Seeking the Light appears to have a bright future for owners John and Janene Maryanski.
A Kentucky-bred by Heatseeker, Seeking the Light rolled to a 2 1/4-length victory Saturday in the $20,600 Howard Belvoir Birthday Purse for 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Juan Gutierrez, Seeking the Light ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.88 and paid $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10. Blaine Wright—5-1-1 with his last seven starters—is the winning trainer.
After the race, assistant trainer Mark Rheinford said that Wright and the Maryanskis might consider the May 31 Seattle Handicap for Seeking the Light, whose overall record is 3-2-1 in eight starts with earnings of $54,678.
Seeking the Light, who earned $11,330 for Saturday’s win, was stakes-placed twice as a 2-year-old.
Breaking from the No. 2 post-position, Seeking the Light opened a clear lead while setting fractions of :22.24, :45.26 and :57.49. She carried a three-length lead past mid-stretch and held Sneaking a Kiss safe to the wire.
Sneaking a Kiss, a 16-to-1 long shot ridden by apprentice Cerapio Figueroa, raced closed to the winner throughout, held second and paid $7.80 and $2.80.
Ritzy Tags, the 2-to-1 second choice ridden by Joe Steiner, finished third and paid $2.20.
Fine Red Wine and Dance With Effie completed the order of finish. Bella Colomba was scratched earlier in the day.
NOTES: 22-year-old Matt Dinerman of San Diego pinch-hit in the announcer’s booth, delivering flawless calls of the fifth and sixth races. . .Heza Witch Doctor ($18.20) zipped 6 ½ furlongs in a meet-best 1:16 while winning Saturday’s seventh race under Javier Matias for trainer Howard Belvoir and owner Tony Loften. An 8-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding,Heza Witch Doctor has nine career wins including eight at Emerald Downs. . .Trainer Beverly Hamilton is off to a hot start with a 2-1-0 record with her first four starters, including Gimme a Tallboy’s $39.40 upset in the Saturday nightcap. . .Julien Couton book-ended the card, taking the opener on Montelena ($5) and the finale aboard Gimme a Tallboy. Couton already has four multiple-win days and leads Juan Gutierrez 13-11 in the jockeys’ standings. . .Joe Steiner andFrancisco Duran also rode two winners Saturday. . .Nine different trainers had wins including Jeff Metz, who notched his meet-leading ninth victory as Coach Royal ($2.80) prevailed by 3 ¼ lengths in race five. . .Live racing continues Sundaywith the $50,000 Hastings Handicap for older fillies and mares at six f
