6/1/2025
(Auburn, Wa) The last 2-day week wrapped up on Sunday with next Friday the 1st Friday night of summer racing. Fans attending on the 1st Friday will get a free T-Shirt which gets you free admission to all Friday nights for the 2025 season.
The Numbers
This weekend was one of those weekends with many horses kind of in that in-between races pattern and the number per start dropped to 6.1 per race. A total of 104 horses ran over the 2 days and 17 total races. There were more 5 horses fields this weekend than all season. There were 10 scratched this weekend which had they run would have pushed the per race average to 6.7.
However, the 1st Friday card has been drawn along with Saturday races. Friday has 56 entries for 7 races for an average of 8 starters per race. It’s better for Saturday with 65 entered for an average of 8.1 for a total of 15 races withg 121 entries averaging just a little more than 8 per race. So this last weekend was more of horses between races and likely some of the shippers coming in still not quite ready.
This didn’t deter the bettors too much, but betting was down from the nearly 5 million over Memorial Day weekend. For Grandparents weekend a total of $2,446,098 was wagered averaging 144k per race. Going to 3 days and the number of entries already in for next weekend, I won’t be surprised to see it back up over 4-million. We’ll be doing a stats comparison from this year to last over the next week and do so through the season.
1,000!
Jockey Alex Cruz who won his 1,000th career race in the second race on Willing to Burn. Cruz began riding at Emerald Downs in 2020 and has won 5 straight riding titles, a state record. Willing to Burn is trained by Charlie Essex and he couldn’t have been a more perfect trainer to get his 1,000th. Essex was the trainer of Cruz’s 900th win and bred, owned and trained Cruz’s top horse of his career in Blazingbellablu. We’ll have more on Alex’s road to 1,000 wins coming next week.
Joe Withee interviews Alex Cruz after winning #1,000
Grandpa down!
It was also Grandparents Weekend with the “world famous” Grandparents race. Emerald’s Vince Bruun has the re-cap for us: More than 30 Grandmas and Grandpas took to the Emerald Down dirt oval and decided to contest the 50 yard distance after breaking through the starting gate. Dwight “Ernie” Hutchinson of Snohomish was a very narrow winner of the Grandpas and Melissa Barnes of Kent checked in first of the Grandpas that competed.
There were two runners that did go down. A couple of runners eating dirt has become a tradition of the grandparents race and two made sure the tradition continued.
Track announcer Tom Harris participated in the race this year and didn’t go down. Harris broke slowly and wilted is what we believe the official equibase chart called of his performance. But Harris, who like most racing journalists will never be mistaken for a jockey, came through with his promise to participate this year and he did just that, great work Tom!
Grandparents Race
She’s Back!
On the race track trainer Tom Wenzel rolled out his other big gun of the meet in Aloha Breeze. Breeze was the top older filly or mare for the season last year. Wenzel already has his big guy, Slew’s Tiz Whiz cranked and ready to go with a big win earlier this season so the Wenzel barn is ready to keep firing at the top level and will be the target once again.
Let’s get to Sunday’s re-caps and prices.
4th Race Feature Race “The Chuck and Mary Duren Purse”
A field of 5 older fillies and mares went 6 furlongs and 2-5 odds-on favorite Aloha Breeze did what she does going straight to the front end quickly clearing the field by a length while going a modest 22.49 for the first quarter. Regular rider Carlos Montalvo kept after her but let here settle into stride and was able to get the 1/2 mile in 44.62.
5-1 Chai and Isaias Enriquez chased from the start and made a move at the quarter pole and looked like she might make a race of this but Montalvo and Aloha Breeze had this one measured from the start holding Chai off by nearly 2 lengths at the finish line in a final time of 1:09-flat.
This race was a classic boat race with Aloha Breeze breaking 1st and going gate to wire, Chai ran 2nd every step of the way, Breeze’s stablemate LaPush with Julien Couton ran 3rd from start to finish. Daffodil Sweet with Javier Matias did break 4th but on the 2nd call Lets Declare Peace and Manny Americano took over 4th and they finished in that order.
Aloha Breeze is owned by George Todaro and trained by Tom Wenzel. Aloha Breeze earned $14,820 for the win to push her career totals to a 10-2-1 record from 15 lifetime starts for 67% win rate and 87% top 3 finish. In her other 2 starts she was 4th with her worst career finish 7th so her lifetime top 4 placing rate is 93%.
Aloha Breeze is likely pointed toward the $50,000 Hasting’s Stakes on June 20.
Pay-Outs
4 Aloha Breeze (Montalvo) $2.98 $2.12 $2.10
1 Chai (Enriquez) $3.56 $2.40
3 LaPush (Couton) $3.06
$1 Ex 4-1 $4.07
$1 Tri 4-1-3 $12.46
$1 Super 4-1-3-2 $27.10
$1 DD 5-4 $11.73
50-cent Pick (3) 1/6-5-4 $12.82
50-cent Pick (4) 1/6-1/6-5-4 $27.16
Race Replay
1st Race
Front speed was where you wanted to be on Saturday and it didn’t let up on Sunday as Artemus Gordon with Kevin Krigger went straight to the lead and never surrendered winning by 1 3/4 lengths in the 6-furlong sprint in a final time of 1:09.84. The 8-5 favorite is owned by Lusk Racing and Alexis Silva-Martinez and trained by Silva-Martinez.
2-1 second choice Westphal with Carlos Montalvo ran on well to be a clear 2nd, El Berrinches at 3-1 and Silvio Amador took 3rd while 5-2 Rocket Ribbon and Alex Cruz completed the superfecta.
Pay-Outs
6 Artemus Gordon (Krigger) $5.30 $3.06 $2.32
3 Westphal (Montalvo) $3.42 $2.32
5 El Berrinches (Amador) $2.46
$1 Ex 6-3 $6.81
$1 Tri 6-3-5 $11.26
$1 Super 6-3-5-4 $29.70
Race Replay
2nd Race
Alex Cruz got his 1,000 win aboard Willing to Burn the 4-5 favorite by going to the lead in this 1-mile and 70 yard run. Cruz and Burn set reasonable fractions of 23.14, 47.06 and 1:11.57 for 6-furlongs leaving plenty for the stretch run holding off all-comers with a 1 length advantage in a final time of 1:41.20. Willing to Burn races for Sharon Thompson and trained by Charles Essex.
5-2 Gold Coast Girl with Manny Americano was a clear 2nd by 5 lengths with 9-1 Vhagar running on for 3rd and 6-1 Austin City Girl with Ronald Richard to get 4th.
Pay-Outs
1 Willing to Burn (Cruz) $3.68 $2.40 $2.14
3 Gold Coast Girl (Americano) $2.76 $2.10
4 Vhagar (Krigger) $2.72
$1 Ex 1-3 $3.51
$1 Tri 1-3-4 $10.66
$1 Super 1-3-4-2 $20.40
$1 DD 6-1 $7.87
Race Replay
3rd Race
The field of 5 lined up in the 3rd race and this time speed was not what you wanted in this 5 1/2-furlong run. 7-2 Tiz’s Harbor and David Haldar turned the tables breaking last while a brisk 21.93 began the sprint. Haldar and Tiz’s were still 4th at the top of the stretch when he unleashed the 3-year-old colt and they swept over the top of the field to win by a head over odds on choice at 2-5 He’s Not Talking and Juan Gutierrez by a head. Tiz’s Harbor is owned by Susan Hunter and trained by Isidro Tamayo and stopped the clock in 1:03.58.
10-1 Da Smoke held on for 3rd while 26-1 Checkered Flag and Kevin Orozco completed the top 4 finish.
Pay-Outs
5 Tiz’s Harbor (Haldar) $9.28 $2.62 $2.38
2 He’s Not Talking (Gutierrez) $2.10 $2.10
4 Da Smoke (Alvarado) $2.94
$1 Ex 5-2 $6.68
$1 Tri 5-2-4 $18.28
$1 Super 5-2-4-3 $49.70
$1 DD 1-5 $26.10
50-cent Pick (3) 1/6-1/6-5 $22.84
Race Replay
5th Race
6 maiden 3-year-olds went 5 1/2-furlongs and the switch from front speed to off the pace was on as 3-5 Golden Serenade and Manny Americano rolled to an off the pace win to get up in the final 50 yards. 9-2 Fly By John and Carlos Montalvo came from further back and nearly caught the winner but settled for 2nd. 8-1 Lucky’s Sniper and Francisco Monroy was the early speed and held well for 3rd while 3-1 Gran Senor Del Oro and Kevin Krigger finshed 4th.
Golden Serenade is owned by Jeff Plotkin and Austin Evans and trained by Justin Evans.
Pay-Outs
3 Golden Serenade (Americano) $3.28 $2.56 $3.92
6 Fly by John (Montalvo) $3.70 $3.02
5 Lucky’s Sniper (Monroy) $3.92
$1 Ex 3-6 $5.19
$1 Tri 3-6-5 $20.26
$1 Super 3-6-5-1 $32.60
$1 DD 4-3 $3.22
50-cent Pick (3) 5-4-3 $13.88
Race Replay
6th Race
The older fillies and mares runners went 6-furlongs in the 6th and 7-5 betting choice Lusma with Manny Americano broke well stalking the front speed of Hidden Tiger. Turning for home Americano got first jump on the rest of the field and pushed Lusma’s button to take a clear lead at the top of the stretch and had enough to hold off 2nd choice Sapello La Fina and Francisco Monroy for the 1/2-length victory. Hector Ramiro Preciado owns Lusma and the filly is trained by Serjio Garcia.
4-1 Bango’s Heat and Alex Cruz ran on to be 3rd with 14-1 Topper’s Chieftess with Pablo Castillo taking 4th.
Pay-Outs
6 Lusma (Americano) $4.92 $3.08 $2.44
4 Sapello La Fina (Monroy) $3.04 $2.46
5 Bango’s Heat (Cruz) $2.38
$1 Ex 6-4 $6.32
$1 Tri 6-4-5 $11.04
$1 Super 6-4-5-2 $30.40
$1 DD 3-6 $5.39
50-cent Pick (3) 4-3-6 $6.13
50-cent Pick (4) 5-4-3-6 $29.63
Race Replay
7th Race
Jockey David Haldar scored his 2nd win of the day with a perfect ride sitting 4th early with 6-1 Roy Hobbs in the 5 1/2-furlong dash. 6-5 favorite Blazing Peme and Manny Americano had taken the lead on the turn but could not resist Roy Hobbs who Haldar angled off the rail to the outside for the stretch run and ran down Blazing Peme by a neck in a final time of 1:03.01. Roy Hobbs comes from the Jorge Maravilla barn for owner Irma Esmiralda Angel. 2-1 It’s Turbo and Kevin Krigger ran 3rd with 9-1 J C’s A Legend closing late for 4th with Kiaman McGregor up.
Pay-Outs
2 Roy Hobbs (Haldar) $14.30 $5.94 $3.04
1 Blazing Peme (Americano) $3.40 $2.42
6 It’s Turbo (Krigger) $2.20
$1 Ex 2-1 $24.32
$1 Tri 2-1-6 $64.22
$1 Super 2-1-6-3 $120.50
$1 DD 6-2 $21.42
50-cent Pick (3) 3-6-2 $19.46
Race Replay
8th Race
It took some time but veteran rider Frank Alvarado who joined the Emerald jock’s room after being in Northern California for years got his first win of the season with a perfectly timed last to first move in a 1-mile run on 7-1 Veritas Aequitas. Alvarado was trailing the field but got the jump on favorite Bearings with Alex Cruz on the turn and roared by the entire field winning going away by more than a length in a time of 1:36.39. Veritas Aequitas races for Terrence Mann and Dan Markle and trained by Markle giving him his first win of the season.
Bearings did close well but had to settle for 2nd. 13-1 Owhatarush and Kevin Krigger was the early pace but held on well to be 3rd and 21-1 Elegant Boy and Francisco Monroy ran an even 4th.
Pay-Outs
6 Veritas Aequitas (Alvarado) $17.04 $4.84 $3.58
2 Bearings (Cruz) $2.32 $2.10
3 Owhatarush (Krigger) $3.84
$1 Ex 6-2 $25.34
$1 Tri 6-2-3 $126.34
$1 Super 6-2-3-1 $471.70
$1 DD 2-6 $98.67
50-cent Pick (3) 6-2-6 $181.69
Race Replay
9th Race
In the finale, Manny Americano picked up his 3rd win of the day withj 9-5 Jacob Yen. Americano sat in mid-pack for the first 4 furlongs and then began to move and close in on the tiring speed taking the lead in midstretch. Jacob and Manny then had to hold off 20-1 Asphalt Andy and Carlos Montalvo who closed with a rush to miss by just a head at the wire. Jacob Yen had a final time of 1:04.80. Jacob Yen races for Joseph Schumer and trained by Tena Birdwell. Jacob is a Washington bred by Raised a Secret out of Sweet Swinging by Swing and Miss and was bred by Charles Peterson and Ron Hagen.
29-1 Galloping Major with Kiaman McGregor ran a solid 3rd with favorite Don’t Have Another and Alex Cruz 4th and completing the Super High 5 was 2-1 Sir Lucas and Kevin Krigger.
Pay-Outs
4 Jacob Yen (Americano) $5.74 $2.76 $2.42
3 Asphalt Andy (Montalvo) $11.84 $7.88
5 Galloping Major (McGregor) $5.76
$1 Ex 4-3 27.98
$1 Tri 4-3-5 $236.68
$1 Super 4-3-5-7 $673.00
50-cent Super High Five 4-3-5-7-1 $2,023.47
$1 DD 6-4 $39.34
50-cent Pick (3) 2-6-4 $153.31
50-cent Pick (4) 6-2-6-4 $621.84
50-cent Pick (5) 3-6-2-6-4 $1,074.32
20-cent Pick (6) 4-3-6-2-6-4 $267.70 Carryover $3,818
Race Replay
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