Touch the Sun and jockey Isaias Enriquez were a winning combination Saturday at sunny Emerald Downs.
With Enriquez aboard for his second win of the day and 93rd of the season, Touch the Sun drew off for a three-length victory over Tobiah’s Journey in the $10,500 The Triad Group Purse for 3-year-olds and up. The 5-year-old Washington-bred ran one mile in 1:36.30 and paid $4, $3 and $3.
Trained by Doris Harwood for owners Michael Pollowitz and Jeffrey Wilson, Touch the Sun has an 8-5-4 record in 29 starts lifetime with earnings of $80,916, including $5,775 for Saturday’s win. At Emerald Downs his record is 6-2-2 in 20 starts.
Hustled to the lead from the inside post, Touch the Sun led through fractions of :24.06, :47.47 and 1:11.64. Big Bad Brown, the 9-to-5 second choice bidding for his fifth win of the meet, bid three-deep into the lane but was no match for the winner and flattened out late.
Tobiah’s Journey, a 19-to-1 shot ridden by David G. Lopez, held second and paid $9.20 and $5.60. Surfliner, a 21-to-1 shot with Mike Iammarino riding, finished third and paid $4.60. Big Bad Brown, Rezar and Double Shuffle completed the order of finish.
Enriquez continues to push defending champion Juan Gutierrez in the battle for leading rider. With his 25th two-win day of the meet, Enriquez is within two wins, 95-93, of Gutierrez atop the standings.
There are seven days left in the 2013 season.
NOTES: Eliska Kubinova also rode two winners and female riders won half the races on the eight-race card, as Connie Doll and Debbie Hoonan also had wins*One of Kubinova’s wins was via a DQ, as Parkers Bluff finished first but was placed second for interference with Brother Greg ($3.40) in race eight*6-year-old mare Champali Lace ($5.60) improved to 9-for-15 at Emerald Downs with a 1 ¼-length victory in race five for $7,500 claiming fillies and mares. Ridden by Ronald Richard for trainer Junior Coffey and owners K Bar J Stables & Al Rainwater, Champali Lace ran six furlongs in 1:09.70. A Kentucky-bred by Champali, Champali Lace has multiple wins here the last four years*Ba Snowbound Chick ($5) became a triple winner at the meet with a two-length victory in the Quarter Horse opener, running 350 yards in :18.12 under Leonel Camacho-Flores for owner trainer Adrian Quinones*Between them, Rf Pistol Pete (five wins) and Ba Snowbound Chick (three) have won 38 percent of the Quarter Horse races at the meeting*Trainer Dale Koler got his first win of the meet as Tichit ($12.40) prevailed in race three for owner Cinbar Stables*Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2 p.m. The featured ninth race for 2-year-olds is a $22,575 allowance event with stakes-placed He’s Zuberrific the 2-to-1 morning line choice.
