Polish Dollar appears to be improving with age.
The 6-year-old gelding ran perhaps his best race yet Saturday at Emerald Downs, rolling to a 5-¼-length victory in the $10,000 Stella Artois Purse at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by William Antongeorgi for his third win on the card, Polish Dollar ran 6-½ furlongs in 1:14.70 and paid $8.60, $5.20 and $3.60. Robert Meeking is the trainer for owner Sharon Radke of Port Angeles.
Polish Dollar has won eight-of-22 career starts, including multiple victories each of the last three seasons at Emerald Downs. Saturday, the 6-year-old Washington-bred by Polish Gift dominated from start to finish, setting fractions of :22.63, :44.96 and 1:08.61, while putting away both Who’s Your Next Ex and Swiss Exploit on the front end.
Ugottabcatty, ridden by the day’s other riding star, Javier Matias, finished well for second place and paid $13.80 and $8. Buddy Dave, the 5-to-2 betting favorite ridden by Leonel Camacho-Flores, rallied strongly for third and paid $4 for show.
Immigration and Dare Me Devil dead-heated for fourth place and were followed by Swiss exploit, Contreve and Who’s Your Next Ex.
With three wins, Antongeorgi jumped into second place in the jockeys’ standings with 27 wins, two behind Juan Gutierrez. The 24-year-old Emerald Downs newcomer has had three three-win days in the last two weeks.
Matias, meanwhile, rode four winners at Emerald Downs for the first time since the 2002 season. The 40-year-old Mexico City native won the second race aboard Kodaroo ($9.80), the fourth on Big Daddy’s Vision ($6.60), the fifth on Champagneandcaviar ($15.80) and the 10th race finale on Akina ($4).
Howard Belvoir was the winning trainer of both Big Daddy’s Vision and Champagneandcaviar, and extend his lead to 18-14 over both Tim McCanna and Frank Lucarelli in the trainers’ standings.
NOTES: Kim Wales recorded her first-ever training victory as Forty Something ($21.20) rallied from last to score a three-quarter-length victory as the longest shot on the board in Saturday’s opener. The 3-year-old Oregon-bred filly was making her first start since her win in the Janet Wineberg Stakes last December at Portland Meadows*Trainer Jose Raudales saddled his first winner of the meet as Kodaroo ($9.80) returned from a 20-month break to score an easy victory in the second race*And jockey Jorge Rosales also broke into the win column with a victory on Merrytagio ($5.60) in the sixth race. The triumph improved trainer Junior Coffey to six-for-12 at the 2012 meeting*Stormy Lucy, owned by Frank Gaunt and trained by Frank Lucarelli, finished a close third in the $150,000 Honeymoon Handicap (G2) on the turf at Hollywood Park. My Gi Gi ($8.40) prevailed by a nose over 4-to-5 favorite Lady of Shamrock in 1:49.22 for 1-1/8 miles, with Stormy Lucy a half-length back in third*Also at Hollywood Park, jockey Joe Steiner guided first-time starter Mr. Ornery to an $83.40 upset in the eighth race for California-bred maidens on turf*And in the ninth at Hollywood, Washington-bred first-time starter Until You ($20.40) prevailed for owner/breeder Coal Creek Farm and trainer Vann Belvoir*Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2:15 p.m. Class Included is the 8-to-5 morning line favorite in the featured $50,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes for older fillies and mares.
