Wave Rider returned to action with a big front-running effort Sunday in the Budweiser Purse for fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.
With Leonel Camacho-Flores riding, Wave Rider rolled home by 5-¼ lengths and paid $22.60, $9 and $3.40. The 4-year-old Washington-bred daughter of Cahill Road-Wavy Lace ran 5-½ furlongs in 1:03.12 on a fast track.
Trained by Larry Pierce for Wave Rider Syndicate, Wave Rider had been off since her maiden victory last Sept. 11. According to Pierce, the filly developed nicely over the winter.
“She’s matured a lot since last year, we’ve always known she has some talent,” he said.
That talent was on display Sunday. Breaking from the No. 1 post, Wave Rider quickly cruised to the lead while running the opening quarter-mile in :22.17. She turned back Miss Top Nite into the turn, opened a 3-½-length lead into the stretch, and then extended the margin to the wire. The $22.60 win pay for $2 was the largest of the three-day-old meeting.
Miss Top Nite, a 9-to-1 shot ridden by Rocco Bowen, held second place and paid $7 and $6.60. Smart Code, Juan Gutierrez riding, finished third and paid $5. Wings of Pegasus, 9-to-10 betting favorite Call Me Cinderella and Lolitamimorenita completed the order of finish.
Camacho-Flores rode two winners on the 10-race card, while 23-year-old apprentice Eliska Kubinova rode three winners and finished opening week atop the standings with five wins.
Kubinova rode three straight winners, winning the sixth race on Renaissance Queen ($8.80), the seventh aboard Pokomoko ($5.40) and the eighth on Golden N Sweet ($6.40).
Howard Belvoir saddled another winner*Sabe ($3.80) in the fourth race*and finished the week atop the trainers’ standings with five wins.
The mutuel handle was $1,241,001.
NOTES: Michael Pollowitz’s Colonel Courtney ($7.80) became only the third 12-year-old (West Seattle Boy & Don’t Ya Lovett) to win at Emerald Downs after a 4-¾-length victory in the second race. The G.D. Khalsa trainee picked up his 28th win in 109 career starts* For the third straight year Champali Lace came off the bench to win her season debut for trainer Junior Coffey. Under Leonel Camacho-Flores, the 5-year-old mare ran 5-½ furlongs in 1:01.88 and paid $6.40*Royal Moses, stakes runner-up twice as a 2-year-old, earned her diploma in Sunday’s fifth race under Joe Crispin. The talented daughter of Cahill Road is co-owned by R G Warwick and trainer Tim Harder*Emerald Downs’ Joe Withee picked six winners on the 10-race card including best-bet Wave Rider*Winning Machine and jockey Leslie Mawing finished fourth as the 2-to-1 favorite in the $50,000 George Royal Stakes at Hastings Racecourse. Almost Time ($20.20) and jockey Frank Fuentes prevailed in 1:10.72 for trainer Dino Condilenios and Swift Thoroughbreds Inc*Live racing resumes Friday with first post at 6 p.m. There will be a $0.50 Pick 5 carryover of $8,944 up fro grabs on Races 4-8.
