Trainer Frank Lucarelli picked up his second consecutive stakes victory Saturday after scoring a win Aug. 10 in the Emerald Derby.
Trackattacker, a 2-year-old gelding, muscled his way to finish first in the 6-1/2 furlong $50,000 Washington Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association Lads Stakes at Emerald Downs.
On Sunday Aug. 10, Lucarelli, an Enumclaw resident, won the Emerald Derby with Mebossman in a thriller at the wire against race favorites Del Rio Harbor and Noosito, both trained by Doris Harwood. Juan Gutierrez was riding.
Mebossman is a 3-year-old Washington-bred by Petionville out of Peaceful Wings and was bred by Buckley residents Rick and Debbie Pabst on Blue Ribbon Farm, which has been in operation since 1973.
WTBOA Lads
Saturday, Trackattacker set a WTBOA Lads stakes record in 1 minute, 16.19 seconds.
Trackattacker is undefeated in three starts, all at Emerald Downs, and has collected $59,318 in earnings.
Following the race, jockey Leslie Mawing said, “He’s a strong horse and he was pretty much the giant in this race. I just wanted to extend his stride and let him run free.”
Mawing, who has ridden the winner in the last eight stakes at the Auburn oval, said Trackattacker is, “at the top of the list of 2-year-olds I’ve ever ridden.”
The gelding broke from the second post position and went straight to the front extending his margin at every call, finishing the race seven lengths ahead of Moby who ran second.
He paid $2.10 for a win and $2.10 for both show and place.
Lucarelli said the plan is to run Trackattacker next in the $50,000 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes on Washington Cup Day, Sept. 7, and the $65,000 Gottstein Futurity Sept. 28.
“You never know with 2-year-olds, but as long as he’s healthy, that’s the plan,” Lucarelli said.
Lucarelli won the Gottstein Futurity and the Lads in 2008 with Gallant Son. The 8-year-old son of Malabar Gold has earned $552,278 lifetime and is still running and winning. Gallant Son won the Jess Jackson Owners’ Handicap at Santa Rosa Aug. 10. He has a record of 11-2-6 from 39 starts.
Trackattacker, the son of Harbor The Gold out of Eclatante is owned by R.E.V. Racing, the nom de plume of Roy and Ellie Schaefer of Port Orchard.
Emerald Derby
Mebossman’s Emerald Derby victory was the first stakes win for the bay gelding. He is 3-3-1 from 12 starts finishing second in the 2013 edition of the Gottstein Futurity to Del Rio Harbor.
Mebossman ran the 1-1/8 mile derby in 1:47.23 paying $13, $5.40 and $2.60.
The gelding ran out of the four hole and came from three lengths back in the stretch to run down Noosito and edging Del Rio Harbor by a neck at the wire.
“I knew it was going to be a tough race because Noosito and Del Rio Harbor are tough horses to beat,” Gutierrez said. “ Frank (Lucarelli) told me to be patient and ask him at the end. I was confident in my horse on the backside because I was behind the other horses and I had a lot of horse under me. My horse was closing pretty good, little by little.”
Mebossman’s win check was $41,250 increasing his lifetime earnings to $109,917.
