Trackattacker overpowered four foes Saturday and cruised to a seven-length victory in the $50,000 WTBOA Lads Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings at 6 ½ furlongs.
Ridden by Leslie Mawing at 120 pounds, Trackattacker ran 6 ½ furlongs in a stakes record 1:16.19 and paid $2.10, $2.10 and $2.10. Frank Lucarelli is the winning trainer for owner R.E.V. Racing (Roy and Ellie Schaefer, Port Orchard, Wash.)
A Washington-bred gelding by Harbor the Gold-Eclatante, Trackattacker is undefeated in three starts by an aggregate 27 lengths. He also has a track record, two stakes records and several mutuel records.
In fact, Trackattacker was such a prohibitive favorite Saturday he accounted for a record $618,883 of the $635,485 wagered to show. In both stakes victories to date, Trackattacker has paid $2.10, $2.10 and $2.10*the only two times that has happened at Emerald Downs.
Mawing, winner of six of the last eight stakes races at Emerald Downs, said he knew what kind of horse he had underneath him.
“He’s a strong horse and he was pretty much the giant in this race,”
Mawing said. “I just wanted to extend his stride and let him run free.
“I didn’t want to be running into someone else dictating the pace. I’d rather be dictating the pace in this type of race with these types of horses. I also wanted to see what he had under me and he had a lot left. He’s at the top of the list of 2-year-olds I’ve ever ridden. I’m not going to compare any horses but he’s up there.”
Moby, the closest “threat” to Trackattacker, finished a clear second and paid $3.60 and $2.60. It was another 3-¾ lengths back to Private Boss, who paid $2.60 to show. Bolshoi’s Bluff and Brewingintheblue completed the order of finish.
What’s next for Trackattacker? According to Lucarelli, he could have two more starts at the meet*$50,000 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes, six furlongs, Sunday, September 7, and $65,000 Gottstein Futurity, 1 1/16 miles, Sunday, September 28.
“Our plan is to run in those two races,” Lucarelli said. “You never know with 2-year-olds, but as long as he’s healthy, that’s the plan.”
NOTES: Anne Sanguinetti rode two winners on the nine-race card, both on horses trained by Jeff Metz. . .Metz extended his lead to 45-33 over Lucarelli atop the trainers’ standings. . .The consistent 6-year-old Big Bad Brown ($7) improved to 3-0-2 in seven starts at the meet, scoring a two-length victory over He’s All Heart in Saturday’s sixth race for 3-year-olds and up. A Tribunal gelding trained by Jim Penney, Big Bad Brown is 9-2-4 in 22 overall starts at Emerald Downs. He’s All Heart, meanwhile, is 3-2-0 in his last five starts, and the 8-year-old gelding is among several horses in contention for the meet’s Top Claimer. . .Live racing continues Sunday with the $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs. First post is 2:15 p.m.
