fractured cannon bone in race six, and jockeys Anne Sanguinetti and Juan Gutierrez both went down inside the sixteenth pole. Sanguinetti, who rode Reflective Glory, was taken to Valley Medical Center for X-rays on her left ankle. Gutierrez, whose mount Milieux tripped over Reflective Glory, apparently escaped the incident without injury but was off his final two mounts. Reflective Glory was euthanized. Milieux was uninjured in the mishap. Leslie Mawing rode four winners on the nine-race card and surged into second place in the jockeys’ standings with 22 wins, three behind Rocco Bowen. Mawing swept the first three races and added a fourth win in race seven. Already this season, Mawing has a five-win day, a four-win day and a three-win day. . .Bowen and Gallyn Mitchell each rode two winners. . .Preachinattheforum ($8.20) rallied from last to win the meet’s first event for 2-year-olds under Mawing in :52.47 for 4 ½ furlongs. Owned by Lisa Russell and trained by Neil Knapp, the winner is a Washington-bred gelding by Preachinatthebar-Mighty Forum. . .The victory was Knapp’s 150th at EmD. . .He’s a Cruiser ($9.20) became the meet’s third three-time winner with a victory in race seven for older $10,000 claimers. A 5-year-old Washington-bred trained by Vince Gibson for owners Pam Gibson and Maureen Hallett, He’s a Cruiser has won for claiming prices of $5,000, $7,500 and $10,000, and joins Vegas Burn and Cha Cha Latte as triple winners this season. . .Elwin Gibson became the third different Gibson to saddle a winner this meet as Lots of Prayers led all the way for a $24.40 upset in race four. . .A pair of Washington Hall of Fame jockeys teamed up for the win in race five as Mitchell rode Wave Rider ($11) to a gate-to-wire win victory for trainer Larry Pierce. Mitchell was a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee and Pierce was inducted in 2008. . .Wave Rider also was Professor Pollowitz’ Pick of the Day. . .Dave Heerensperger’s Fire With Fire ($16.60) rallied under Tyler Baze to edge Segway and Gary Stevens in the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2) on the turf at Santa Anita. . .Live racing continues Sunday at Emerald Downs with first post 2 p.m. The featured event is the 19th running of the $50,000 Auburn Handicap for 3-year-old colts and geldings at 6 ½ furlongs. The Doris Harwood-trained tandem of Del Rio Harbor (9-5) and Noosito (2-1) are the top choices on the morning line.
