The three returning winners from last year, Noosito, Madame Pele and Chu and You, all were all victorious Sunday as Emerald Downs celebrated Washington Cup XII on a spectacular Northwest afternoon.
Noosito notched an authoritative victory in the $50,000 Chinook Pass Stakes for 3-year-olds, Madame Pele held off Hastings Racecourse shipper Castinette Dancer to win the $50,000 Pegasus Training Center Stakes for older fillies and mares, and Chu and You led gate-to-wire to defeat hard-trying stable mate Mylast Sweet Pea in the $50,000 Comcast SportsNet Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Washington Cup XII, six stakes races for Washington-breds, also featured a victory by Mike Man’s Gold in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic for 3-year-olds and up, a 20-to-1 surprise by Seattles Best Copy in the $50,000 Northwest Farms Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, and the spectacular Trackattacker remaining unbeaten with a 9 ¼-length romp in the $50,000 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Undefeated in four starts by an aggregate 36 ¼ lengths, Trackattacker is one of the most exciting prospects to run at Emerald Downs in years, and apparently is gaining a national following too. After attracting a track record $618,883 in show wagers in last month’s WTBOA Lads Stakes, Trackattacker had “bridge jumpers” out in force again Sunday, as $518,183 of a $541,304 show pool was wagered on the Harbor the Gold gelding.
Jockey Juan Gutierrez and trainers Doris Harwood and Jim Penney continued their respective Washington Cup successes. Gutierrez rode two WA Cup winners*Madame Pele and Chu and You*to boost his WA Cup record to 16 riding wins, and Harwood and Penney each saddled a winner and remained tied for most WA Cup training wins with eight each.
SEATTLES BEST COPY WON’T BE DENIED IN NW FARMS
In the day’s biggest surprise, Seattles Best Copy took the early lead and never looked back en route to a three-length victory over Fine Red Wine in the $50,000 Northwest Farms Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Ridden by Rocco Bowen at 119 pounds, Seattles Best Copy ran six furlongs in 1:10.18 and paid $42.40, $11.60 and $3.80. The $2 win price is a stakes record, topping the $38.40 payoff by Crystal Mt. Stevie in the 2003 race.
Seattles Best Copy set fractions of :22.04, :44.93 and :57.17. Afterward, Bowen said the filly was underrated Sunday.
“She had a couple setbacks last time,” Bowen said. “She didn’t break and she stood up in the gates. A lot of people wrote her off, but a lot of people don’t know the part that we know when we’re out there.”
The victory also gave trainer Mary Pirone her first Emerald Downs stakes victory.
Purchased for $1,600 as a yearling, Seattles Best Copy earned $25,510 for Sunday’s win and is 2-1-0 in four starts with career earnings of $35,429.
By Demon Warlock-Premo Copy, Seattles Best Copy is owned by the Stride for Stride Stables syndicate led by David Israel of Enumclaw
Fine Red Wine, ridden by Javier Matias at 119 pounds, finished second and paid $5.60 and $2.60. Pippa Bou Peep, the 7-to-10 favorite ridden by Eliska Kubinova at 119 pounds, was 3 ¾ lengths back in third and paid $2.10 to show.
TRACKATTACKER DOMINATES DRF DENNIS DODGE STAKES
Trackattacker remained undefeated with an easy 9 ¼-length victory over four overmatched rivals in the $50,000 Daily Racing form Dennis Dodge Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Ridden by Leslie Mawing at 120 pounds, Trackattacker ran six furlongs and, for the third straight race, paid $2.10, $2.10 and $2.10. Frank Lucarelli is the winning trainer for owner Roy Schaefer (R.E.V. Racing) of Port Orchard, Wash.
Breaking from the No. 1 post position, Trackattacker sprinted clear in the opening strides, and led through fractions of :22.07, :44.71 and :56.67. He opened a commanding six-length lead into the lane, and drew off for an easy win.
“The plan was just to get him out of the gate clean and be in command of the pace,” Mawing said. “Because this is a big horse, you just want him to run free.
“He’s just such a great horse to be on, mentally and physically. He does it with such ease. I tapped him one time down the lane just to make sure he’s paying attention to winning the race.”
By Harbor the Gold-Eclatante, Trackattacker is 4-4-0-0 with earnings of $86,343, including $27,025 for Sunday’s win. His winning margins have been 9, 11, 7 and 9 ¼ lengths,
Lucarelli said the $65,000 Gottstein Futurity on September 28 would be next for Trackattacker. At 1 1/16 miles, the Gottstein is the longest stakes of the meet for 2-year-olds.
“I’m excited about two turns with (Trackattacker),” Lucarelli said. “I’ve had some good 2-year-olds, but Trackattacker is pretty amazing. He’s a good horse.”
Private Boss, ridden by Javier Matias at 120 pounds, finished second, while Moby, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 120 pounds, finished third. Roy Lumm trains both the second and third-place finishers.
NOOSITO PREVAILS IN $50,000 CHINOOK PASS STAKES
Noosito, winning his third stakes of the meet, overtook Hoody into the last turn and coasted home with a four-length victory over stable mate Trick Or Retreat in the $50,000 Chinook Pass Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings.
A full brother to Noosa Beach, the track’s all-time leader with 11 stakes wins, Noosito has already equaled his older brother as a two-time Washington Cup winner. By Harbor the Gold-Julia Rose, Noosito captured the 2013 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Trained by Doris Harwood for Last Rose Stable and ridden by Leslie Mawing at 122 pounds, Noosito ran one mile in 1:35.13 and paid $2.20 and $2.10. Like Trackattacker, Noosito was a hit with bridge-jumpers, accounting for $81,096 of $85,661 in the show pool.
The two Harwood-trained 3-year-olds completely dominated the race. Trick Or Retreat, ridden by David G. Lopez at 120 pounds, was second by 11 ¼ lengths and paid $2.60 to place.
Money Cat, ridden by Eliska Kubinova, edged Hoody by a head for third place. Hoody, the early leader through fractions of :22.97 and :46.22, faded and finished fourth.
Noosito now has won three of the five stakes for 3-year-olds at the meet and rates an excellent chance of being voted Top 3-Year-Old Male. Noosito’s versatility has been impressive, with stakes wins this year at 6 ½ furlongs, one mile and 1 1/16-mile, and runner-up finishes at one mile and 1 1/8-mile.
“I always thought this horse was going to get better at 3-year-old, and even better at 4,” Harwood said. “He’s exceeded our expectations.”
Noosito is 5-1-3 in nine career starts with earnings of $158,403, including $28,570 for Sunday’s win.
’PELE TAKES THE PEGASUS, DOUBLE WA CUP WINNER
If Emerald Downs awarded a “Broodmare of the Year” it would be hard to overlook Striking Scholar, a daughter of Smart Strike who produced Longacres Mile winner Stryker Phd and Pegasus Training Center Stakes champion Madame Pele.
Winner of last year’s Comcast Sports Net Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Madame Pele scored a convincing 2 ½-length victory over Castinette Dancer in the Pegasus Training Center Stakes. Ridden by Juan Gutierrez at high weight of 121 pounds, Madame Pele ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.90 and paid $3.60, $2.20 and $2.10. Jim Penney is the winning trainer for Zach and Beth Correa (Kama’aina Thoroughbreds) of Enumclaw, Wash.
A 4-year-old by Salt Lake-Striking Scholar, Madame Pele is 5-4-3 in 22 starts lifetime with earnings of $151,022. She has three career stakes wins, the two WA Cup victories and the Mesa Handicap at Turf Paradise.
Sunday, Madame Pele made an early move to the lead, overtaking stable mate Finding More nearing the five-eighths pole, and opened a five-length lead into the stretch.
“The plan was to stay behind the speed,” Gutierrez said. “But she took off a little early, and I didn’t want to let her go. She’s going to do that, so I was hoping she would finish well. I didn’t like that, but we were able to get the win anyway.”
Castinette Dancer, ridden by Leslie Mawing at 118 pounds, rallied from last to finish second and paid $3 and $2.40.
Finding More, ridden by Eliska Kubinova at 117 pounds, held third and paid $3.20 to show. In addition to Madame Pele, Penney also strains Finding More.
Stephanie Plum and She’s Tops completed the order of finish.
CHU AND YOU HOLDS OFF ’SWEET PEA IN COMCAST
Winner of three stakes last year including the Northwest Farms Stakes, Chu and You picked up her first stakes win of 2014 with a gate-to-wire 1 ¼-length victory in the $50,000 Comcast SportsNet Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Ridden by Juan Gutierrez at 118 pounds, Chu and You ran one mile in 1:36.06 while holding off stable mate Mylast Sweet Pea for the win. Trained by Robbie Baze and owned and bred by Mike and Amy Feuerborn of Maple Valley, Wash., Chu and You paid $6, $2.80 and $2.20.
Chu and You set fractions of :23.84, :47.33, 1:11.18 and 1:23.36. She spurted away to a four-length lead into the stretch, and turned back one final bid from Mylast Sweet Pea.
“I tried to relax her on the lead, and then asked her at the quarter pole,” Gutierrez said. “I was looking back a couple of times at the turn, and when I started to ask her at the quarter pole I never looked back, so I said “Let’s go, baby.”
Mylast Sweet Pea, the 11-to-10 betting favorite ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, paid $2.40 and $2.20.
It was four lengths back to Among the Stars, ridden by Leslie Mawing at 119 pounds, and a $2.80 show payoff.
By You and I-Bronze Charmer, Chu and You is two-for-two since removing blinkers and 6-2-0 in 11 lifetime starts. Sunday’s win, worth $25,510, boosted her earnings to $143,789.
The 3-year-old filly division has now produced five different winners in as many races, making the division title a puzzle for voters. Further confusing matter, Washington Oaks winner Lady Fifty Two is ineligible for the award, having raced only once at the meet.
The two Baze fillies figure to drum up support: Chu and You has a win and two seconds in stakes races this season, while Mylast Sweet Pea, although winless, has three seconds, a third and a fourth.
MIKE MAN’S GOLD TRIUMPHANT IN MUCKLESHOOT CLASSIC
Back from Del Mar, where he finished second and fourth in a pair of sprints, Mike Man’s Gold rallied inside and drew off for a 2 ½ length victory in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic for 3-year-olds and up.
A 4-year-old gelding by Liberty Gold-Chedoodle, Mike Man’s Gold has stakes wins each of the last three years at Emerald Downs, and 7-3-2 in 21 career starts with earnings of $175,974 for Swag Stables and Gallo Stables. David Martinez is the winning trainer.
Ridden by Javier Matias at 119 pounds, Mike Man’s Gold ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.13 and paid $10.80, $5.20 and $2.20.
Dare Me Devil, with David G. Lopez riding at 122 pounds, finished second and paid $3.80 and $2.20. I Keep Saying, the 9-to-10 favorite ridden by Juan Gutierrez at 118 pounds, finished third and paid $2.10.
Matias said Mike Man’s Gold was in a good position early as I Keep Saying led Dare Me Devil though fractional times of :23.73, :47.08 and 1:10.50.
“He broke a little sharp, so I took him back behind speed,” Matias said. “I was waiting for that moment to ask him. I felt confident with the distance, and he responded so much. I’m happy for that.”
NOTES: Seven horses have won two Washington Cup races: Noosito, Wasserman, E Z Kitty, Ladyledue, Noosito, Madame Pele and Chu and You. . .Leslie Mawing rode four winners on the 11-race card and extended his lead to 91-63 over Rocco Bowen in the jockeys’ standings. With nine days remaining, Mawing has a good chance to hit the 100-win mark for the second time at Emerald Down. Mawing had 129 wins while winning the 2011 Emerald Downs title, and 97 wins while finishing runner-up to Juan Gutierrez in 2012. At the current meet, Mawing has one five-win day, four four-win days and eight three-win days. . .Mawing also ranks first with 11 stakes wins, but would need to sweep the Gottstein Futurity and NWSS Cahill Road Stakes on closing day to tie Gallyn Mitchell’s single-season record of 13 stakes wins set in 2000. . .On the trainers’ side, Jeff Metz and Frank Lucarelli each had a win and Metz leads Lucarelli 46-38 atop the standings. . .Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:45 p.m.
