7/15/2023

If you had been around racing in the Northwest for the past 50+ years no doubt you know him well or have heard of Victor “The Predictor” Cozetti. Vic was one of the most colorful racing fans and racing media icon the NW has ever seen from his daily picks and columns in the former Kent newspaper to his weekly radio and finally in his final years of work as an on-track handicapper at Emerald Downs. Cozetti was also known for his development of syndicates with his famous Susan Kaye Stables and owned or was part owner of many horses over his career.

Saturday had 7 races with a total of 42 horses for an average 0f 6 per race, the exact same as Friday night’s card. There was a carry-over in the 20-cent Jackpot pick 6 and 1 lucky or skilled ticket holder cashed it all out for more than $6,000. The 50-cent pick 5 had paid more than 3k for 4 straight days but did not on Saturday, however did return a healthy $1,364 now paying more than $1,000 5 straight days. The total handle was a dollar short of 863k.

Jockey’s Race

The jockey race is heating up as Luis Negron’s 6 race lead over 3 time defending champion Alex Cruz is now down to 4 after Cruz swept the opening daily double on Saturday. There was another DQ on Saturday in the finale which benefitted Kevin Radke as he was promoted to his 2nd win of the day after taking “The Predictor” feature race. 2-year-old filly She’s a Kraken won in her career debut with an impressive 5 1/2-length win with Alexis Valdes riding. Jose Zunino snapped a dry spell with a tight win on Tribal Impact at 9-1 which certainly helped the lone pick-6 ticket winner and Silvio Amador scored on Executive Chef the former Stakes winner’s 1st win of the season with a tight head-bob win over Peso.

Favorites show signs of life

Favorites have been taking a beating over the past couple of weeks after a near 50% win rate early inn the season. The drought was highlighted last week with only 2 of 25 winning or just 8% for all 3 days. Although not close to the 50% clip earlier, there were 2 favorites that won on Friday night and 3 more on Saturday for 5 of the 14 races or 36% which is more in line historically across the sport.

However, there were 7 odds-on (less than 1-1 or overwhelming favorites) over Friday and Saturday and only 1 of those won a race and it was Executive Chef on Saturday doing it by a nose. 

3rd Race Feature Race “The Predictor Memorial”

After a late scratch of the 4-5 morning line favorite Midnight Mojo left a compact but well matched field of 4 to battle the 1-mile distance of “The Predictor Memorial” race. Table Bay with Silvio Amador went off as the 3-5 odds-on favorite and went to the lead and set a rather moderate pace but by the far turn Table Bay simply didn’t have it on this day and would fade to finish 4th.

Meantime, 5-2 slight 2nd choice Deshambeau with Kevin Radke was ready to pounce the moment Table Bay began to falter. Radke had been sitting close just off the front speed and opened up Deshambeau approaching the quarter pole and simply left everyone behind blitzing the small field for an easy 6 1/4 length win. Deshambeau ran the 1-mile in 1:34.77. Deshambeau races for owner Mike Hill and is trained by Frank Lucarelli. Lucarelli struggled getting wins early in the season and now all those 2nd and 3rd place finishes are turning into wins as he has become red hot over the past 3-4 weeks.

Alex Cruz was on the 3rd choice just a few dollars behind Deshambeau with 5-2 Kahala. The deep closer did not get the fractions the connections were hoping for to run at but closed from well back to get 14-1 longshot Rhodesia and Luis Negron on the wire for 2nd place.

Deshambeau picked up the $13,920 winners share of the purse to push the 3-year-old’s career earnings to $45,010 and now has 2 wins from just 7 lifetime starts.

With only 4 horses there was no show betting and the 2 5-2 shots paid well in the straight bets with Deshambeau paying $7 to win and $3.40 to place and Kahala the other 5-2 runner paid $3.80 to place. The $1 exacta of the 5-2’s paid $10.80 or 4-1. The 1st pick 3 with 2 favorites winning the opening 2 races and this 5-2 paid a pretty good $19.45. A $5 pick 3 of connecting the 2 favorites in the 1st and 2nd to the field in the 3rd race would have cost $20 and the return would have been $194.50.

Special Video Presentation on Vic Cozetti

DeShambeau and Kevin Radke win “The Predictor Memorial”

Saturday’s Races

1st Race
A field of 5 went the mile and 9-5 favorite Heart River with Alex Cruz sat just off the pace of 2nd choice Party Police and Kevin Radke to the top of the stretch swung out 3 wide and rolled to a clear victory. Party Police held on for 2nd by a neck over 3-1 Tyche Awaits You with 9-2 Jacana running 4th. Heart River is owned and trained by Jennifer Nunnally and ran the mile in 1:37.18. The top 3 riders finished 1-2-3 and the 50-cent trifecta paid $9.55.

2nd Race
Alex Cruz completed the 1st daily double of the night with a front running ride on Socal Red. The 3-2 favorite went to the lead in the new and fairly rare 1-mile and 70 yards race. Socal Red set moderate fractions and by the halfway point the race was over as 4-year-old gelding extended his lead to nearly 3 lengths at the finish line in a time of 1:40.95. Socal Red races for Lusk Racing and is trained by Vince Gibson. Running 2nd was 8-5 Regulation Dazed and Luis Negron, 3rd went to 5-2 Forty Smooches and Kevin Orozco and capping the superfecta was 6-1 Warrior’s Hero with Rigo Sarmiento. The Cruz to Cruz double paid 6-1 or $7.80.

4th Race

7 2-year-old fillies lined up in a maiden special weight with 6 of the 7 as 1st time starters. The lack of information with all the 1st timers got the public this time with 5-1 She’s a Kraken with Alexis Valdes went to the lead in the 5-furlong dash and simply dominated winning by 5 1/2 lengths in a time of 58.09. The race ended up in an old fashioned boat race with a clear 2nd going to Far Far Away and Kevin Orozco as the 2-1 favorite. 3rd was also clear for the only horse to have ever raced in 7-2 Rockit a Day with Silvio Amador and taking a clear 4th was 31-1 Madame President and Alex Anaya. The winner is owned by Kraken Equine Associates and trained by Kay Cooper. She’s a Kraken is a Washington bred by Nationhood out of Deja Views by Forest Camp and was bred by Mr and Mrs Frederick Pabst. She’s a Kraken capped of the 1st 50-cent pick 4 of the day paying a pretty decent $124.35.

5th Race
The longest shot of the day went to now triple winner Tribal Impact with Jose Zunino. The betting crowd did not believe Tribal Impact could go 3 for 3 and let the 6-year-old gelding go off at 9-1. Zunino had him next to last in the early going of the 6 1/2-furlong run and allowed the front speed to duel it out and by the top of the stretch was 4th about a 1/2 length behind the front 3 who were all heads apart. 5-2 Frank’s Fix It with Alex Cruz separated from the other 2 but that allowed Zunino to split rivals and engage Frank to get up by a head for the win. Only Dirt Road Red has more wins than Tribal Impact does this season with 4. 6-1 Candied Lute ran 3rd with Kevin Orozco and Famous Rock Star at 7-1 rounded out the top 4. Tribal Impact stopped the clock in 1:15.95 and is owned and trained by Jesus Garcia and paid $20.80 on the $2 win or $208.00 on the $20 on the nose bet. The 2nd pick 4 paid $297.10 while the 10-cent superfecta returned $109.10 or $1,091 on the $1 bet.

6th Race
3-5 favorite, the only one of 7 odds on favorite to win over Friday and Saturday, Executive Chef just got in time to nose out 6-1 Peso on the wire. The perfectly timed ride for Silvio Amador got the former stakes winner his 1st win of 2023 running the 6-furlongs in a swift 1:08.35 for owners John and Janene Maryanski for trainer Blaine Wright. 8-1 Firewalker ran a very credible 3rd at nearly 9-1 for Alexis Valdes while Beau Mischief and Kevin Orozco took 4th. The low take-out of 10% pick 3’s continued to pay well this one a tick short of $100 at $99.40 and with the odds-on choice winning the 3rd leg.

Executive Chef gets up for the win

7th Race
In the finale all was going well until the stretch run as odds-on choice Let George Do It with Neptali Ortiz had the lead turning for home and to his outside came Mr Bugs at 3-1 with Jose Ruiz looking for his 2nd win in just 5 rides this season. Along the inside perennial 2nd placer Teachersbugsaroo with Kevin Radke. As the trio came down the stretch Mr Bugs suddenly came down to his left forcing Let George Do It to steady for a moment and then went on to win by 2 3/4-lengths. Teacherbugsaroo held on for 2nd by a neck over Let George Do It while 28-1 Crawkingbacktoyou with Rigo Sarmiento ran 4th and finishing off the 50-cent super Hi-5 26-1 Our Hy Roller with Alex Anaya.

The Inquiry sign was lit by the stewards and they disqualified Mr Bugs despite the clear win and placed him 3rd behind Let George Do It and instead of getting his 5th straight place finish Teacherbugsaroo was promoted to 1st for the win. The stewards ruled that the interference between the 2 horses was enough to cost Let George Do It 2nd place. Whether the stewards believed it cost them a chance at the win was not relevant. The difference between 2nd and 3rd place in purse money for this race was about $700. 

Teacherbugsaroo finally got his 1st win regardless of how it was done for owners Marilyn and Tom Hughes trained by Nick Lowe. Lowe get’s his 1st win of the year and now has a 1-4-0 from 7 starts and yep, Teachersbugsaroo ran 2nd 4 straight times and now got his win.

The big pays of the day were completed with this final result with 1 winner raking in the $6,806.74 Jackpot of the 20-cent Pick 6. The 5-cent pick 5 paid more than $1,000 for the 5th consecutive race day of $1,364, the final pick 4 paid $400.25.

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