Betrbegone took command on the turn and scored an impressive 2 ¾-length victory Saturday in the $21,500 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Javier Matias, Betrbegone covered six furlongs in 1:09.61 on a fast track and paid $10.40, $4.60 and $3. David Martinez is the trainer for owner/breeder Jerry Maggard of Yakima, Wash.
Fire the Trainer, ridden by Leslie Mawing, closed strongly to finish second and paid $2.80 and $2.40.
Awesome Indian, the 9-to-5 betting favorite ridden by Rocco Bowen, held third and paid $2.40 to show. Moby, Wine At Nine, Red Ridge and Betsy’s Gold completed the order of finish.
A Washington-bred by Parkers Storm Cat-Final Drummer, Betrbegone has compiled a 2-1-0 record in four starts with earnings of $24,738, including $11,825 for Saturday’s triumph.
Betrbegone snuck inside of Betsy’s Gold and Awesome Indian at the three-eighths pole, opened a four-length lead past mid-stretch, and cruised to the wire.
NOTES: Defending champion Leslie Mawing rode three winners—his second triple in the last three racing days—and is taking dead aim on the leaders. Mawing has seven wins in his last 15 mounts, and is up to 13 wins for the meet. . .Julien Couton, No. 1 with 19 wins, and Juan Gutierrez, No. 2 with 14 wins, each had one win Saturday. . .Couton has wins on 10 straight days and 11 of 12 overall. . .It looks like Heidi Nelson (Nelson Family Racing) has another excellent prospect, Thetrailerguy ($2.80), who overcame a troubled trip to beat a good field of 3-year-old maiden special weights in 1:16.70 for 6 ½ furlongs. A $75,000 son of Henny Hughes, Thetrailerguy finished second in his debut last month. . .Nelson startsDisruption in Sunday’s $50,000 Governor’s Handicap, the first stop on the road to theAugust 16 Longacres Mile. . .Monique Snowden, trainer of Thetrailerguy, had a two-for-two afternoon as 6-year-old gelding Power Fleet ($5) scored an easy win in race five. . .Frank Lucarelli also had two wins and moved into second place in the trainers’ standings with seven wins, three back of first-place Jeff Metz. . .Lucarelli also ranks No. 2 all-time with 806 wins at Emerald Downs, 90 behind all-time leader Tim McCanna. . .Manny Ortiz saddled his first Emerald Downs winner, Billy Mac ($14.80) nosing out even-money favorite Money Cat in Saturday’s opener. Ortiz, who had a pair of seconds Friday, was 20-for-97 this year at Turf Paradise. . . Preakness runner-up Tale of Verve has a connection to Emerald Downs: older sister Soul Patch won seven races here for McCanna between 2009-2012. By Perfect Soul-Verve, Soul Patch won four races at Emerald Downs in 2011alone, all at the $5,000 claiming level. . .Surfliner was up to his old tricks in Saturday’s seventh race for $10,000 claimers, rallying for a $29.60 upset under Javier Matias. In his two wins here last year, Surfliner paid $49.60 and $34.80. . . Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2 p.m.
