Belle Hill continues to look like a filly with a big future for Aithon Stable and trainer Larry Ross.
Saturday, the regally-bred miss overcame some anxious moments before scoring a one-length victory over Ethan’s Baby in the $50,000 Kent Handicap at Emerald Downs. Suva Harbor was a nose back in third place.
Ridden by Leslie Mawing at high weight of 120 lbs, Belle Hill ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.14, and paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.10.
Coupled with a victory in the Irish Day Handicap last month, Belle Hill stands atop the sophomore filly division at Emerald Downs, and she figures to be a prohibitive favorite when the division reconvenes August 8 for the $65,000 Washington Oaks.
The Kent Handicap was hardly a pushover, however, as Belle Hill was bottled up with nowhere to go, and quickly running out of ground. She finally angled out for racing room past mid-stretch, swept to the lead inside the sixteenth pole, and edged clear for the victory.
“Thank God it opened up down the lane,” Mawing said. “She got room and really accelerated.”
Interviewed in the winner’s circle after the race, Ross said, “(Belle Hill) could be the best horse I’ve ever trained. It’s early, but she’s very good.”
Quite a statement considering Ross has trained two Longacres Mile winners and several other top horses over the years.
Purchased for $250,000 by James and Mary Beth Holt-Perkins (Aithon Stable), Belle Hill is a Kentucky-bred by Sky Mesa-Sealy Hill. Her overall record is 3-0-1 in five starts with earnings of $77,470,including $27,500 for Saturday’s victory.
Ethan’s Baby, ridden by Julien Couton at 118 lbs, gamely held second and paid $3.20 and $3.20. A Washington-bred by Offlee Wild, Ethan’s Baby changed back to front-running tactics Saturday and nearly pulled off the upset, setting fractions of :23.42, :47.16 and 1:11.92.
“She was really trying all the way to the wire, and we just got beat by a better horse today, Couton said.”
Suva Harbor, ridden by Joe Steiner at 119 lbs, finished third and paid $3. A Kentucky-bred by Rockport Harbor, Suva Harbor has finished third in all three stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Perhaps a Pie, Seeking the Light and Pippa Bou Peep completed the order of finish.
NOTES: Leonel Camacho-Flores is on a long shot roll at Emerald Downs. After engineering a 33-to-1 upset onBetrbegone last week in the Seattle Slew Handicap, Camacho-Flores clicked with three double-digit winners Saturday:Sharp Focus ($19.20), Grand Baylee ($16) and Andiamo Deb ($10.80). A 31-year-old native of Zacatecas, Mexico, Camacho-Flores jumped into 10th place with 14 wins at the meet. .. Leslie Mawing also had three wins and the defending riding champion is still in the hunt for the 2015 title. Julien Couton leads with 56 wins, followed by Juan Gutierrez with 45 wins and Mawing with 42. . .With victories Saturday, 4-year-old gelding Holmes Harbor ($3.20), 3-year-old filly Haleys Rainbow ($5) and 4-year-old filly Diamonds Dena ($7.40) became the meet’s 9th,10th and 11th three-time winners. Trained by Manny Oritz and ridden by Juan Gutierrez, Diamonds Dena rallied to win the $21,000 sub-feature for older fillies and mares, running one mile in 1:38.63,and is now 3-for-3 since shipping in from Turf Paradise. . .Other horses with three wins: Calculated Chaos, River District, Thetrailerguy, Sea Side Story, Coach Royal, Whiskeyonthehouse, Rio Hondo and Ain’t Tellin’. . . Trainer David Martinez remained hot with a pair of wins Saturday: Dedicated to You ($6) and Andiamo Deb ($10.80). .. Live racing continues Sunday with special first post time of 1:50 p.m. Defending Horse of the Meeting Stryker Phd is the 7-to-5 morning line favorite in the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap, final local prep for the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) on August 16.
