Class Included tries hard, fires every time and is conditioned by Washington Hall of Fame trainer Jim Penney.
And as Class Included demonstrated again Sunday, she is even better around two turns, exploding for a 2-½-length victory in the $50,000 Boeing Handicap for older fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Juan Gutierrez at high weight of 121 lbs., Class Included ran one mile in 1:34.48, and paid $4.20, $2.60 and $2.40. Mike and Amy Feuerborn of Maple Valley own and bred the winner, who is by Include-A Classic Life.
Class Included has never finished worse than second while compiling a 7-6-0 record in 13 starts with earnings of $256,823. She now has four stakes wins at Emerald Downs*same as her mother*and her latest victory left Mike Feuerborn humbled.
“She’s done everything her mother has done, and even more,” Feuerborn said in the winner’s circle. “This is an emotional win for me. This is by far the best race we’ve ever won with this mare.”
Indeed six of the seven horses in the Boeing are stakes winners at Emerald Downs including E Z Kitty, the Washington-bred who had edged Class Included last month in the Washington State Legislators Stakes, but finished fifth Sunday.
This time, however, Class Included got a dream trip, rating kindly in fourth place as Elusive Noise and Carrabelle Harbor burned rubber on the engine while carving fractions of :22.68, :44.64 and 1:08.61. Unleashed on the last turn, Class Included rallied to the lead with a looping three-wide bid, hit the front entering the stretch and quickly drew off.
“I expected three horses to go to the lead, and I could just sit behind them,” Gutierrez said. “My filly was really relaxed. I felt comfortable on her the whole way. I was smooching at her a little on the turn to see what she had left. I could tell she had a lot of horse. She went by the leaders very easily.”
Sweet Nellie Brown rallied for second to complete a one-two finish for the Penney stable. Ridden by William Antongeorgi at 118, Sweet Nellie Brown paid $7.40, $3.60.
It was 2-¾ lengths back to Carrabelle Harbor, who gamely held third place under Eliska Kubinova, and a $5.80 show payoff.
Elusive Noise faded to fourth, followed by E Z Kitty, Cielator and Rewritten. The 9-to-5 second choice, E Z Kitty bobbled at the break and raced farther back than normal.
Gutierrez, third all-time with 42 stakes wins at Emerald Downs, rode four winners Sunday and opened a 55-45 lead on Leslie Mawing in the jockeys’ standings.
Gutierrez has ridden multiple winners the last five racing days and finished the meet’s first half on pace for 110 wins and his first Emerald Downs riding title.
NOTES: Hollywood Harbor ($5) ran six furlongs in 1:07.23 to win the $22,575 allowance race preceding the Boeing Handicap. Owned by One Horse Will Do Corp. and Chris Stenslie, Hollywood Harbor has won seven of 12 career starts and earned $132,702. Couldabenthewhisky finished second and Rainier Ice was third*Northwest Farms and trainer Tom Wenzel unleashed another sharp prospect Sunday as Goin to the Window defeated maiden special weight fillies by 5-¾ lengths in :57.30 for five furlongs. The bay filly is a Northwest Farms homebred by Tapit out of the Indian Charlie mare Queens Full*Antongeorgi rode three winners Sunday and is third overall with 42 wins*Penney and Tim McCanna had two training wins each*Defending champion Frank Lucarelli finished the first-half with a 27-24 lead on McCanna in the trainers’ standings*Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:15 p.m.