8/25/2023
(Auburn, WA) The final Friday night of racing featured 7 races with a total of 45 starters for a 6.4 per race. The total handle for the night was $698,536 for a per race average of $99,790. 3 of 7 betting favorites won on Friday night. There were 2 odds-on and they split with 1 winning and the other off the board. There were also a pair of 7-1 shots who won.
The Betting Window
In the 1st race the lone odds-on won of Whatwasithinking at 3-5 paying $3.40. A 5-1 and 13-1 and 7-2 followed and combined for a $60.90 $1 superfecta. Luis Negron was the winning rider and he came right back with first of 2 7-1 shots in the 2nd on Warren’s Memorable. The $1 Negron DD paid $12 or 11-1. The 2 favorites of 6-5 and 5-2 were 2nd and 3rd but a 17-1 4th place finisher boosted the $1 superfecta to $259.60. The 2 favorites did hit Warren’s Memorable across the board bet as he paid $16 to win but just $4.60 to place and $2.80 to show.
In the 3rd race the second 7-1 shot, nearly 8-1 Antecedence won paying $17.60 but also had her place and show cut into with the 9-5 2nd choice and favorite at 7-5 running 2nd and 3rd and she paid $6.40 and $4.80 for a $28.80 combo ticket. Antecedence also capped the 1st pick 3 of odds-on to a pair of 7-1’s paying $62.40 the $1 daily double of 7-1 to 7-1 returned $135.70. The 4th race saw the 3-1 2nd favorite win Moonlightnwine by a nose 0ver the 2-1 top pick. A 20-1 shot was 3rd followed by a 7-1. The 1st pick 4 paid $406.40, the 2nd pick 3 of 7-1 to 7-1 to 3-1 was good for $110.90, the 7-1 to 3-1 daily double was $45.50. The 50-cent trifecta returned $39.95.
2-1 favorite Shemakescents win the 5th with a 5-1 2nd, 22-1 3rd and the 2nd 2-1 shot 4th. The second 50-cent pick 4 of the day was a whopping $1,448.60 and the 50-cent pick 3 was $87.65. The old-school $3 pick 3 paid $525.90. In the feature race the 8-5 favorite The Calabrese Kid got the win followed by a 12-1 shot, 7-1 and 7-2 of a 7 horse field. The $1 exacta paid 22-1 or 423.50, the 50-cent tri was $59.75 and the $1 superfecta returned $423.20.
In the finale the odds-on favorite got away slow and never recovered and benny the Jet the 3-1 2nd choice got up in the final strides to deny 23-1 Proud Lion from pulling off the big upset. 12-1 was 3rd and 18-1 4th and the 1-2 shot was 5th for the Super Hi-5. Somkeone had that 50-cent pentafecta returning $2,049.85. Proud Lion paid $26.40 on the $2 place and $10.40 to show. The $1 exacta paid $71, the $1 trifecta $331.60 the $1 super $1,646.50. The 50-cent pick 5 $$1,141.60 and 5 of 6 paid in the 20-cent Jackpot pick 6 $193.52 with $3,371 carrying over to Saturday.
The Jockeys
Luis Negron made a statement winning the 1st 2 races and making sure the battle for the jockey title is not over with Alex Cruz. Cruz is seeking to become the 1st jockey ever in state history to win 4 straight riding titles and got one of those wins back by taking the finale. Cruz now leads Negron 55-51. Silvio Amador also doubled winning the 5th and then the feature race and is sitting in 4th place with 39 wins 4 behind 3rd place Kevin Radke with 43.
Carlos Montalvo continues his consistency with a win for his 30th of the season in 5th place and Kevin Orozco got #16 for the season. Orozco had 4 rides and was the only one with a win and also finished in the top 4 100%.
The Trainers
Leading conditioner Justin Evans had hit a slump after a blazing red hot start to the season but got a win in the 1st race to push his leading total to 38. A pair of trainers doubled including Jorge Rosales who won started 4 and finished with 2 wins and 2 shows. Rosales moves into 2nd place with 27 wins 1 better than Blaine Wright but Wright leads in money earned with 476k.
Veteran Vince Gibson also got 2 wins on the night taking the 2nd and 4th going 2 for 2. Gibson now has a 14-17-12 season record and tied for 6th in the trainer standings. Also picking up wins were Debbie Peery in the 5th race for her 7th of the season and Hilario Perez won the feature race and was his 8th win of the year.
The Owners
7 different owners got to the Winner’s Circle Friday night and were led off by leading owner Justin Evans with his 15th win over Luciano Medina Gabriel with 13. Defending owner Champion John Parker sits in 3rd with 11.
Other winning owners on Friday night included Joe Abrahamson who won the feature race with The Calabrese Kid for his 2nd win on the year. Dawn Spillman took the final race and was her 5th win on the year. Meantime, 4 owners all got their 1st wins of the season. Remember these ownerships are exactly as follows some may be partners with others so each combination of owners is their own. White Diamond Syndicate took the 2nd, Lynn Hebdon won the 3rd race, Scott Stewart and Jim Leslie won the 4th and Harris Farms took the 5th.
6th Feature Race “The Muckleshoot Casino Purse”
The field of 6 went 6 1/2-furlongs and when starter Mark Gibson pressed the button no one really wanted the lead and 5 lined up across the track. 7-2 Stand To with Isaias Enriquez begrudgingly took the lead at the quarter in a time of 22.34. Stand To with You Split Tens and 33-1 Western Rule then separated themselves from the pack while the 8-5 Calabrese Kid with Silvio Amador settled into 4th just behind the leaders.
At the quarter pole 33-1 Western Rule gave everyone a thrill by taking the lead but could only hold it to just inside the 1/8th pole when he was engulfed by The Calabrese Kid as Amador released the brake and slungshot off the turn to the lead and went on to win in a time of 1:17.06. Closers behind also made up ground with 12-1 Spire and Carlos Montalvo finding their way up the rail and further back was Mahi Mahi with Kevin Orozco to get 3rd at 7-1. Stand To held on for 4th.
The Calabrese Kid ran the 6 1/2 in 1:17.06 and races for Joe Abrahamson and trained by Hilario Perez. It was Amador’s 2nd win on the night. The Calabrese Kid is now 5-7-2 from 25 lifetime starts. The Calabrese Kid earned $7,540 and now has lifetime earnings of $66,540.
The Calabrese Kid wins the Final Friday Night Feature Race
1st Race
Last week’s racing started off with a 30-1 shot and the 2nd highest $2 win pay-out for the season. Complete opposite this week as Luis Negron didn’t take any chances and went straight to the lead with the 3-5 odds-on choice WhatwasIthinking in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint. The duo ran the quarter in 22.14, the half in 45.21 and stopped the clock in 1:03.83 with a 4 length easy win. 5-1 Bob’s Sniper and Isaias Enriquez closed well for 2nd while Miley’s Bluecat and Alex Cruz at 13-1 settled for 3rd and 7-2 Clayton Delaney with Alexis Valdes completed the superfecta. The leading owner and trainer is off to a great start this week as well, Justin Evans extended both leads by 11 in the trainer standings and 2 in the owner’s race.
2nd Race
6 went to the gate for the 1-mile run. We warned you that Luis Negron is due to explode and he is off to a fast start this week with a brilliant ride from off the pace with 7-1 Warren’s Memorable. Negron allowed the favorite Munnings Tale and Alexis Valdes to got to the front with 4-1 Dontforgetthesugar. But Negron didn’t believe they were going fast enough and he was right with the quarter in 23.91 and the 1/2 mile in a pedestrian 48.25. Negron nudged Warren near the half mile pole and engaged Munnings Tale at the top of the stretch. By the 1/8th pole Warren’s Memorable grabbed the lead and held off a game Munnings Tale by a 1/2 length in a time of 1:40.37. Cocoa Cents and Alex Cruz gave up 3rd but came back to get it in a strong effort and Jacana with Alex Anaya ran 4th. Warren’s Memorable races for White Diamond Syndicate and trained by Vince Gibson.
3rd Race
Jockey Kevin Orozco was shut out last week and wasted little time in getting back in the Winners Circle this week with a perfectly timed ride on 7-1 Antecedence. Orozco sat off the pace while 2nd choice Red Nova at 9-5 with Carlos Montalvo got 1st run on the 6-5 fav Danielle’s secret with Alex Cruz. Antecedence poked her nose in front of Nova at the 16th pole and pulled away for a clear win. Danielle’s Secret held 3rd over a fast closing Laker Jet and Silvio Amador at 20-1. Antecedence ran the 6-furlongs in 1:11.13 and races for Lynn Hebdon and trained by Jorge Rosales. Rosales also trained 3rd place Danielle’s Secret.
4th Race
Moonlightnwine broke from the 1 hole at 3-1 with Carlos Montalvo and Carlos wanted to get off the rail. So he let Contejas with Silvio Amador battle it out on the front end with Theuntouchableone and Isaias Enriquez. Theuntouchableone would wear down Contejas and take the lead inside the 1/8th pole but Montalvo and Moonlightnwine had gotten their momentum rolling and split horses then came up inside Theuntouchableone when they put Contejas away and got the nose victory in the final strides of the 6-furlong dash in a time of 1:11.26. The Third Ring closed well to get 3rd with Neptali Ortiz and Contejas was 4th. Trainer Vince Gibson got his 2nd win on the night and owners Scott Stewart and Jim Leslie got their picture taken.
5th Race
Silvio Amador measured this race just right sitting 5th early with the 2-1 favorite by a couple hundred bucks on Shemakescents staying in the middle of track and ran down Flyin By at 5-1 to deny Luis Negron his 3rd win on the night. Flyin By got 1st run on the early speed but could not hold off Shemakescents inside the 16th pole. LaFonda at 22-1 ran on for 3rd and the other 2-1 Ms Lynn closed late for 4th with Kevin Orozco. Shemakescents ran the 6-furlongs in 1:11.90 and had plenty of pace to run at with the 1/4 in 21.94 and the half in 45.79. The 4-year-old filly races for Harris Farms and trained by Debbie Peery.
7th Race
The battle for the jockey title saw Luis Negron get 2 early and pull within 3 of Alex Cruz. Cruz would not be shut out by getting 3-1 Benny the Jet up in the final 25 yards to thwart the upset minded Proud Lion with Kevin Radke at 23-1. 1-2 State of the Union with Silvio Amador broke slowly and could never recover but did finish 5th to cap off the Super Hi-5. 12-1 RB Eye and Jennifer Whitaker got up for 3rd while 18-1 Freestone and Kevin Orozco was 4th. Benny the Jet ran the 1-mile and 70 yards in 1:43.27 and races for Dawn Spillman and trained by Jorge Rosales who got his 2nd win of the night.
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