One of the track’s hottest jockey/trainer combinations connected again in Saturday’s feature race at Emerald Downs.
Donell’s Dancer*ridden by Eliska Kubinova and trained by Jim Penney*took the lead on the turn and scored a two-length victory in the Spooner Farms Purse for 3-year-olds and up.
Donell’s Dancer ran six furlongs in 1:10.40 and paid $16.20, $6.60 and $3.20. The meet’s fifth leading rider with 43 wins, Kubinova has enjoyed great success riding for Penney, compiling a 9-8-0 mark in 26 mounts for the Washington Hall of Fame trainer.
Donell’s Dancer, a 3-year-old Washington-bred by Cahill Road-Miss Pixie, has been a bit inconsistent at the meet, compiling a 2-0-0 record in seven starts, but he does have gate-to-wire victories at odds of 11-to-1 and 7-to-1.
Chupetes, a 16-to-1 long shot ridden by David G. Lopez, rallied from last to finish second and paid $9.80 and $4. Cat Mon Blue, the 2-to-5 betting favorite, finished third and paid $2.10 to show.
NOTES: 2-year-old filly I Absolutely Will ($5) broke her maiden under Nathan Chaves in race three and owners Sue & Tim Spooner*for whom Saturday’s feature race was named*moved past Larry & Veralene Hillis into second place on the track’s all-time wins list with 156 victories. Ron Crockett is No. 1 all-time with 232 wins at Emerald Downs* 7-year-old mare Seattle Game ($20.40) scored her 15th career victory in race seven with Matt Hagerty riding for trainer Vince Gibson and beloved owner Jane Bomar. Bill Bomar, Jane’s husband for over 70 years, passed away last month*With three straight double-digit winners to close out the card, the $0.50 Pick 5 paid $2,022*the second straight day the Pick 5 paid over $2,000*Rocco Bowen rode two winners and is third overall with 48 wins. He needs two wins to equal the 50 winners he rode last year in his first season at Emerald Downs*Isaias Enriquez rode one winner and pulled within 91-88 of leader Juan Gutierrez in the jockeys’ standings*Doris Harwood led the trainers with two wins*5-year-old Oklahoma-bred Rf Pistol Pete ($4.80) prevailed in Saturday’s opener for Quarter Horses and became the meet’s first five-time winner*Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred*and trainer Juan Sanguino added another victory to his single-season Quarter Horse record for most wins. With eight wins, Sanguino has doubled the old mark of four wins set by John R. Harris in 2011*In the Thoroughbred standings, Stephanie Plum, Kind of Naughty, Big Bad Brown, Max Cooper, Southern Solution and Stopshoppingdebbie are knotted in a six-way tie at four wins apiece*Live racing continues Sunday with Washington Cup XI at 2 p.m. The 10-race card features six $50,000 stakes events for Washington-breds, including the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic for 3-year-olds and up. Longacres Mile runner-up Stryker Phd is the 8-to-5 morning line favorite, followed by Jebrica at 9-to-5 and Polish Dollar at 5-to-2.
