Enumclaw residents came up big Saturday and Sunday at Emerald Downs.
No Flies On Doodle turned aside all challengers, including the previously undefeated Ladyledue, and won the $50,000 Washington’s Lottery Handicap for 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs Sunday.
With Enumclaw resident Gallyn Mitchell in the irons at 116 pounds, No Flies On Doodle ran 1-1/16 miles in 1 minute, 43 4/5 seconds on a fast track and paid $17.20, $6.40 and $5.40.
Vann Belvoir is the trainer for Swag Stables, owned by Keith Swagerty, who is also from Enumclaw.
“She finished up great for me today,” Mitchell said. “Just a bang-up race.”
Mitchell is again tied with Ricky Frazier for first place with 57 stakes wins at Emerald Downs.
It was the first Emerald Downs stakes victory as a trainer for Belvoir, who has been red-hot all week with six wins in nine starts. And it also was the first stakes win for Swag Stables, the meet’s leading owners with 18 wins.
No Flies On Doodle, daughter of Storm Blast, earned $27,500 to increase her bankroll to $49,975. The Washington-bred has three wins and two seconds from five starts. The previous four were all in sprints.
Point of Reference, a newcomer to the Northwest and conditioned by Frank Lucarelli from Enumclaw, rallied in the stretch and appeared to have dead aim on the winner, but the filly could not close the gap on No Flies On Doodle.
Swag Stables, Belvoir and Mitchell struck again in the ninth race with Forener, a 2-year-old monster who trounced allowance runners by nine lengths in 1:03 flat for 5 ¬Ω furlongs. A Kentucky-bred by Lost Soldier, Forener is unbeaten in two starts with earnings of $19,800.
Saturday, Hollywood Harbor, undone by a slow start in his debut, made no mistakes and led all the way for a five-length victory in the $31,275 Northwest Stallion Series for 2-year-old colts and geldings at Emerald Downs.
A Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold, Hollywood Harbor had early speed, zipped through fractional times of 21 3/5 seconds for a quarter-mile and 44 3/5 for the half. The chestnut gelding opened a commanding six-length length lead into the lane and easily held off Koala Beach for the victory.
Ridden by Jose Zunino and trained by Chris Stenslie from Enumclaw, Hollywood Harbor ran 5-1/2 furlongs in 1:03 3/5 on a fast track and paid $4.20, $2.40 and $2.40. It was the first Emerald Downs stakes victory for both the jockey and trainer.
Women conditioners have dominated the meet with 11 wins out of 15 stakes run to date. Harwood leads with five wins, followed by Bonnie Jenne with three and Stenslie, Connie Bouslaugh and Valorie Lund with one apiece.
A $21,000 yearling, Hollywood Harbor has a 1-1-0 record from two starts with earnings of $20,601 for the partnership of Stenslie, Jody Peets of Issaquah and John Holmes of Shoreline. Saturday’s win was worth $17,201.
Next up for juvenile colts and geldings is the $50,000 Premio Esmeralda at six furlongs Aug. 9.
It was a big day for the Washington sire Harbor the Gold. Not only did he produce the first two finishers of the Strong Ruler Stakes, the stallion won the co-featured ninth race with the razor-sharp 3-year-old Who’s Your Next Ex ($12.80). Once again expertly rated by Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo, Who’s Your Next Ex won his second straight eight-furlong event in 1:36 4/5.
Vann Belvoir saddled two winners and is just one victory away from tying his father for second place in the trainers’ standings. Howard Belvoir has 33 wins and Vann has 32 wins. Tim McCanna leads with 41 wins. Stenslie also saddled two winners and has a career-high nine wins at the meet.
Zunino, Frazier and Mitchell rode two winners each. It was the third multiple-win day for Frazier, and he now leads Mitchell 96-64 in the standings.
