Fooled Again remained undefeated with a sharp 1 ¼-length victory Sunday over Gloria’s Angelo in the $50,000 Auburn Handicap for 3-year-old colts and geldings at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Juan Gutierrez at 117 lbs, Fooled Again ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1:16.22 and paid $19, $6.60 and $4.20. Howard Belvoir is the winning trainer for owners Todd and Shawn Hansen of Tenino, Wash.
The outcome continued an early season trend of long shots winning stakes races; the winning odds have been 8-1, 39-1 and 8-1.
Tucked in fourth place behind a sizzling pace duel—Prime Engine and Daytona Beach rocketed through fractions of :21.50 and :44.01—Fooled Again swept past the leaders into the stretch and edged away for the victory.
A Kentucky-bred by Scat Daddy-Valour Road, Fooled Again is 2-for-2 with earnings of $38,775, including $27,500 for Sunday’s win.
“He’s a nice colt, we think he’ll run all day,” Belvoir said. “We’re shooting for the moon right now.”
Gloria’s Angelo, ridden by Joe Steiner at 118 lbs, closed strongly to finish second and paid $4.60 and $3.60. Senna, a 54-to-1 long shot ridden by Francisco Duran at 116 lbs, rallied from last to finish third and paid $10.40.
O B Harbor, the 5-to-2 second choice, briefly led on the last turn, battled back when headed by Fooled Again, but faded slightly to finish fourth. Moby, Prime Engine, Private Boss and Daytona Beach completed the order of finish.
Prime Engine, the even-money favorite, tired from his early efforts, according to jockey Leslie Mawing.
“It’s a hard decision to take back from the one-hole, that wasn’t really in the plans,” Mawing said. “We had to get out, get position. I was pretty sure (Daytona Beach) was going to show a lot of speed and he did. We went too fast, just killed each other off.
I knew pretty early I was going to be out of horse.”
Gutierrez, winning his 55th stakes at Emerald Downs, said the plan was to wait behind an anticipated speed duel.
“There were two or three speed horses and Howard (Belvoir) told me to stay off the pace, so I asked him to run at the quarter-pole,” Gutierrez said. “He’s a nice horse. I worked the horse a couple times in the morning and I really liked him. He’s 2-for-2, so he has the talent to beat these kinds of horses. He’s learning, but little by little I think he’s going to be a really nice horse.”
NOTES: I Think So ($7.40) invaded from Hastings Racecourse to win the $21,500 sub-feature for older fillies and mares in 1:03.26 for 5 ½ furlongs. Trained by Mike Puhich for Dr. Mark Dedomenico and North American Thoroughbred Racing Co., the 5-year-old Proud Citizen mare is 6-3-2 in 18 starts with earnings of $165,062. In one of the largest claims in track history, I Think So was claimed for $40,000 Sunday by trainer Dan Markle and owner Jeff Stoddard. The record Emerald Downs claim is $50,000, most recently Jebrica in 2014. . .Julien Couton was fined $500 for failing to maintain a straight course on Noosito in last week’s Governor’s Handicap. The incident, which occurred in deep stretch, resulted in Noosito being disqualified from second and placed sixth. . .Owners Sue and Tim Spooner, No. 2 all-time with 166 wins at Emerald Downs, scored their first win of the season Sunday as first-time starter Tim Tim Tim ($11.60) led gate-to-wire in race three for $25,000 maiden claimers. . .Also in race three, On the Turn finished third for the sixth straight time, twice this year and his last four starts in 2014. Trained by Craig Walters, On the Turn has a career mark of 7-0-0-6 with earnings of $14,281. . .Bruce and Cass Maller (Highlander Racing Stable) were back in the winner’s circle Sunday as 3-year-old filly Citizen Kitty ($3.60) edged Wickedizaswickeduz in race five for 3-year-old maiden fillies. . .Although Prime Engine failed to hit the board, Puhich was the only trainer with two wins Sunday—Saffron ($12.60) in race eight and I Think So. . .Leslie Mawing rode two winners and is within three wins of Couton in the standings. Couton leads with 21 wins, followed by Mawing at 18.
