Stryker Phd wins $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap | Emerald Downs

Published 11:45 pm Sunday, July 19, 2015

Stryker Phd appears to be in another league from his foes at Emerald Downs.

Sunday, the 6-year-old gelding turned in perhaps his strongest race yet, rolling from behind for a powerful six-length victory in the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap for 3-year-olds and up.

Ridden by Leslie Mawing at 122 lbs, Stryker Phd ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.89 and paid $4, $2.60 and $2.10. Larry Ross is the winning trainer for owners Jim and Mona Hour of Bellevue, Wash.

The winning margin was a stakes record, and Stryker Phd became the fourth horse to win the Mt. Rainier twice. He also tied Noosa Beach’s track record for most consecutive stakes win by an older horse with six, and in four weeks bids to become the first horse to win the Longacres Mile twice at Emerald Downs.

A Washington-bred by Bertrando-Striking Scholar, Stryker Phd has a lifetime mark of 7-5-5 in 20 starts with earnings of $375,651, including $27,500 for Sunday’s win.

Absolutely Cool, ridden by Rocco Bowen at 118 lbs, closed well for second and paid $5.80 and $3.40. Del Rio Harbor, a 25-to-1 long shot ridden by Julien Couton at 116 lbs, held third place and paid $10.60.

Noosito, the 2-to-1 second choice, rallied into contention into the lane, but lost his punch late and finished fourth. Scat Daddybaby, Remembertobreathe, Herbie D, Mike Man’s Gold and Grinder Sparksaglo completed the order of finish; Prohibition and Mebossman were scratched earlier in the day.

Stryker Phd, as usual, lagged far back early, biding time as Scat Daddybaby, chased by Herbie D, carved out fractions of :22.36, :44.81 and 1:09.06. He commenced his rally on the last turn, flying past horses in droves, and swept to the lead into the stretch. By the time the field straightened into the lane, Stryker Phd already was five lengths clear and pouring it on, stretching the lead to eight lengths at one point before coasting to the wire.

“I knew the pace was going to be fast,” Mawing said. “He grabbed a hold of the bit early, but his forte is coming off the pace. He likes running at horses.

“When I made that move, he was just going by horses,” Mawing added. “When I asked this horse to go, he just gave me a turn a foot and exploded. I just eased him up in the stretch to save him for next time.”