The Emerald Downs Derby, which was first run as the Longacres Derby in1934, has provided many racing thrills in its first 76 runnings. Among the illustrious winners have been Whang Bang (1950), Sparrow Castle (1960), Smogy Dew (1964), Rock Bath (1971),Table Run (1973), the dead-heating Cassaleria and Flying Judgement (1982), and more recently Flying Notes’ track record-setting effort (2002).
The 2014 installment can certainly be added to that group, as in a thrilling blanket finish, REV Racing LLC’s Mebossman scored a neck defeat over Bar C Racing Stable Inc. and Desert Rose Racing LLC’s champion Del Rio Harbor with Last Rose Stables’ $1.20-to-one favorite Noosito failing by only another head. In the race’s 19 runnings at Emerald, only two favorites have won the 1 1/8-mile champion clincher.
It was the closest win margin since Winning Machine defeated Rooster City by a head in 2009, with Mebossman’s stakes-winning half-brother Peaceful Reign in third.
The Frank Lucarelli-trained Mebossman was perfectly ridden by Juan Gutierrez. Final time for the race was 1:47.23.
“I knew it was going to be a tough race because Noosito and Del Rio Harbor are the horses to beat,” said Gutierrez. Frank told me to be patient and ask him at the end. I was confident in my horses 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.
A son of Ohio Derby (G2) winner Petionville, Mebossman stems from one of the most successful broodmares to call Washington home, Peaceful Wings, the pride of Rick and Debbie Pabst’s Blue Ribbon Farm. While only three of the first dozen winners out of Peaceful Wings have won as juveniles, a trio of her six stakes horses earned their first black-type at two. Two of her best runners, champion Jebrica and now Mebossman, both placed in the Gottstein Futurity and then went on to take their first stakes wins in the Emerald Downs Derby.
With the $41,250 winner’s purse, Mebossman, a $15,000 2012 WTBOA Summer Yearling Sale purchase, improved his record to 3-3-1 from ten starts and has now earned $109,917.