Itsafineredwine held off Swiss Lightning and notched a three-quarter-length victory Friday in the featured Cascade Coffee Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by the meet’s leading rider, Juan Gutierrez, Itsafineredwine ran 6-½ furlongs in 1:15.82 and paid $3.60, $3 and $2.10. Bonnie Jennie is the trainer and co-owner with Wally Jenne and Craig and Jan Fredrickson.

A 5-year-old Washington-bred by Liberty Gold, Itsafineredwine has raced exclusively at Emerald Downs, compiling a 7-7-6 record in 33 starts with earnings of $45,563. The chestnut gelding has won two races each of the last three seasons, and is 2-2-1 in nine starts this season.

Swiss Lightning, ridden by Debbie Hoonan, rallied to finish second and paid $5.20 and $3.20. It was three lengths back to Givajunior Mint, ridden by Javier Matias, and a $3.60 show payoff.

Our Marshall Cahill, the early leader, faded to fourth and was followed by Irish Rover. Sarganis and Koala Beach were scratched.

Gutierrez rode two winners and is closing in on his first Emerald Downs riding title. The 43-year-old rider leads defending champion Leslie Mawing 93-80, with only 12 days left in the 81-day meeting. Gutierrez now has 20 two-win days, five three-win days and three four-win days.

Hoonan also rode two winners and is tied with Jennifer Whitaker for most career wins by a woman rider at Emerald Downs with 401 apiece. This season, Hoonan has 35 wins and Whitaker 19.

Apprentice Eliska Kubinova is the top female rider at Emerald Downs this season with 66 wins, including a triumph on Outshout ($4.40) in the fifth race. She needs five wins to break Cassie Papineau’s single-season apprentice record of 70 wins set in 2009.

NOTES: The $0.50 Pick 5 paid $2,878.50 to two winning tickets*Three of the last four Pick 5s have produced mammoth payouts*$4,289.95 on Friday, August 24; a record $20,957.450 on Sunday, August 26, and $2,878.50 on Friday, August 31*Trainer Martin Pimentel enjoyed his first two-win day of the meeting with long shot victories by Pickled Again ($18.20) and Aint No Sweet Pea ($19.20). Pimentel also finished third in the feature with 10-to-1 Givajunior Mint*Trainer Tim McCanna picked up a win on leading trainer Frank Lucarelli when Outshout ($4.40) prevailed in the fifth race. Lucarelli leads 40-36, followed by Howard Belvoir with 31 wins and Chris Stenslie with 28*Live racing continues Saturday with first post 2:15 p.m.

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