8-22-2022

(Auburn, WA) Friday night Kevin Radke’s season flashed before his eyes after a spill in the 1st race. Last season in his first after semi-retiring for several years ended at home in a landscaping accident. Radke hit the ground hard and then was taken to the hospital for precautionary x-rays, he was checked out and cleared and got back on his rides on Saturday and Sunday.

Not sure if there was a little trepidation getting back on and it looked like on Saturday he may be struggling to get his confidence back. He had ridden 2 of the first 4 races and had a pair of 4th place finishes. In the 5th race any thought of nervousness was eliminated with a front-running win and he would reel off 3 straight win, including the feature race.

Sunday Radke was on a roll and tripled again including taking the Sunday feature race. Below we will re-cap both Saturday and Sunday races. Let’s get to it!

Saturday Racing

Feature Race

After winning 2 races in a row Kevin Radke was aboard the 6-5 betting favorite Lutes Lil Gift in the 6-furlong sprint against 7 other fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up.

Radke and Lutes Lil Gift went straight to the lead and quickly built a length and a half lead that she would never give up. Lute and Radke set the fractions of 21.80 for the quarter and 44.93 for the half. Turning for home Radke had built a 3 length lead and would never be challenged stopping the clock in 1:10.55.

The race was on for 2nd and it was the closers at long odds who ran by the tiring second tier runners. 12-1 Camden High with Eddie Martinez ran past 5 contenders to grab 2nd by 1 3/4’s lengths while 25-1 La Popis with Javier Matias was dead last and past the same 5 that Camden High did to take 3rd by 3/4’s. 3-1 2nd favorite Rodeo Rose with Leslie Mawing completed the superfecta.

Lutes Lil Gift races for Horse Haven Creek Farm, Barking Dogs and Breezingbyou Stable and trained by Rosie Simkins. Lutes Lil Gift is a Washington bred by Lutes Gift out of Lil Squirt by Marquetry and was bred by Horse Haven Creek Farm. Lutes Lil Gift is now 2-1-2 from 7 lifetime starts and picked up $8,250 for the win pushing her career earnings to $21,917.

Lutes Lil Gift paid $4.40 on the $2 win but with the longer shots hitting the board the 50-cent trifecta paid $74.10 and the $1 superfecta $456.90. The 2nd Radke to Radke $1 daily double paid just $8.10 and the 50-cent all-Radke pick 3 paid $12.85.

Saturday’s Other Races

Leslie Mawing got things rolling in the 1st race on Blessed Brother who broke a bit slow but quickly rolled to the front and drew off to a 4 1/2 length victory as the 2nd favorite at 5-2. Bobby Buckets the 4-5 odds-on choice ran 2nd with Cowboy Causeway a distant 3rd at 14-1 while 10-1 Trinunal Love ran 4th

The win was also the 1st for trainer Larry Ramnarine this season. Ramnarine has never had a big string of horses and many years has had only 1 or 2 horses. This was his first win since October 16, 2018 at Portland Meadows when Stay In Power won with Patrick Henry riding at 4-1. This was also his 1st win at Emerald Downs since 2013 on May 31st. He ran Kool Comic ridden by Rocco Bowen and won by more than 7 lengths as the 2-1 favorite. Ramnarine is also the owner of Blessed Brother.

In the 2nd race there were 2 scratches at the gate dropping the field to 4 3-year-olds and up fillies and mares going 6-furlongs. With only 4 in the race show betting was cancelled and all show bets were refunded. Nana’s Angel was going to be a big favorite but after the 2 late scratches she was bet down to 1-5. Juan Gutierrez knew what to do and simply let her run her race as she led start to finish blowing out the competition with a 6 3/4 lengths win. 6-1 Queensboro ran 2nd, 13-1 Toe Dancer 3rd and 4-1 Slice of Pie ran 4th.

Nana’s Angels ran the 3/4 mile in 1:09.;76 and is owned by Donald Lawrence and trained by Bonnie Jenne. Nana is a Washington bred by Linchpin out of De Sweeper by Dehere and was bred by Donald and Olivia Lawrence.

Gutierrez looked to do the same thing in the 3rd race when he pushed Onefineday out of the gate and quickly took nearly a 2 length lead. Gutierrez had the 5-2 shot set fractions of the 5 1/2-furlong dash of 21.65 for the quarter and 45.41 for the half. But Alex Cruz aboard Maggie Fitzgerald sat well back and let the scramble on the front end happen while Cruz made his move near the top of the stretch moved between horses and got up for a length win. Onefineday held on well for 2nd by a 1/2 length over 9-1 Life’s Emotions with Jake Samuels and completing the super was Ashley Beautiful. Maggie Fitzgerald is owned by Horseplayers Racing Club 5 trained by Tim McCanna.

6 horses broke from the gate in the 4th race and they went one trip around for the 1-mile race. It was front runner 5-1 Moon Circumference with Jake Samuels who took control from the start and led all the way to the top of the stretch. Favorite Whisper and Wink with Alex Cruz surged to the lead and looked like he was going to pull away and win. But Moon Circumference was not done and battled back while Whisper and Wink began to get weary and Samuels kept the pressure on re-gaining the lead and got the win by a 1/2 length. Gebo at 6-1 also came running and caught Whisper and Wink for 2nd while 2nd betting choice Ghostfinder ran an even 4th. Luanne Bean owns Moon and Robert Bean trains and the Bean’s got their 2nd win in as many days after a long win drought.

The 5th race was where Kevin Radke got back on the winning track. He was on Hickory Wind the 3-1 2nd choice and went straight to the lead quickly opening up by 2 lengths. Radke and Hickory Wind set fractions of 23.54, 46.21 and 1:10.69 for 6 furlongs which left plenty in the tank for the final 2 furlongs and won by2 3/4’s lengths. Favorite Brannigan got up for 2nd by a neck while Cause I’m Cool was 3rd and Love That Kid was 4th. Hickory Wind is owned by Billy Speed Racing Stable and trained by Frank Lucarelli. Hickory Wind is a Washington bred by Abraaj out of Irene’s Bonus Baby by Free At Last and bred by Ronald and Nina Hagen.

Radke used the same formula in the 6th race but the public was on board as well betting A Whole Lotta Hula down to 7-5 favoritism. Radke extended his lead in Hula to 3 lengths by setting fractions of 22.95 and 46.31 and Radke would need those soft fractions to finish what the 4-year-old filly started. Talkingnonstop with Gutierrez made their move and cut the 2 1/2 length lead at the top of the stretch down to just a neck at the finish line and A Whole Lotta Hula held off the challenge for the win. Lonsdaleite ran 3rd at 20-1 and favorite Sadie’s Snowstorm was 4th. A Whole Lotta Hula is owned by the Terra Firma Farm and trained by Joe Toye. Hula is a Washington bred by Gold Aly out of Hula Lula by Raise the Bluff and was bred by Dave Breiwick.

Sunday’s Races

Feature Race

Mahi Mahi with Kevin Radke was the 3-2 top choice in the Sunday feature race with a field of 6 going 6-furlongs for 3-year-olds and up. Radke and Mahi Mahi would set just off the early pace being pressed by Capital Expense and Curling Secret. They would set sizzling fractions of 21.74 and 44.20. 22-1 Mojave was 3rd early and in the end those 3 would finish at the back of the pack with the frantic pace catching up with them.

This left the first run chance to Mahi Mahi who had been 4th and when he hit the quarter pole made his move and by the top of the stretch was out by 2 lengths and simply extended that gap to 3 3/4’s at the finish line for an easy win. 2nd favorite Makah Lane with Juan Gutierrez ran on well to be a clear 2nd while 8-1 Mister McLean with Javier Matias got up to get 3rd from Curling Secret.

Mahi Mahi ran the 6-furlongs in a quick 1:08.96 and races for Richard Caswell, Jim Strelo and Shawn Horan and comes from the Blaine Wright barn. Mahi Mahi earned $9,075 to push his career earnings to $95,830. His lifetime record is now 6-4-4 from 22 starts or a 27% win rate and 64% top 3 finish. Mahi Mahi paid $5.20 on the $2 win.

Sunday’s Other Races

Kevin Radke kept up his winning ways after scoring a triple on Saturday he did it again on Sunday and began it with a wire-wire win in the 1st on odds-on favorite Brady Boy. The track remained lightning fast as Brady Boy covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.86 and won by 2 1/2 lengths. 1st time starter Trumped ran well in his debut taking 2nd followed by Blazen Grazen who nabbed 3rd from Poverty Bay by a neck.

Brady Boy’s owners Todd and Shawn Hansen also own 2nd place runner Trumped and both are trained by Blaine Wright. Brady Boy is a Washington bred by Twirling Candy out of Thunderina by Curlin and was bred by the owners. The all Hansen and Wright $1 Exacta paid $3.30 so the public was not fooled.

In the 2nd on Sunday, Beau Rocks with Juan Gutierrez sat just off the early pace of Teaspoon of Pepper and Whata Flirt then eased past Whata Flirt with Alex Cruz up to pull off a 1/2 length win. Shez a Grinder ran 3rd and American Royalty capped off the superfecta.  Beau Rocks ran the 6-furlongs in 1:10.88 and is owned and trained by Jennifer Nunnally. Nunnally also trained 3rd place finisher Shez a Grinder. Beau Rocks paid $8.80 on the $2 win.

The past couple of weeks has been a little slow for jockey Kevin Orozco with just a few wins and he was looking for a break out day and Sunday he certainly did just that and began in the 3rd race with a field of 6 2-year-old going 5 1/2 furlongs. Orozco was aboard Contejas who was one of 3 who had run before and was bet down to 6-5. Contejas went to the lead battling with Rasajin Ribbon but eventually stretching that lead to nearly 2 lengths at the top of the stretch while setting fractions of 22.30 and 45.96. Contejas kept his competition at arms length to win clearly in a final time of 1:05.39. Its Kraken Time ran 2nd, Under Pete was 3rd and Seventh House took 4th.

Contejas is owned by Riverbend Stable and trained by Blaine Wright. Contejas is a Washington bred by Harbor the Gold out of Bahati by Horse Chestnut and was bred by Bar C Racing and Desert Rose Racing.

In the 4th race 6 fillies and mares lined up to go a mile and the second betting choice Cocoa Cents with Alex Cruz pulled out a gutsy victory sitting just behind Just Poppin and Jake Samuels the favorite. The stretch battle was furious and Cocoa Cents got the neck down for the win on the line. Noumea was up for 3rd and Sassy Eide ran 4th. Cocoa Cents is owned and trained by Emil Abrahamson.

In the 5th Kevin Orozco took advantage of the fast track for his 2nd win of the day when he took Candied Lute right to the front battling with Proud Lion but maintaining a 1/2 length lead. Candied Lute would put away Proud Lion while running 6-frulongs in 1:11.09. Lute would re-buff all his other challengers taking a shot at him Dyf would run 2nd, Command Sgt Major 3rd and Proud Lion would hold on for 4th. Candied Lute ran the mile in 1:37.05.

Horse Haven Creek Farm and Frank Frawley own Candied Lute and Rosie Simkins is the trainer. Candied Lute is a Washington bred by Lutes Gift out of Sweet Pleasure by Candy Ride and was bred by Horse Haven Creek Farm. Horse Haven Creek Farm and Rosie Simkins combined for the Feature win on Saturday with Lutes Lil Gift.

Mayhem and Chaos would use the stalking technique to blow past a field of 6 to cruise to an easy 3 1/4 length win. Under a perfectly timed ride by Kevin Radke the winning pair sat behind the early pace and at the top of the stretch released the brakes and sprinted past the early leaders for as comfortable 3+ length win. Mileys Bluecat also came from just off the pace for a clear 2nd. Akasi ran on for 3rd and finishing 4th was Northern Blend but was DQ’d and placed 5th moving J. C. Express up to 4th. Mayhem and Chaos ran the 1 mile in 1:38.29 and is owned by Indigenous Stable and Filos Stables and trained by Kay Cooper.

The field of 8 going 6-furlongs did not cross up the bettors as 6-5 favorite Mosquito Fleet with Kevin Orozco ran down 2nd favorite Nationheart for a length and a half win in a time of 1:09.25. Nationheart was a clear 2nd with New Every Morning running 3rd and Irish Knight 4th. Jerry Ackerman, Karen Clark and Anthony Lombardo are the owners and trainer Frank Lucarelli picked up the win. The biggest field of the day did not fool the bettors and they nearly finished in exact order of odds with the 1st favorite 1st, 2nd fav 2nd, 3rd choice 3rd and 4th favorite running 4th. The 15-1 5th pick finished last but the order of finish for the other 3 were in order 24-1, 38-1 and 47-1. The result is a $5 exacta, $10 trifecta and $6 10-cent superfecta.

Kevin Orozco would wrap up the week with his 3rd win of the day. Orozco was on the heavy odds-on 2-5 favorite Youonlylivetwice and broke 4th in the 5-furlong sprint. Orozco sat until about the quarter pole tapped Youonlylivetwice to get the 4-year-old filly rolling and was trailing by a head at the top of the lane just behind Summer Pudding and then opened up on Pud and the field to score a convincing 3 1/4 length win stopping the clock in 59.36. Summer Pudding held 2nd, Ask the King ran on for 3rd, Mia Casa 4th and R Happy Place completed the Super Hi-5. Youonlylivetwice is owned by Grasshopper Racing Stable and trained by Kay Cooper for Cooper’s 2nd win on the card.

The low pay-outs continued with the Super Hi-5 paying out just $268.65, the 20-Jackpot Pick 6 paid $97.02 with a $1,423 carry-over. The 50-cent Pick 5 paid just $101, the Pick 4 $20.70 and the Pick 3 just $6.20.

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