Polish Dollar resumed his winning ways Saturday at Emerald Downs.
The 7-year-old gelding posted a 1-½-length victory over Theresmyeverything in the $18,900 allowance/optional-claiming feature for 3-year-olds and up. It was the 11th win in 29 career starts for Polish Dollar, who won four-of-eight starts last year and was a finalist for the meet’s Top Claimer.
With newcomer Isaias Enriquez aboard for his first Emerald Downs victory, Polish Dollar ran six furlongs in 1:08.09 on a fast track and paid $4.40, $2.80 and $2.40. Bob Meeking is the trainer for owner Sharon Radke.
Breaking alertly form the outside, Polish Dollar pressed the pace set by Theresmyeverything*:22.39 for the quarter, :44.68 for the half*put a head in front on the turn, and gradually edged away in a stiff drive.
Ridden by Javier Matias, Theresmyeverything paid $4 and $3 for place and show.
Stryker Phd, with Debbie Hoonan riding, finished well for third place, while City Twister, Wasserman and Our Eagle Boy rounded out the order of finish.
Polish Dollar earned $10,395 to increase his career bankroll to $67,120
Also Saturday, Juan Gutierrez rode two winners and upped his Emerald Downs total to 999 wins. Gutierrez, who also rode two winners Friday, has nine mounts Sunday and bids to join Gallyn Mitchell as jockeys with 1,000 wins at Emerald Downs. Gutierrez won the opener on Cruella de Lil ($5) and the fourth on Boyett ($8.80), with both victories on horses trained by Chris Stenslie.
Stenslie also won the seventh with long shot Postulate ($20) and the 10th with Lumen Took It ($10), to finish with her first career four-win day, and the first four-win day by an Emerald Downs trainer since Tom Wenzel accomplished the feat June 24, 2012.
NOTES: Cassie Papineau, who rode 70 winners here as an apprentice in 2009, returned to the Winner’s Circle with a triumph aboard Send Silver ($14.60) in race six for trainer Bonnie Jenne*19-year-old jockey Ronald Richard posted his first two EmD wins with a gate-to-wire score on Postulate ($20) in race seven and a come-from-behind victory on Sweet Nellie Brown ($4.40) in race eight. In defeating $25,000 claiming fillies and mares, Sweet Nellie Brown pushed her earnings to $152,573*Enriquez, a 39-year-old native of Tijuana, has 1,055 career victories while riding mainly in California and New Mexico*Trainer Mike Puhich and owners Mike Pegram and Dr. Mark Dedomenico won for the second time in two days as Strange Luck ($3.80) shipped in from Santa Anita to post a two-length win in race two for 3-year-olds*After winning two races on opening night trainer Jeff Metz struck again Saturday, finishing first and second with El Cazador ($9.80) and Kaitlans Song in race five*Saturday’s $0.50 Pick 5 paid a healthy $6,687.40. Postulate at 9-to-1 and Send Silver at 6-to-1 were the biggest prices in the sequence. The EmD record is $20,957.40 for a $0.50 Pick 5 on August 26, 2012*Opening week continues Sunday with first post 2:15 p.m. The featured $21,000 allowance for older fillies and mares drew a star-studded five-horse field: E Z Kitty (8-5) and Exclusive Diva (2-1). You Me and Ema B (7-2), Carrabelle Harbor (4-1) and Smokin’ Grey (6-1).
