KOOKY SALUKI TAKES ‘CLASSIC AT WA CUP X
MAKORS FINALE DOMINATES CHINOOK PASS
Kooky Saluki continued his rapid improvement Sunday and took down the biggest prize as Emerald Downs presented Washington Cup X, six stakes races for Washington-breds worth $215,000 in prize money.
Winning his third straight race and his first stakes race, Kooky Saluki overhauled Our Eagle Boy into the stretch and held off Couldabenthwhisky and Jebrica for a three-quarter-length victory in the $40,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic for 3-year-olds and up.
Ridden by Javier Matias at 120 lbs, Kooky Saluki ran 1-1/16 miles in 1:41.51 on a fast track and paid $8.80 and $3.60. There was no show wagering.
The winner, a 4-year-old gelding by Tribunal-Just an Angel, was bred by Rene Larrabee and trained by Jim Penney.
Overall, Kooky Saluki is 5-2-1 in 13 starts with earnings of $71,046 for MOH Stables, the nom de course for Dan Lewis of Sammamish, the well-known news anchor at KOMO-TV.
“It’s the biggest race I’ve ever won and the first stakes I’ve ever won, and I’ve owned horses for about 10 or 12 years,” Lewis said in the winner’s circle.
With Matias riding his meet-leading seventh stakes winner, Kooky Saluki, whose previous two wins were in $32,000 claiming races, waited patiently as Our Eagle Boy led through fractions of :24.47, :47.70 and 1:10.97. The gelding Saluki gained command into the lane and from there it was a four-horse cavalry charge to the wire with Kooky Saluki clearly best.
“This is my first time riding him, so I looked at a couple replays and saw that he always tries really hard,” Matias said. “At the three-eighths pole, I looked back and saw two horses coming. I started to ask him at the quarter-pole and he gave me everything. I am very impressed with his run.”
Couldabenthewhisky nosed out Jebrica for second place, and Jebrica finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Our Eagle Boy.
Jebrica, the 4-to-5 betting favorite, also is trained by Penney, who finished the day tied for first all-time with six WA Cup wins.
“We always thought (Kooky Saluki) would be a useful horse, and we expected him to improve at a route of ground,” Penney said. “To win a stakes like this, that’s the top end of our expectations.”
Since switching from sprints to routes, Kooky Saluki is 3-0-1 in five starts with earnings of $40,852.
MAKORS FINALE CAPS WONDERFUL SEASON
In the $35,000 Chinook Pass Stakes for 3-year-old colts or geldings at one mile, Makors Finale romped by 15 lengths in a stakes record 1:34.75 to become only the second 3-year-old colt or gelding to win four stakes in one season at Emerald Downs. The winning margin was the largest ever in a stakes race at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Rocco Bowen at high weight of 122 lbs, Makors Finale paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10. Tom Wenzel is the trainer for owner/breeder Karl Krieg of Oak Harbor, WA.
By Makors Mark-Coup de Foudre, Makors Finale is 6-4-0 in 12 starts with earnings of $154,770. The chestnut colt has won, in order, the Auburn Handicap (dead-heat), Coca- Cola Handicap, Emerald Derby and Chinook Pass Stakes, and is a top contender for Horse of the Meeting honors in two weeks.
Sent to the lead at once, Makors Finale set fractions of :23.81, :46.52 and 1:10.21. He opened a commanding lead into the lane and drew off to win with complete authority. The 15-length margin broke the mark of 13 lengths set by Fast Parade in the 2005 Captain Condo Stakes and Knight Raider in the 2009 Knights Choice Stakes.
“We knew we’d be on the lead,” Bowen said. “Tom (Wenzel) told me not to change a thing with his running style. I didn’t expect to be able to slow the pace down so much. By the half-mile pole, he was moving so comfortably.
“At the head of the lane, I just opened my hands, didn’t even touch him, and he just exploded. It was a thrilling race.”
Faster Than Duke edged Tough Road Ahead for second and paid $4.60 and $2.20. Tough Road Ahead paid $2.20 to show.
MUSIC OF MY SOUL SCORES IN DENNIS DODGE
Music of My Soul, heretofore known as Noosa Beach’s little brother, appears to have a bright future of his own as the dark bay or brown colt pulled away for a three-length victory in the $35,000 Dennis Dodge Stakes for 2-year-old colts or geldings.
Ridden by Leslie Mawing, Music of My Soul ran six furlongs in 1:09.25 and paid $7.60, $3.80 and $2.10. Doris Harwood is the trainer for owner Elttaes Stable, nom de course for Ken Alhadeff of Seattle.
By Harbor the Gold-Julia Rose, Music of My Soul has improved in every start while finishing fifth, fourth, a close second in the WTBOA Lads Stakes, and first in the Dennis Dodge.
An $82,000 yearling bred by Bar C Racing Stables Inc., Music of My Soul earned $18,918 to push his earnings to $31,739.
Music of My Soul overcame the No. 1 post-position, not normally the best spot for a 2-year-old, and set fast fractions of :21.62, :44.15 and :56.63 en route to victory.
“The plan was to get him out of the gate quick to overcome the No. 1 post-position,” Mawing said. “I just wanted to let him show his talent and be competitive. When we reached the stretched, I gave him a couple taps and he spurted off.”
Master’s Bluff, a 19-to-1 long shot ridden by Bowen, finished second and paid $9 and $2.80. Mike Man’s Gold, the 1-to-1 betting favorite ridden by Matias, settled for third. The Liberty Gold gelding suffered his first loss in four career starts, including wins in both the Premio Esmeralda and WTBOA Lads Stakes.
Named after a song in the musical “Memphis”, Music of My Soul could wheel back in two weeks in the $65,000 Joe Gottstein Futurity, Alhadeff said in a jubilant winner’s circle. Alahedeff, of course, is the grandson of the late Gottstein.
“He’s got big shoes to fill, but he looks the part,” Harwood said of Music of My Soul.
TALK TO MY LAWYER CAPTURES J & K FLETCHER
Talk to My Lawyer, last year’s Washington state champion 2-year-old filly, is back on her game at Emerald Downs. The 3-year-old Lawyer Ron filly got the jump on odds-on favorite Royal Moses and notched a 3-¾-length victory in the $35,000 John & Kitty Fletcher Stakes for sophomore fillies.
With Jennifer Whitaker riding at 116 lbs, Talk to My Lawyer ran one mile in 1:36.33 and paid $15.60, $4.40 and $3. Chris Stenslie is the trainer for owner Will This One Do Stable (Jody Peetz, Issaquah; Mary Lou and William Griffin, Buckley; William Brewer, Seattle; Marcie Healey, Bellevue).
Bred by Dale Mahlum, Talk to My Lawyer is by Lawyer Ron out of Infernal McGoon, and is 3-4-1 in 11 starts with earnings of $89,166. Her previous stakes win was vs. males in the 2011 Gottstein Futurity.
“I sent her out to the front a little bit to see who would go with me” Whitaker said. “Then Eliska (Kubinova) sent (River of Aces), so I decided to sit back. She drifted out, and put herself in a good spot. She ran like a monster today.”
Royal Moses, the 3-to-5 favorite ridden by Matias, rallied from last to finish second and paid $2.60 and $2.10. It was 1-½ lengths back to Sweet Saga and a $4.20 show payoff.
ROVEING PATROL ALL THE WAY IN DIANE KEM
Roveing Patrol led all the way and scored a dominating 8-½ length victory in the $35,000 Diane Kem Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Undefeated in two starts, Roveing Patrol gave 88-year-old Don Munger, the filly’s owner, trainer and breeder, his first Emerald Downs stakes victory and his meet-leading 18th win as an owner.
Ridden by Leonel Camacho-Flores at 119 lbs, Roveing Patrol ran six furlongs in 1:09.57, tying the stakes record set by No Constraints in 2007, and paid $12.40, $4.20 and $3. By Nacheezmo-Gutty Gerddy, Roveing Patrol earned $17,500 to increase her earnings to $22,175.
Off since winning the first 2-year-old race of the season June 15, Roveing Patrol gunned to the lead from the rail, set fractions of :21.92, :44.56 and :56.70 and poured it on in the lane to win easily.
“I had a lot of confidence in her, “Camacho-Flores said. “She broke well in her workout and I just wanted her to break good today. At the quarter-pole, I couldn’t feel anybody coming. She’s a good filly and she likes to race.”
Madame Pele, the 3-to-5 betting favorite ridden by Juan Gutierrez, finished second by 2-¾ lengths and paid $3 and $2.20. Valid Vixen Queen finished third and paid $2.80.
CIELATOR ATTACKS EARLY, TAKES THE BELLE
What Cielator lacked in experience she made up for with talent, and the result was an impressive 5-¾-length victory in the $35,000 Belle Roberts Stakes for older fillies and mares.
With Mawing aboard for his second WA Cup win of the day, Cielator ran 1- 1/16 miles in 1:41.50 and paid $10.20, $3.60 and $2.60. Junior Coffey is the trainer for owner Ron Crockett of Seattle.
A 4-year-old filly by Delineator out of Cielo Otono, Cielator was bred by Gail and Gerald Schneider and is 3-1-0 in five career races*easily the fewest starts in the field. The $17,857 winner’s check boosted her earnings to $47,952.
Cielator made her career debut April 20 at Golden Gate Fields, winning a six-furlong sprint, and Sunday’s win was her first in two route tries.
“This horse has got a lot of class, a lot of talent and a big heart,” Mawing said. “I was pretty confident she’d be fine going 1-1/16 miles. She a got some quirks, but she’s a nice horse. Truthfully, I always thought she’d be a stakes horse.”
Cielator and Mawing engaged 9-to-10 betting favorite Sis’s Sis on the backstretch, running the half-mile in :46.01, and from there it was a two-horse race to the wire. Cielator poked her head in front on the last turn, opened a three-length lead past mid-stretch, and won with total authority.
Sis’s Sis, ridden by Juan Gutierrez, was easily second best and paid $3.60 and $2.40.
It was 7-¼ lengths back to Sweet Nellie Brown, the defending Belle Roberts champion, and a $2.20 show payoff. Private Fortune, Seventyprcentcocoa, Have’n a Wild Time and Bobbylouie completed the order of finish.
NOTES: Juan Gutierrez rode one winner and leads Leslie Mawing 105-88 in the jockeys’ standings*Mawing, Javier Matias and Rocco Bowen each rode two winners on the nine-race card*Chris Stenslie was the lone trainer with two wins including a win by Talk to My Lawyer in the John & Kitty Fletcher Stakes*Jewel S. ($8.40) won the second race and gave Frank Lucarelli a 43-38 lead in the trainers’ standings*Class Included ($3.70) scored a 3-½-length victory in the $50,000 Delta Colleen Handicap for older fillies and mares at Hastings Racecourse. Ridden by William Antongeorgi for trainer Jim Penney and owners Michael & Amy Feuerborn, Class Included ran 1-1/8 miles in 1:50.47 and is now 9-6-0 in 15 starts, including three stakes wins this year at Emerald Downs*Also at Hastings, Charles Town shipper Second City rallied from last for a 2-¾ length victory in the $200,000 B.C. Derby, running 1-1/8 miles in 1:50.94 and paying $13.80 as the second choice. D’honorable One finished eighth while Emerald Derby runner-up Italian Boy flipped in the paddock and was scratched*Champagneandcaviar finished sixth in the $100,000 B.C. Oaks won by Evelyn’s Dancer ($3.10)*Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:15 p.m.
