7/5/2023

It was Fireworks over this past weekend, literally as Monday night concluded with the annual Fireworks Spectacular after 3 days of great racing. There was no Friday night racing instead the schedule was shifted 1 day to include Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It was the 1st night of Saturday night racing with a 5pm post time. After 8 Saturdays of afternoon racing, July 1st marked the rest of the season Saturday nights to start at 5pm.

On Sunday the 8 race card had some great match-ups and a season high pay for the pick 5 and overall top pay of the season so far and the annual Diaper Derby came down to a sibling rivalry.

Monday Night Racing

8th Race Feature Race “Muckleshoot Casino Purse”

The 8th and featured race was the best race of the day as far as betting with a 6-1 shot winning. In the Red with Rigo Sarmiento took over the lead on the 1st turn of the 1-mile race and set solid fractions of 46.10 for the half and 1:09.94 for the 6-furlongs. Sarmiento managed the front end brilliantly and kept plenty for the final furlong holding on to a 2-length win. Hollywood Mistress with Kevin Radke made a nice run at 2nd but In the Red had flown the coop and had to settle for 2nd. 19-1 Kerrelia ran on well to be 3rd with Jose Zunino while 2-1 favorite Shesaheatwave was 4th with Luis Negron.

In the Red is owned by the Purple Rose Ranch, their 2nd win of the weekend and also 2nd win of the weekend or trainer Mike Pierce. In the Red is now 5-5-4 from 27 lifetime starts and pushed his career earnings over the 100k mark at $107,772 with the $9,280 winners share of the purse.

1st Race

A field of 6 kicked-off the holiday racing card with the 5pm 1st post and they went 6-furlongs. The well matched field’s top 4 were between 2-1 and 4-1. It was the 2nd 2-1 shot Luvahappyending with Luis Negron who got a great trip stalking swung outside turning for home and Negron kept the 4-year-old filly focused to win by 3/4’s length in a time of 1:10.95. Favorite Percy’s Sis was part of the early pace and held on for 2nd, Flying Sylvia with Silvio Amador closed well to be 3rd and Baby Martini with Francisco Diaz-Perez completed the top 4. Luvahappyending is owned by Tim and Jan McCanna and trained by Tim McCanna.

2nd Race
2-1 was off to a hot start with a big closing kick by 2nd race 2-1 1st choice Howdoyoulikemenow rolling by the field in the stretch with Jose Zunino to a 3/4’s length victory. Howdoyoulikemenow covered the 6-furlongs in 1:10.98. 7-1 outsider Louis Zacherle was looking for his 1st win of the season and looked like he might get it pulling away at the top of the stretch and separating from 7-2 Ain’t No Sissy and Luis Negron but could not resist the runaway freight train of Howdoyoulikemenow. Night to Remember and Carlos Montalvo ran and even 4th and just missed 3rd place by a neck. Howdoyoulikemenow is owned by Warlock Stable and Kelly Dougan and trained by Alan Bozell.

3rd Race

5 broke from the gate in the 5 1/2-furlong and betting favorite 9-5 Zaccheus broke to the lead with Luis Negron and quickly built a 3 length lead. Zaccheus and Negron set fractions of 21.53 and 44.54 but still had a 1 1/2 length lead at the 1/8th pole when 2-1 Sierra Melody and Kevin Radke kicked it in and came running. The two were head bobbing at the line with the nose win going to Zaccheus barely holding on to the win. 2-1 Warfront Fighter and Alex Cruz ran on for 3rd just a length back and 15-1 Senor Fabuloso ran 4th. Zaccheus ran the 5 1/2 in 1:03.79 and is owned by Lusk Racing and trained by Vince Gibson.

4th Race

7 went 6 1/2 furlongs with a split betting public with 4 between 2-1 and 4-1. It would be 3-1 Unbridled Tiger with Silvio Amador going to the front and opening up 4 length lead by the half mile in 44.75. This did not take the wind out of Tiger and Amador simply kept the 5-year-old gelding to task and blistered the field by 8 1/4 lengths at the end. This ties the 3rd largest win advantage of the year. 2-1 Silent Declaration ran on for 2nd with Luis Negron, 9-1 Thirsty Kiss and Javier Matias got up for 3rd and 9-1 Street Demand and Kevin Radke ran 4th. Unbridled Tiger ran the 6 1/2 in 1:15.15 and owned by Little Barn Racing and trained by Debbie Peery.

5th Race

A field of 11 lined up for a chance for something other than the 1st or 2nd favorite to win and it came down to a tight photo between the 7-5 favorite and 24-1 longshot. Kevin Radke was on the fav Fanny Bay Ali and sat back early in the 6-furlong dash and got toward the rail from the 10 post. Meantime, 24-1 Stay Sassy with Alex Cruz broke from the 11 hole and stayed wide and out of trouble while the early speed burnt each other up as they broke 1-2-3 and finished 9-10-11. Fanny Bay Ali came through inside as Stay Sassy dug in from the outside and took the lead inside the 1/8th pole. Fanny kicked back and this time Radke got the head down first with a perfect bob to get the win. Those 2 were well clear of 3rd place Champ of Pagne with Silvio Amador and completing the superfecta was Avanti Leah and Alexis Valdes. Fanny Bay Ali ran the 6 in 1:09.68 and owned by Mount View Stable and Robert Gilker and trained by Gilker.

6th Race

The favorite did not win or place in the 6th but did show with the next 2 finishing 1st and 2nd. 4-1 Slice of Pie with Alexis Valdes took over at the half mile pole and didn’t look back extending the lead at every point to win going away by 4 lengths in a time of 1:08.73 for the 6-furlongs. 3-1 Seven Sisters and Alex Cruz was 2nd best while favorite Mo Connelly running an even 3rd and 7-1 Summerofthersamuri getting up for 4th for Isaias Enriquez. Slice of Pie races for Aaron Bresko and trained by Frank Lucarelli capping his best week of the season.

7th Race
Another big longshot made a run at the winners circle but got swallowed up by 2-1 Peso in the final 16th on a perfectly timed ride from Luis Negron to spoil the plans of 25-1 Mister Mafioso and Carlos Montalvo. Peso sat back in 6th early on in the field of 8 and out of the 8 hole stayed wide and in the clear and turning for home gobbled up ground and spit it out roaring past them all including front runner Mister Mafiioso to win by more than 3 lengths. Mister Mafioso held 2nd by a nose over Sargent Kline and Isaias Enriquez and running 4th was Napoleonic Code with Alex Cruz. Peso ran the 6 1/2-furlongs in 1:15.49 and races for Kent Kunz and trained b y Justin Evans.

9th Race

Crooked Finger Ray and Jose Zunino took over the lead quickly after the gates sprung on the final race of the week and dominated the field setting fractions for the 6-furlongs of 21.80 and 44.11. The track got faster and Ray took full advantage winning easily by 2 lengths. The race was for 2nd as the other early pace all faded late saw favorite El Chavo Del Ocho close with a rush with Javier Matias to grab 2nd by a neck over 6-1 D K’s Crown and Luis Negron. Upper Room with Kevin Radke nosed out Quiet Charm and Neptali Ortiz for 5th to cap the 50-cent Super Hi-5. Crooked Finger Ray ran the 6 in 1:08.37 and races for Mojo Racing and trained by Tom Wenzel.

Sunday Racing

7th Race Feature Race “Muckleshoot Casino Purse”

Jin Tong was let go at 8-1 and Alex Anaya got his 2nd win of the season and 2nd win of the weekend coming from last to 1st in a weaving run finding room along the inside to get through and surge past the frontrunners. Jin Tong allowed front runners Ice Needs Whiskey and Poverty Bay and Contejas to set up his closing kick by setting fractions of 21.73 and 44.37 for the 6-furlongs while Anaya and Jon Tong toiled at the back of the pack.

Anaya chose to stay on the rail assuming something would eventually open up and crawled to 6th place by the half mile. Anaya made the decision of the race as to stay the course on the inside or veer out and hope for a hole to open. Anaya stayed and shot through an opening to engage Poverty Bay and Kevin Radke while J C’s a Legend was also coming from far back with Isaias Enriquez and was a clear 3rd by 3 lengths and Firewalker ran 4th with Alexis Valdes.

Jin Tong races for Wayne Williams and Terra Firma Farm and is trained by Joe Toye and finished the 6-furlongs in 1:08.96. The 3-year-old Kentucky colt is now 2-0-2 from 8 career starts and picked up $13,920 to push his career earnings to $63,343.

ESN talks with Trainer Joe Toye on Jin Tong’s big win

1st Race

A field of 6 went the mile in the 1st race of 8 on Sunday. Heart River was bet down to 6-5 favoritism with Alex Cruz aboard and chose to sit off the early pace as Saturday saw several last to 1st winners. Meantime, Luis Negron was not sold on that prospect and sent 2-1 2nd choice Dance Lady to the lead and hooked with 10-1 Party Police and Kevin Radke. As they made their way toward  the top of the stretch Dance Lady had extended her lead to 3 lengths and there was no stopping her and she extended for a comfortable 4 1/2 length win. Heart River didn’t have enough early speed to run at and rolled in 2nd while Jacana at 7-1 got up for 3rd and Party Police rounded out the top 4. Dance Lady is a 5-year-old mare owned by the Purple Rose Ranch and trained by Mike Pierce and ran the mile in 1:36.57.

2nd Race

One scratch left 5 to go a mile and then it took quite some time to get #5 Jedi Knight loaded and appeared to be on the verge of another late scratch for refusing to load when the talented gate crew got Jedi to cooperate and get in his stall. Naftali Ortiz was aboard and last in the gate was 1st out and quickly took command with a 1-lenght lead. Betting favorite New Eagle with Alex Cruz sat right behind and waited for his chance to move but they let Jedi Knight getaway with fractions of 24.76 and 47.82 and the 6-furlongs in 1:11.09 and Ortiz had saved plenty for Jedi who dismissed all contenders and eased away to a 1+ length win at a whopping 12-1. Stablemate Affirm Chief got up for 2nd while New Eagle flattened out to be 3rd and 5-2 Sproston finished 4th. Jedi Knight is owned and trained b y Luciano Medina Gabriel as was Affirm Chief. It is the 3rd win in 2 days for both Gabriel, 4th win of the weekend for Ortiz.

3rd Race

Isaias Enriquez had his 3rd win in 2 days with a perfectly timed ride on Dad’s Estrella. Settling into 4th place out of the gate and down the backstretch of the 6-furlong dash Enriquez eventually eased Dad’s Estrella to the outside and waited to turn for home before unleashing him down the outside. he would roll by Setup the early speed with Alex Cruz then pull away for an almost 2 length win. Yogyya coming off his maiden win ran a very good race for Carlos Montalvo to just edge out Setup for 2nd and Me Gusta Luna with Silvio Amador ran 4th. Dad’s Estrella ran the 6-furlongs in 1:08.57 and is owned by Alvarez Racing Stable and trained by Sergio Alvarez.

4th Race

In the 3rd mile in 4 races another field of 6 lined up and the Luciano Medina-Naptali Ortiz connection was going for the grand slam looking for their 4th win in 2 days. Lucky Lad was bet down to 2-1 as the 2nd favorite and Ortiz broke out well to sit behind a brisk pace set by Polacco and Kevin Radke who went 23.04 and a 22.01 2nd quarter which gave him a nearly 3-length lead. Meantime, Ortiz and Lucky Lad began to move up the rail and by the top of the stretch swung outside of Polacco who was beginning to tire to take the lead at the 1/8th pole and looked like a winning move. But 17-1 Muncey and Jennifer Whitaker would have something to say as well as coming from the clouds Exclusive Speaker and Alex Cruz. Speaker and Cruz caught Muncey and the both of them engulfed both Lucky Lad and Polacco and Executive Speaker rolled to a length win over the hard trying Muncey while Lucky Lad took 3rd and Polacco did well to hold on to 4th after those blistering fractions. Executive Speaker went off at 5-1 and is owned by Michael Radovich and trained by Jorge Rosales.

5th Race

Maiden Special Weight 3-year-olds went to the post at 6 1/2-furlongs in the 5th and #1 Vorpal with Carlos Montalvo ran an extremely professional race down on the rail and running from the 5th position early while It’s Kraken Time with Kevin Radke went straight to the lead. Radke at 5-1 was then pressured by 1st time starter Tiger Too and Alex Cruz and the two were head and head all the way to the top of the stretch. Vorpal and Montalvo stayed in the game and the rail opened up and they shot through to the lead. It’s Kraken Time refused to give in but was not quite good enough as Vorpal won by a neck over It’s Kracken Time, 9-5 favorite A Skip in the Park ran 3rd with Jose Zunino and Tiger Too ended up 4th. Vorpal covered the 6 1/2 in 1:15.81 and is owned by George Todaro and trained b y Tom Wenzel.

6th Race

With 2 late scratches the 8-horse field was cut to 6 and 5-2 2nd choice Reign of Fire broke alertly and took over the lead  by the half-mile by the top of the stretch Jockey Isaias Enriquez let the 5-year-old mare out a notch drew off to a 3 length lead, By mid-stretch Enriquez and Reign of Fire had extended her lead and cruised to a 5 1/4 length win. 2-1 favorite Pearly River Delta ran on well to be 2nd for Neptali Ortiz, Ms Lynn at 6-1 with Kevin Orozco closed well to be 3rd while Your Royal Coil and Carlos Montalvo completed the superfecta. Reign of Fire ran the 3/4 mile in 1:09.12 and is owned by Rancho Viejo and Jerry Carmody and trained by Rigoberto Velasquez.

8th Race

9 broke from the gate in the finale on Sunday and Bikini Nation with Luis Negron was bet down to 7-5 favoritism and sat back early in the race and tried to close but could only get to 3rd. Settler’s Cove with Jennifer Whiataker at 5-1 stalked brilliantly surged to a half length lead at the top of the stretch shrugged off Zeva Dee and Alex Cruz, then held off a bad luck run for Vandulie and Kevin Radke for a half length win. Vandulie looked like she might not even hit the board after running behind horses at the top of the stretch and frontrunner A Storm Too Soon fading, Radke had to stomp on the brakes circle outside and still got up for second and maybe 10 more yards at the most would have won so a very unlucky run for Vandulie. Sensuous Kitty and Kevin Orozco got up for 5th to complete the Super Hi-5. Settler’s Cove races for owner/trainer Howard Belvoir and was also the breeder. The 3-year-old Washington bred is by Coast Guard out of Port Wakefield by Katowice.

Saturday Night Racing

7th Race Feature Race “Muckleshoot Casino Purse”

The feature race of the night was a good one with 7 going 6-furlongs. 9-5 favorite Reservoir with Kevin Radke up sat in a nice stalking positing in 2nd just behind the front runner Princess Payton. 3rd favorite Shelby Gold and Isaias Enriquez were 2nd last and 2nd choice 5-2 Olivia’s Choice with Luis Negron were at the back of the pack.

Reservoir took the lead by a head at the 1/2 mile pole as they lined up 4 across the track and 8-1 Donne Cattive with Silvio Amador was 2nd, Shelby Gold moved up the rail right 3rd and Princess Payton trying to hold on but would fade and finish 5th. At the top of the stretch Radke tried to shake loose with Reservoir but Shelby Gold came rolling up the rail and those two would go neck and neck to the line and Shelby Gold came out with the win. Reservoir a clear 2nd with Donne Cattive running a good 3rd and Olivia’s Choice getting up for 4th.

Shelby Gold is owned by Shelby Gold Racing Stable and trained by Frank Lucarelli and was the 2nd win of the day for both Lucarelli and jockey Isaias Enriquez. Shelby Gold is a 3-year-old Washington bred filly by Harbor the Gold out of Donadue by Uh Oh Bango and bred by Eric Jensen.

This was Shelby Gold’s 2nd career win and she is now 2-1-3 from 10 career starts and earned $10,440 to push her career bankroll to $43,776.

1st Race
A field of 5 fillies and mares went 6 1/2-furlongs on a fast track and Purple Night was bet down as the odds-on 2-5 favorite with Silvio Amador in the saddle. Purple Night took the lead immediately and quickly pulled out to a 4 length lead. Turning for home Purple Night went a tad wide opening up the rail and Luis Negron aboard Tyche Awaits You took advantage of that and shot through on the rail to engage Purple Night. The two were head and head for the last 16th and Tyche Awaits You edged just enough ahead to win by a head in a final time of 1:17.38. Purple Night settled for 2nd more than a length in front of Sassy Einstein with Carlos Montalvo while Bandon Bridge and Alex Anaya was 4th. Tyche Awaits You is owned by Shelly Crowe and Jay Richards and Crowe is the trainer.

2nd Race

The 6-horse field went 6-furlongs and we saw a rare last to 1st run in this race when Isaias Enriquez took 5-2 2nd choice Stickinittotheman to last out of the gate but only ab out 4 lengths behind. Enriquez breaking from the 2 hole moved to the outside as favorite Daredevil Princess with Kevin Radke rolled up to take command at the 1/2 mile mark by a length. Enriquez stayed at least 4 wide and came rolling up on Daredevil at the 16th pole and pulled away for nearly a length victory. Daredevil Princess was clearly 2nd. 8-1 Let It Reign with Silvio Amador got up for 3rd and 2-1 Awesome Daze with Jose Zunino took 4th. Stickinittotheman is owned by Randall and Rossi LLC, Gary Hughes and Lucarelli Racing Corp and trained by Frank Lucarelli. The 3-year-old filly ran the 3/4 mile in 1:10.56.

3rd Race

6 lined up for the 1-mile and 70 yards in the 3rd and this time the front speed gutted out a terrific win for Alexis Valdes who got his 1st win in 2 weeks. Valdes took 8-1 Besame Mucho right to the lead and quickly drew off by 2 lengths. The others would not let the 4-year-old gelding get any further in front and kept it close as Mucho set fractions of 22.62 and 45.85 for the 1/2 mile. Socal Red with Alex Cruz as the 8-5 2nd favorite cozied up close to the frontrunner and looked like he would swoop on past the 8-1 shot in mid stretch but Besame Mucho dug in and then both were confronted by the late running Hadlees Honor with Luis Negron and as the 3 hit the finish line Besame Mucho got the win by a neck, Socal Red 2nd by a nose over Hadlees Honor who was a clear 3rd. Completing the superfecta was Warriors Hero with Rigo Sarmiento. Besame Mucho stopped the clock in 1:40.46 and is owned by Bill and Susan Tomasic and Justin Evans and trained by Evans.

4th Race

The 4th race then began quite a run for jockey Neptali Ortiz who would sweep 3 in a row beginning with Nan Elizabeth bet down as the 1-1 favorite. Ortiz and Nan was the 2nd last to 1st run as Nan and Ortiz sat last in a field of 5 going 6-furlongs and well last by 8 lengths. 3-1 second choice Lady Atta Tude and Luis Negron led to the top of the stretch when Ortiz let loose with a huge move around the turn and ended up 6 wide and could have been 12 wide as the flew past the entire field in an eye catching move to win by 5 1/2-lengths in a time of 1:09.47. Lady Atta Tude held 2nd while Crazy About You and Carlos Montalvo got up for the show and Aliceshouseofheart with Alex Cruz was 4th. Nan Elizabeth is owned and trained by Luciano Medina Gabriel.

5th Race

The Luciano Medina Gabriel to Naptali Ortiz connection remained red hot on Saturday night as they simply repeated the game plan, start last, this time at a mile distance, came rolling up 6-wide on the turn and blow by the field as if they were running backwards. Orczy was bet down to the 8-5 favorite and they did not disappoint their supporters winning by 2 1/2 lengths in a time of 1;36.00. 6-1 Alpine Hypnosis with Rigo Sarmiento ran a solid and even race beginning 4th and getting up for 2nd by a neck over 2-1 Mileys Bluecat with Alex Cruz who grabbed 3rd by a neck over Party for One and Silvio Amador. Orczy is an Irish bred 6-year-old gelding owned and trained by Medina.

6th Race

7 broke from the Mark Gibson starting gates in the 6th and race favorite Foster Boi with Neptali Ortiz this time was a little closer sitting 2nd early behind the front running Famous Rock Star and Alex Cruz. Rock Star set the early numbers of 21.95 and 44.02, the fastest quarter and half mile of the day. But Ortiz waited patiently and turning for home pounced and did so on the rail this time and not 6-wide. The 2 engaged with each other at the top of the stretch but Foster Boi had too much and pulled away for a 3-length victory. 6-1 Stephen James with Jose Zunino got up for 3rd and Wear the Crown with Kevin Radke took 4th. Foster Boi stopped the clock in a time of 1:15.25 and is owned by Sergio Perez and trained by Hilario Perez.

8th Race

#38 was the one for jockey Alex Anaya. Anaya got his 1st win of the season in the Saturday finale aboard the 8-5 favorite Fun City. Anaya sat just behind the early speed of let George Do It with Naptali Ortiz. As they got into the stretch Anaya pushed ahead and hooked up with George when George veered out a bit and made contact but Anaya and Fun City didn’t let that bother them and rolled on to a 1 1/2-length victory. Let George Do It held 2nd, Mr Bugs with Louis Zacherle at 10-1 was 3rd, ReKleining and Silvio Amador at 5-2 ran 4th and completing the 50-cent Super Hi-5 was He’s A Flyin with Luis Negron at 2-1. Terra Firma Farms owns and bred Fun City. Fun City is a 4-year-old gelding by Council Member out of Sun City by Snowbound and is trained by Joe Toye.

Larry’s Round-up

The Diaper Derby

The annual Diaper Derby comes on the heels of last weekend’s 1st ever Grandparents race. After 3 heats Max Daniel of Auburn was set to take on the power twins from Marysville with Caylee Gillon taking the 2nd heat and brother Cooper Gillon winning the 3rd heat. the boys and brother against Caylee but Caylee proved who is the Diaper Derby Champion with a little help from Max’s mom. A lot of fun and great Diaper Derbying at Emerald Downs.

Caylee and Cooper’s parents are Brittany and Dale Gillon. The parents got help during the finals with both kids competing from the twins grandparents.

Championship Race

Heat 1

Heat 2

Heat 3

Win Distance

So far this season the biggest win of the year is by 13 lengths. Tennessee Moon with Luis Negron blistered the field by the baker’s dozen on June 3rd in the 3rd race. Negron was hot on that day also scoring the 2nd largest win with Prime Example in the 6th with a 9 3/4 length win. There have been 6 wins of 7 lengths or more with the latest on July 3rd when Unbridled Tiger won by 8 1/4 with Silvio Amador.

On the flip side the closest finish we have is by a nose and so far there have been 11 races decided by a nose with the latest also happening on July 3 when Zaccheus got to the line by a nose. We also have a “technical” one here as on May 21st Stand To got 3rd place by a nose but after the 1st double disqualification of the year Stand To got the win so even though in the race Stand To finished 3rd had he not got the nose show he would not have ultimately gotten the win so we count that as a nose victory.

Most Lengths Wins
June 3, 3rd Race “Tennessee Moon”, Luis Negron 13-lengths
June 3, 6th Race “Prime Example”, Luis Negron 9 3/4-lengths
May 13, 8th Race “Aloha Breeze”, Carlos Montalvo 8 1/4-lengths
July 3, 4th Race “Unbridled Tiger”, Silvio Amador 8 1/4-lengths
May 21, 9th Race “Daredevil Princess”, Kevin Radke 7 3/4-lengths
June 4, 9th Race “Mo Connelly”, Silvio Amador 7 1/4-lengths

Nose Victories
May 6, 6th Race “Polacco” Kevin Radke
May 14, 9th Race “Company’s Dream” Kevin Radke
May 21, 4th Race “Slice of Pie” Javier Matias
*May 21, 7th Race “Stand To” Isaias Enriquez
May 28, 7th Race “Lafonda” Javier Matias
June 10, 6th Race “Holiday Hustle” Kevin Radke
June 10, 7th Race “Itsallabouttheride” Silvio Amador
June 11, 2nd Race “Anticipated” Luis Negron
June 16, 7th Race “Ted’s Candy Girl” Silvio Amador
June 18, 7th Race “Brony Boy” Alexis Valdes
July 3, 3rd Race “Zaccheus” Luis Negron

From the Saddle

Leading rider bounced back from his worst week to another big week scoring 5 wins from 20 rides or a 25% win rate. Negron picked up wins on Saturday and Sunday and then showed up for the huge crowd on Fireworks night with a triple. He finished the week 5-1-3-2.

Naptali Ortiz has exploded here tripling his total from 2 wins on the year from 14 rides to now 6 wins from 25 starts. Ortiz won 3 in a row on Saturday, added a win on Sunday and finished 4-2-1-1 for the weekend. Ortiz’s win percent jumped from 14% to 24%.

Isaias Enriquez was another who has been finding the winners circle on a regular basis here lately tallying 4 more wins from 11 starts or a 36% win clip. He also won the Saturday night feature race on Shelby Gold. Enriquez added 2 shows and two 4th place finishes.

A trio of riders doubled beginning with Jose Zunino who scored both of his wins on Monday including the get-away race. Zunino added 3 shows and a 4th for a 2-0-3-1 record from 8 mounts. Alex Anaya last year won the opening season race, this year it took him until his 38th ride to get that elusive 1st win and did so on Saturday evening. Anaya then won what we’d consider as close to a Stakes race as you’re gonna get with the feature race win on Sunday with Jin Tong. He won 2 of his 9 rides for a 22% win rate.

ESN talks with Alex Anaya on breaking the ice

Alexis Valdes also scored two wins from just 9 rides or 22%. Valdes may be getting overlooked by some as he is the 5th leading rider now with 16 wins but just might be the most consistent as he has not had super red hot weeks or ice cold weeks he has been right there every week but 1. He finished 2-1-0-2 for the week.

Both Alex Cruz and Kevin Radke were stuck in under placing mode but both did get 1 win this week and were not shut out. Cruz was 1-6-5-4 from 22 rides. This is just a 4% win percent but a 73% top 4 finish. Radke could have easily had 3 or 4 wins but heads bobs and bad racing luck cost him at least 2 wins. He was 1-7-0-5 from 19 rides for a 5% win rate but a top 2 percent of 42%. Doubt either will remain stuck in the runner-up mode but Negron was able to add to his overall lead with his 5 victory week.

Silvio Amador had a solid week but would like to find a few more wins with a 1-2-5-3 record from 16 starts. Carlos Montalvo got a win for his main barn, trainer Tom Wenzel and owner George Todaro and is getting about 4 rides a day. This week he hit that square on with 12 and finished 1-2-3-2. Jennifer Whitaker got her 2nd win of the season in the Sunday finale on Settlers Cove for HOF trainer Howard Belvoir. Whit had just 4 rides this and had a win and a place.

The last winner was Rigo Sarmiento who won the feature on July 3rd. After serving a questionable 2-day suspension Sarmiento continues to make the best of the opportunities afforded him. We will not go into the “questionable suspension” as we focus on the positive and those in charge of making decisions are having a rough year. Sarmiento is the poster boy for doing your best with what you get and was 1-1-0-1 from just 5 rides and got his 2nd win of the season on 6-1 In the Red.

A couple of other notes, Louis Zacherle gets closer to getting his 1st win of the year riding 4 times this week and getting a place and a show. He’s had 10 rides so far this season. Meantime, veterans Javier Matias and Kevin Orozco may have had their toughest weeks of the season so far with neither getting a win. These two should not be overlooked and won’t surprise us to see big days and weeks still to come. So far this year there have been many streaks from a host of different riders also showing how strong this riding colony is this season.

From the Barn

6 trainers made multiple trips to the Winners Circle with 2 making 3 trips. Luciano Medina Gabriel had his best week of his career as he teamed up with jockey Neptali Ortiz. Gabriel started 5, won 3 and placed and showed for a 60% win rate and 100% top 3. Gabriel doubled his win total and is tied for 8th in the trainer standings after his huge weekend.

The all-time winningest trainer in Emerald Downs history Frank Lucarelli enjoyed another strong week of turning those 2nd and 3rds into wins and also tripled. Lucarelli sent 10 to the gates and went 3-1-2 for a strong 30% win clip and 60% top 3 finish. 

Four conditioners had doubles starting with Mike Pierce who may have had his best week of the season with a 2 wins and 2 seconds from 6 starts. Mike also owns horses under his Purple Rose Farm moniker and won 2 races for himself. Leading trainer Justin Evans added 2 more wins to his dominating lead and now has 29 wins to lead the trainer standings by 16. He is 29-8-17 from 87 starts and win percent of 33% and 62% top 3 overall finish. 

A couple of veteran NW trainers added a pair of wins each, Tom Wenzel was almost perfect in the top 3 with 2 wins and a place and a show from 5 starts. Wenzel is 5th in wins in the standings but 3rd in earnings. Joe Toye got 2 wins as well including the feature race on Sunday with Jin Tong. Toye, a former Emerald training Champion picked up wins #4 and 5 this week and looks to have a Stakes horse to contend with as well.

There were 3 trainers that ran 1 horse and made it pay each with a win. Shelly Crowe, Debbie Peery and Sergio Perez were all perfect this week. HOF Howard Belvoir got his 2nd win of the year with Settlers Cove and got another great run from Muncey who picked up another place finish. Tim McCanna ran 3 horses this week and scored a trifecta with a win, place and show finish. Alan Bozell ran 2 for an exacta finish with a win and a place, Jorge Rosales held on to 2nd place in the standings with a win to push his total to 13 he also had 2 places and a show from his 4 starters. Rigoberto Velasquez, Hilario Perez and Vince Gibson all picked up a win and Robert Gilker got his 1st win of the season.

There were 3 races that the trainer placed 1st and 2nd for a true exacta finish. On Saturday in the 2nd race Frank Lucarelli ran 1-2 in the 2nd race a 5-2 over a 2-1 shot for an $11.70 pay-out. On Sunday it happened twice, first up Luciano Medina Gabrielle also in the 2nd race with a 12-1 over 7-2 for a nice $65 return in a 5 horse field and finally Joe Toye did it in the 7th and feature race on Sunday with an 8-1 and 3-1 shot for a pay-out of $63.

Top 10 Trainers by Wins

1 Justin Evans  87  29-8-17  Win 33%  Top 3 62%
2 Jorge Rosales  53  13-6-9  Win 25%  Top 3 53%
3 Blaine Wright  43  12-12-6 Win 28% Top 3 70%
4 Frank Lucarelli  56  9-14-9  Win 16%  Top 3 57%
5 Tom Wenzel  24  8-6-3  Win 33%  Top 3 71%
6 Vince Gibson  55  7-10-8 Win 13%  Top 3 45%
6 Jeff Metz  51  7-10-9  Win 14%  Top 3 51%
8 Steve Bullock  33  6-6-5  Win 18% Top 3 52%
8 Candi Cryderman  52  6-6-8 Win 12% Top 3 38%
8 Luciano Medino Gabriel  29  6-4-5  Win 21%  Top 3 52%
8 Shelly Crowe  11  6-2-2  Win 55%  Top 3 91%
8 Jill Soranno  19  6-3-1  Win 32%  Top 3 53%

Top 5 Trainers by Earnings

1 Justin Evans  $308,650
2 Blaine Wright  $227,310
3 Tom Wenzel  $175,510
4 Frank Lucarelli  $170,680
5 Jorge Rosales  $124,124  

From the Owners Box

One owner tripled this week and he also happened to be the trainer, Luciano Medina Gabriel scored 3 wins and shot up in the owners standings tied for 2nd in wins and 3rd in earnings. Gabriel is taking full advantage of his opportunities with a 6-4-5 mark from 28 starts winning at a 21% clip. He is now just 2 wins behind the leading owner by wins Justin Evans.

The Purple Rose Ranch was the only other multiple winner taking 2, winning the feature on Monday with In the Red and winning on Sunday the opener. Purple Rose now has 3 wins on the year with 7 2nds and 8 shows to move up to #8 in the earnings race. 

The Terra Firma Farm got a win, their 1st of the season with Fun City in the Saturday finale which was also jockey Alex Anaya’s 1st win of the season. Terra Firma then shared a win on Sunday in the feature with Jin Tong and again Anaya. 

Everyone else had single wins and included Shelly Crowe, Randall and Rossi, Gary Hughes and Lucarelli Racing, Bill and Sue Tomasic and Justin Evans, Sergio Perez, Shelby Gold Racing Stable, Alvarez Racing Stable, Michael Radovich, Rancho Viejo and Jerry Carmody, Howard Belvoir, Tim and Jan McCanna, Warlock Stable and Kelly Dougan, Lusk Racing, Little Barn Racing, Mountain View Stable and Rob Gilker, Aaron Bresko, Kent Kunz and Mojo Racing.

George Todaro also got a win, his 4th of the season that put him in a 4 way tie for 5th overall in wins but those wins have been valuable as he moved into 1st place in earnings despite having half as many wins as the 2nd leading earner. 

Top 5 Leading Owners by Wins

1 Justin Evans  25  8-2-4  Win 32%
2 Luciano Medina Gabriel 28  6-4-5  Win 21%
2 Bill and Susan Tomasic and Justin Evans  11  6-1-2  Win 55%
4 John Parker  41  5-4-6  Win 12%
5 George Todaro  10  4-2-1  Win 40%
5 Alvarez Racing Stables  22  4-3-4  Win 18%
5 Stable H. M. A.  12  4-1-3  Win 33%
5 Remmah Racing  11  4-1-2  Win 36%

Top 5 Leading Owners by Earnings

1 George Todaro  $90,610
2 Justin Evans  $89,850
3 Luciano Medina Gabriel $71,180
4 John Parker $67,330
5 Alvarez Racing Stables $64,060

Claims

Monday
3rd Race Zaccheus $2,500 was claimed by Eliana Thompson and Lori Kimmerly and goes to trainer Michael Bullene
4th Race Silent Declaration $2,500 taken by Emil Abrhamson and James Carter for trainer Jill Sorrano
Thirsty Kiss $2,500 goes to trainer Vichien Chattong’s barn for new owner The Property Tax Pros
6th Race Mo Connelly $5,000 was red tagged by Dawn Spillman and goes to trainer Jorge Rosales
8th Race Emerald Sea $10,000 was taken by Aaron Bresko and Mike Hill and goes to trainer Frank Lucarelli
Hollywood Mistress $10,000 is headed to the powerful Blaine Wright barn for new owners Shawn Sudo and Blaine Wright

Sunday
1st Race Confidence Builder $3,500 was claimed by White Diamlnd Syndicate, Gary Crandall and Tom Breyer for new trainer Vince Gibson
Dance Lady $3,500 went to owner/trainer Jesus Garcia
Heart River $3,500 was tagged by owner/trainer Jennifer Nunnally
6th Race Pearl River Delta $15,000 goes to new owners Dave Duke and Ron Sutton and will be trained by Rigoberto Velasquez
8th Race Bikini Nation $5,000 is headed to trainer Dan Markle’s barn for new owner Bruce Cudahy

Saturday
1st Race Bete Rouge $2,500 was tagged by The Property Tax Pros for trainer Vichien Chattong
Purple Night $2,500 was taken by new owner Horseplayers Racing Club and goes to trainer Jeff Metz
2nd Race Daredevil Princess $8,000 was claimed by Richard Larson for trainer Vince Gibson
5th Race Orczy $2,500 was red tagged by new owner Dawn Spillman and goes to Jorge Rosales
Hula King $2,500 was taken by owner/trainer Justin Evans

The Betting Parlor

Monday

The 2 2-1 shots ran that way and Luvahappyending paid $6.80 to win. 2-1 Percy’s Sis ran 2nd and the $1 exacta paid $9, getting 8-1 on the top 2 fav’s in a 6 horse field not bad. In the 2nd race, another 2-1 shot won and the opening $1 daily double paid 9-1 or $10.20. The 2-1 to 7-1 to 7-2 50-cent trifecta returned a decent $27.05. In the 3rd race 9-5 Zaccheus held on for the win and the 2-1 to 2-1 to 9-5 pick 3 paid $17.60 or 34-1 .

In the 4th race the short prices continued to come in with 2nd choice 3-1 Unbridled Tiger winning paying $8.40 coupled with the favorite the $1 exacta was 8-1 at $9.90. But with 2 9-1’s running 3rd and 4th the $1 superfecta paid $205.60 and the 1st 50-cent pick 4 paid $70.20. In the 5th race the favorite parade continued with a 7-5 winner but by just a head over a 24-1 shot. That $1 exacta paid $34.90, a little disappointing in an 11 horse field and a massive longshot running second which paid $17.80 to place. Add the 5-1 3rd and 9-2 4th and the $1 superfecta paid $1,463.10,

The top 3 betting choices came in 1-2-3 which limited the pays including the 2nd 50-cent pick 4 returning just $73.30. The super did pay decently of $18.78 for the dime or $187.80 for the $1. Mister Mafioso at 25-1 ran 2nd and paid $18.20 to place and $8 to show or $26.20 on the $6 combo ticket. The $1 exacta with 2-1 2nd choice to 25-1 paid $52.20 which still feels a little light but can’t get too upset hitting a 51-1 shot. The 2-1 to 25-1 to 8-1 to 1-1 $1 superfecta was also disappointing with a return of $475.

The feature race paid well with 6-1 In the Red paying $14.00 and $24.20 for the $2 w-p-s. The $20 across bet returned $242. The $1 exacta of 6-1 to 4-1 paid $29 or 28-1, the $1 trifecta with 19-1 running 3rd paid $249.60 or 248-1 and the $1 super with the 5-2 2nd choice 4th returned $816.30.

In the finale and get-away race of the week saw the best 50-cent pick 4 of the day paying $382.55, the 50-cent pick 5 paid $928.30. The 20-cent Jackpot Pick 6 paid $909.74 and has an $8,500 carry-over to Friday and the 50-cent Super Hi-5 paid $433.30.

Sunday

Jedi Knight lit up the tote board in the 2nd race after being difficult to load went straight to the lead and never looked back at 12-1. Jedi Knight paid $26.40 on the $2 win. The 7-2 3rd choice ran 2nd while the odds on was 3rd and 5-2 finished 4th. This led to a 64-1 exacta pay-off of $65 a $47.50 50-cent trifecta and the $1 superfecta was $186.50. After a $65 exacta the trifecta and super pay-offs actually disappointing.

2-1 Dad’s Esgtrella won the 3rd and capped off a solid 1st 50-cent pick 3 on the day returning $131.40 or $262.80 for the $1 bet. The $1 daily double also paid handsomely at 84-1 with 12-1 Jedi Knight to 2-1 Dad’s Estrella of $85. In the 4th race Executive Speaker won at 5-1 and paid $12.60 to win while 17-1 Muncey handed out $10 on the $2 place. Combined the $1 exacta I think is disappointing at $58.70 add the 2-1 2nd choice and the 50-cent trifecta paid $143.90 and the 10-cent super $51.68. The 1st pick 4 of the day paid $432.15 and the 2nd pick 3 also solid at $146.70.

The 5th race went to Vorpal at 2-1 to pay $6.60 on the $2 win or $66 for $20 on the nose. In the 6th race 5-2 Reign of Fire paid $7.20 to win and a decent $4 to place and $3 on the show. The 2nd 50-cent pick 4 returned 257.80 which was a string of 2-1, 5-1, 5-1 and 5-2 or 514-1.

Jin Tong closed with a rush to win at 8-1 and paid a hefty $19.60 on the $2 win or $196 on a $20 win. Coupled with a 3-1 shot the $1 exacta was $63 or old school 10th race Longacres style a $5 exacta paid $315. 4-1 was 3rd and the 50-cent trifecta paid $117.20 and the 10-cent superfecta with a 5-1 4th place finish paid $69.07.  Jin Tong also capped off a $163.75 pick 3 and a $45.60 $1 daily double.

There was a new high pay-out for the pick 5 and overall for the 2023 season when 2 tickets had all 5 winners and each collected $11,517.55. This string included the 3rd favorite in the 4th at 5-1, 2-1 2nd choice in the 5th, 5-2 2nd favorite in the 6th, the toughest one was Jin Tong the 8-1 6th choice of an 8 horse field and then the 4th favorite in the finale at 5-1. This pay-off is surprising since the last pick 4 which included the 8-1 feature race winner only paid $718.45. The 20-cent Jackpot Pick 6 you would have thought may have been a single ticket winner but was not but still paid nicely of $1,267.62 and the 50-cent Super Hi-5 paid $307.85.

Saturday

In the 1st race Tyche Awaits You was the 2nd favorite but Purple Night was an overwhelming favorite which led to a decent $8.80 $2 win pay but Purple Night destroyed all the other pays. The $1 exacta did pay 6-1 with the 2nd fav over the odds on. In the 2nd race the 3-1 to 5-2 1st Daily Double of the week paid a decent $27.70 or 26-1. The 50-cent trifecta of 5-2 to 2-1 to 8-1 also was a fair $20.25 or 39-1.

3rd race with Besame Mucho lit up the board a bit paying a nice $18.80 on the $2 win or $34 even on the $6 combo or $340 on the $20 across the board bet. The 1st 50-cent pick 3 paid a solid $127.30 of a 3-1 to 5-2 to 8-1 shot. The 10-cent superfecta returned $39.94 and the $1 super paid $399.40. In the 4th race the 1-1 favorite Nan Elizabeth dominated and capped off the 1st 50-cent pick 4 to pay $310.05. The 8-1 to 1-1 daily double paid a decent 23-1 of $24.70.

The Medina-Ortiz daily double didn’t fool many but the 1-1 to 8-5 DD hit did get you 7-1 with a return of $8.20. It would have been a little more but a late scratch siphoned off $2.10 for a consolation DD pay-out. The 6th race paid out the 2nd pick 4 of the day and paid just $58.30. The 7-2 2nd favorite Famous Rock Star did pay a decent $4 to place and $3.20 to show with 1-1 Foster Boi winning.

In the feature race, Shelby Gold paid 7-2 or $9 on the $2 win, the 7-2 to 9-5 to 8-1 50-cent trifecta paid $31.80 and add the 2-1 2nd choice 4th and the $1 superfecta paid $204.20.

Wrapping up the 1st Saturday night of racing was not much as far as pay-outs the pick 5 paid $67, the last pick 4 $33, the Jackpot 20-cent pick 6 $386.62 and the Super Hi-5 $151.35. The 50-cent trifecta paid well of $70.80 and the $1 superfecta returned $298.90.

www.elisportsnetwork.com