Just Have’n Fun and jockey Jennifer Whitaker combined for a gate-to-wire, 3-½ length victory Saturday in the $12,075 feature race for older fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.
The winner ran one mile in 1:36.38 and paid $9, $3.80 and $2.20. It was the third win of the meet for Just Have’n Fun and her first career race around two turns.
Just Have’n Fun set fractions of :23.63, :46.92, 1:11.18 and 1:23.47, and had plenty left to hold off Greenback Forest and 3-to-2 betting favorite Mysincircus.
“She was really comfortable, had her ears up and was just cruising along,” Whitaker said. “She felt great the whole way.”
Greenback Forest, ridden by Leslie Mawing, held second by three-quarters of a length and paid $3.80 and $2.20.
Mysincircus, Jose Zunino riding, paid $2.40 to show. Stephiano and La Distanza completed the order if finish.
A 3-year-old Washington-bred by Matty G out of Just an Angel, Just Have’n Fun is related to three recent winners at Emerald Downs*Diamond Peak, Kooky Saluki and Have’n a Wild Time*and has an overall record of 3-4-1 in 12 starts with earnings of $33,685. Howard Belvoir is the trainer for owner Pegasus Too.
The $0.50 Pick 5 paid $1,129.75 for tickets with five winners*the fourth time in five days it paid over $1,000.
NOTES: Akina finished first in race six and would have been the meet’s first five-time winner, but was disqualified and placed fifth for interference in the stretch. Miss Madavor was promoted from second to first and paid $22.60 to win*Jockey Anne Sanguinetti notched her first Emerald Downs victory with a gate-to-wire victory aboard Majorca Gold ($14.40) in the seventh race. A native of Ann Arbor, Mich., Sanguinetti has ridden in Oregon and California this year, and is 1-2-0 in three mounts at Emerald Downs*Majorca Gold ran six furlongs in 1:08.71 and became the meet’s ninth four-time winner. Runner-up Olympic Lights was denied a third straight victory, and missed a chance to become only the fifth horse with 15 career wins at Emerald Downs. The 8-year-old gelding is 14-for-37 at Emerald Downs*First-time starter Say Say finished fourth in race one and was claimed for $25,000 by trainer David Martinez for owner Vann Belvoir. A Goodlawyer Willdo ($3.40) won the opener in 1:04.22 for 5-½ furlongs*Jockeys Debbie Hoonan and Rocco Bowen had two wins each on the nine-race card. Bowen’s first win came via DQ aboard Miss Madavor*Hoonan and Jennifer Whitaker remain nip and tuck for the all-time lead by a woman rider at Emerald Downs. Hoonan leads 403-402 although Whitaker won the feature race on Just Have’n Fun*Charles Essex was the lone trainer with two wins Saturday*The 22nd career start was the charm for Our Woody ($5.40) as the 4-year-old gelding broke through with a victory in the race four for Essex and apprentice Eliska Kubinova*Kubinova took over sole possession of third place with 67 wins and needs four wins in the final 11 days to break the single-season record of 70 wins by an apprentice rider*Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2:15 p.m. Quarter Horses take center stage with the second running of the $67,000 Bank of America Emerald Championship Challenge at 440 yards, and the second running of the $15,000 Pfizer Emerald Starter Allowance Challenge Stakes at 350 yards.
