Seventyprcentcocoa was 100 percent ready for her return to action Friday night at Emerald Downs.
The 4-year-old Private Gold filly swept past the leaders into the lane and held off a resilient Stephanie Plum for a half-length victory in 1:10.53 for six furlongs on a fast track. Leslie Mawing rode the winner for trainer Blaine Wright and owners/breeders John and Janene Maryanski of Auburn.
By Private Gold-She’skickinupdust, Seventyprcentcocoa had been off for almost a year, but showed her class while finishing fourth to Elusive Noise and Class Included in the $50,000 Irish Day Handicap. Before that, she was competitive vs. starter allowance foes at Golden Gate Fields, compiling a 1-2-0 record in four starts at the Bay Area track. Her overall record is now 2-2-0 in six starts with earnings of $26,025.
Stephanie Plum, ridden by Leonel Camacho-Flores, was battling back at the winner in the final yards, after setting fractions of :23.33, :46.74 and :58.55. The runner-up paid $2.60 and $2.10.
It was five lengths back to Princess Campbell, ridden by Joe Crispin, and a $2.60 show payoff. Wings of Pegasus and C.R. Youtickleme completed the order of finish; Just Have’n Fun and B B’s Quick Action were scratched earlier in the day.
NOTES: Eliska Kubinova was the riding star with three wins and moved into a first-place tie with Joe Crispin atop the standings at 16 wins apiece. The 23-year-old Czech scored aboard Lipoma Fir ($4) in the second race, Tasya ($4.60) in the fourth and One Lucky Hoss ($6.40) in the fifth*Woman jockeys rode five of the seven winners as Debbie Hoonan doubled including a triumph aboard long shot Topper’s Gem ($18) in the nightcap*Seven different trainers had wins and Howard Belvoir and Frank Lucarelli remain tied for first with 11 wins each*Two members of the Gibson extended family scored their first training wins of the meeting: Lipoma Fir prevailed in the opener for owner-trainer Victor Gibson and One Lucky Hoss was victorious in the fifth for Homer R. Gibson*Live racing continues Saturday with a nine-race card at 2:15 p.m. The simulcast of the 137th Preakness Stakes is 3:18 p.m. (PDT).
