8/15/2021
(Auburn, WA) Of course 99% of the attention during Mile week is on the Mile and the Distaff both set to run on Sunday but there were 2 other days of racing that deserve their own recognition. We’ll review the 2 feature races and offer up some news and notes in Larry the Sportscat’s Round-Up so let’s begin with the feature races.
Thursday’s Feature
A field of 6 3-year-olds went postward in a 6-furlong sprint. Despite being the 9-5 betting favorite Ice Needs Whiskey with leading rider Alex Cruz was starting as a maiden against winners in his 2nd career race. Cruz went right to the front from the 1 hole but only by a half length with Igottabooboo right next to him with James Wooten aboard at 9-1. 9-2 Perfect Dude would also be in the mix early pressuring Igottabooboo but would relent and fade to last near the top of the stretch.
Ice Needs Whiskey would set brisk fractions of 22-flat and 44.95 for the half mile and by the time they reached the top of the stretch Cruz let Whiskey out a notch and had a 1 length advantage over Booboo and eventually expanded that to a 1 1/2 length victory and finished the 3/4 mile in 1:11.01. Igottabooboo ran well and was a clear 2nd while Temple Secret with Eddie Martinez closed for 3rd and Hygh I Q with Alex Anaya completed the superfecta.
Ice Needs Whiskey comes from one of the hottest barns at the track right now the Kay Cooper barn. Ice Needs Whiskey is owned by Homestretch Farms and is a Washington bred by Private Gold out of Arco Iris by Basket Weave and bred by Cooper and Jill Fabulich. Ice Needs Whiskey returned $5.80 and picked up an $11,495 paycheck for his connections. He has a win and a 2nd in his 2 starts and has already earned $15,500.
Saturday Feature
Saturday night feature race was the 6th of 7 on the card and was a field of 6 3-year-old fillies and mares going 6-furlongs. The betting favorite was 2-1 Oreo’s Dream with Juan Gutierrez with Our Lyla Grace also at 2-1 with Jose Zunino but with a little less money to win on her making Oreo the favorite. There was also a 5-1 shot in Lutes Lil Gift and Coastal Run was 5-1.
When starter Mark Gibson sprung the gates Lutes Lil Gift with Julien Couton went to the lead and built up a 2 1/2 length advantage over Coastal Run at the half mile pole. The 2-1 shots were sitting 3rd and 4th while 16-1 Jacana with Alex Cruz lagged behind in 5th. Lutes Lil Gift carved out fractions of 21.69 and 44.84 but that pace would catch up with both front runners as Lutes Lil Gift ran out of steam and would finish 4th and Coastal Run faded to last.
Our Lyla Grace with Zunino got the jump on Oreo’s Dream who flattened out in mid-stretch and Lyla pulled away for a convincing 5 1/2 length win stopping the clock in 1:10.72. Jacana closed willingly for Cruz and rolled over the top of everyone but the winner and settled for 2nd. Oreo’s Dream held 3rd and Lutes Lil Gift was 4th.
Our Lyla Grace is a Kentucky bred by Cinco Charlie, out of Darling Grace by Quality Road and is owned by the Code Four Stable and trained by Tom Wenzel. She paid $6.80 on the $2 win and picked up $9,000 in earnings. This was her 3rd career start and she is now 2-1-0 with a bankroll of more than $20,000.
Larry the SportsCat’s Round-Up
Jockeys:
Joree Scriver has decided to take some personal time and left Emerald Downs to go back home to Oregon after her father passed away recently. Scriver had come to Emerald after winning the spring racing meet at Grants Pass but also dealt with another tragic loss to her personally and to the racing world when 29-year-old jockey Eduardo Gutierrez-Sosa died from a spill at the Crooked River Round-up Fair meet in Prineville, Oregon on July 14th. He left a wife and 3 kids.
Scriver and Gutierrez-Sosa were close friends and dealing with that along with the loss of her father she needed a break. All of us send her and her family condolences and wish the best for her. Scriver had ridden 63 mounts this season at Emerald and guessing her average odds were well above 10-1 she had a 2-11-12 record with a 3% win clip but in the money 40%.
James Wooten Jr got his 1st win at Emerald this year on Thursday in the 2nd race aboard Command Sgt Major. Wooten went gate to wire and pulled away to a 4 length win at 8-1 for trainer Bonnie Jenne and owner Frank McDonald. Wooten is now 1-4-2 from 21 mounts.
Alex Anaya got his 1st win since being off for a couple with a shoulder injury on Saturday night aboard David Nose Best in the 5th race at 7-2 odds for trainer Satchell Stevens and owners the CT Brawlers Stable.
Double Winners abound
Despite only 15 races over the 2 days all-time winning jockey Juan Gutierrez continues to show he is not ready to slow down anytime soon with 2 wins each day equating to 27% of the races. Guti won the opener on Thursday with Rational trained by Jeff Metz and owned by the BG Stables then took the 4th aboard Downthemiddle Dan in wire-to-wire fashion for leading trainer Joe Toye and owners Rick Kessler and Terra Firma Farm.
Gutierrez also won the 1st and 4trh on Saturday night starting with Pure Pursuit in the 1st for owner/trainer Nick Lowe and co-owner Mark Loebner. Then taking the 4th aboard Cody’s Choice for trainer Rigoberto Velazquez and owner Jerry Carmody.
Alex Cruz won twice on Thursday night with Mamacallmeboo in the 5th for owners the Horseplayers Racing Club and trainer Tim McCanna then the feature race on Ice Needs Whiskey, our coverage of that story above. Cruz had strung together another 8 straight days with wins but had that streak snapped on Saturday night.
Javier Matias won his pair on Saturday. Matias won the 2nd race aboard Nuemeister for trainer David Martinez and owner Swag Stables then grabbed the finale for trainer Bonnie Jenne on Chris the Beaver, owned by the Friendship Stable, Craig Frederickson and Rick Lukenbill.
Jose Zunino won a pair of races but one on Thursday in the final race on 8-1 outsider Linchpin Storm for owner/trainer Alan Bozell and co-owner Victoria Miller. Zunino then won the feature Saturday night on Our Lyla Grace with the re-cap above.
Julien Couton also picked up wins on each day winning the 6th on Thursday night with Master Recovery for trainer Jeff Metz and owners Saratoga West. Couton then went gate to wire with Judicial in the 3rd race Saturday night. Judicial is trained by Joe Toye and owned by Greg and Chuck Conley and Terra Firma Farm.
Trainers
One of the hottest barns right now is the Kay Cooper barn. Cooper has 10 wins and after Saturday night was tied for 9th in the standings. Cooper has won half of her 10 wins since July 31. Cooper won the feature race on Thursday with Ice Needs Whiskey.
Bonnie Jenne scored a pair of wins so far this week with a win on Thursday in the 2nd with Command Sgt Major at 8-1 and scored again on Saturday with Chris the Beaver in the 7th at 2-1.
Jeff Metz won twice on Thursday taking the opener with Rational and the 6th race with Master Recovery. Tom Wenzel won on Thursday with Kowboykabin, Eddie Martinez with a perfect ride for Wenzel winning by a nose at 5-1. Wenzel also won the feature race on Saturday with Our Lyla Grace. Leading trainer Joe Toye remains hot with 2 wins. Toye’s Downthemiddle Dan won the 4th on Thursday and he took the 3rd on Saturday with Judicial.
Rigoberto Velasquez had a slow start but also has heated up winning 7 of his 10 races since July 18, that’s 7 winners on 12 race days and had a streak of 1 win on 4 consecutive days. He won on Saturday with Cody’s Choice, a horse his owner Jerry Carmody had just claimed from Gary and Maureen Hallet and trainer Vince Gibson. The Hallett’s claimed Cody back and he back in the Gibson barn.
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