My Chief held off all challengers and scored a big upset Friday in the $13,600 Eagle Creek Siding Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Juan Gutierrez, My Chief ran one mile in 1:38.75, finishing 1-¾ lengths clear of Illumination Road, and paid $23.40, $8.20 and $2.80.
Howard Belvoir—closing in on 2,000 career victories—is the winning trainer and co-owner with Rising Star Stable IV.
Illumination Road, ridden by Leslie Mawing, challenged the winner trough the stretch but finished second, returning $4.60 and $2.80.
Won Won Oh Five, the 4-to-5 favorite ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, finished third and paid $2.20 to show.
Ain’t Tellin’, bidding for a fourth straight victory, broke slowly and never really recovered, finishing sixth.
Allowed to grab a relatively easy lead, My Chief set fractions of :24.53, :48.35 and 1:12.09, kicked 1-½ lengths clear into the stretch, and held off Illumination Road and Won Won Oh Five for the win.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Harbor the Gold-Ms Melange, My Chief has a career record of 4-0-2 in 10 starts with earnings of $31,429,including $7,480 for Friday’s victory.
Belvoir also won the seventh race as Top Reflection ($17.20) led gate-to-wire, upping his career total to 1,996 wins. Belvoir, No. 3 all-time at Emerald Downs with 675 wins, has an outside chance to reach the milestone this weekend.
Long shots ruled Friday’s card, racking up five double-digit wins on the seven-race card. As a result a $0.50 Pick 5 carryover of $6,357 to Saturday.
NOTES: Gutierrez rode two winners Friday and trails Julien Couton 55-44 in the jockeys’ standings. . .Washington Hall of Famers Gallyn Mitchell and Jim Penney connected for a $35.40 upset with Uptownfreddybrown in the Friday opener. It was the 121st time Mitchell and Penney have combined to win at Emerald Downs, dating back to June 21, 1998 and a victory by Go Down Moses. . .Live racing continues Saturday with a 10-race program at 2 p.m.
