6/6/2025
(Auburn, WA) The first Friday night of racing featured half price admission and half price specials at the concession stands. Fans also got a free T-Shirt that if they wear it on any of the remaining Friday nights they get free admission. The concession specials will be in effect on all Friday nights.
Horseshoe Contest
The return of the $1,000 horseshoe toss is back on Friday nights. 3 lucky contestants are drawn to take their shot at throwing a ringer and win $1,000. The last time anyone has thrown a ringer was almost exactly 1 year ago today. On June 7, 2024, track Bugler, Dan Harrington tossed a ringer!
Harrington did not win the $1,000 as he was the guest “celebrity” thrower. Emerald Downs has a guest many times someone employed by the track or other high profile visitors to toss the 1st horse shoe to give the 3 contestants a look at how to do it, how hard to throw it an idea if the horse shoe will bounce. Harrington lined it up and nailed the toss.
In the first toss of the year the first two throwers were well off leaving a wide open chance for contrestant #3. Identified as Corey from Lakewood made a heck of a go at it and was clearly the closest but did not get the elusive ringer. For his effort he did win $100, not bad for tossing 1 horseshoe. The contest will be run every Friday night.
No Joe Withee
Joe Withee the track’s Director of Publicity, is well known for his daily handicapping between races, his interviews from the winners circle and paddock, he used to host a nightly replay show on local television, his KJR weekend radio show from the quarterchute cafe and many other broadcasts and events.
Joe was not at his usual place on his stage at track level Friday night as he was out due to not feeling well. So track president Phil Ziegler stepped in at the last second to fill in for Joe and set up each race from the paddock and did his own handicapping to help fans sort out their betting decisions.
Track announcer Tom Harris had Joe’s picks and continued to make his and Joe’s selections just prior to the horses going into the gate. The Ziegler-Harris duo did a great job filling in for an icon. Joe will be day-to-day but if he misses more days, Ziegler and Harris showed they can step in and cover for everybody’s friend at the track. Get well quickly Joe!
Two Streaks continued
Jockey’s Kevin Krigger and Manny Americano both extended their win streaks on consecutive days. Krigger now has won at least one race for 8 conecutive days, breaking the early season streak of 7 days set by Kevin Orozco. Americano is 1 day behind with wins on 7 straight days.
Double wins and no Double wins
Leading rider Kevin Krigger and 5 time defending jockey champ Alex Cruz both doubled on Friday night. Cruz won the 2nd race on Smilingatthemoon and the feature race on Fifty Cinco. Krigger extended his lead in the jockey standings to 3 over Manny Americano who had 1 win Friday night. Both Cruz and Kevin Orozco reached double digit wins on Friday night.
Currently, Krigger leads with 20 wins, Americano has 17, Cruz with 11 and Orozco has 10.
For the 3rd consecutive day no trainer doubled up. Frank Lucarelli was the last trainer to win more than 1 race on a card back on Memorial Day.
Trainer Tim McCanna did get a win and gave him a 1 win lead in the trainer standings. McCanna now has 9 wins, up one over Howard Gibson with 8. Blaine Wright, Justin Evans and Isidro Tamayo are all tied for 3rd with 7 wins.
No owner had yet won two in a day and it continued Friday night with 7 different winners. In fact, no owner has more than 2 wins for the season.
Numbers
Friday nights will be 7 race cards through the season and on the 1st Friday 53 horses started from the gates for an average of 7.6 per race. There were 3 scratches, 2 in the 6th race prior to saddling and one at the gate in the finale.
Bettors still went to the windows wagering just shy of a million dollars at $974, 383. That’s an average of $139,198 per race.
The public was pretty on target Friday night with 4 betting favorites winning, in fact they won the final 4 races in a row. The average $2 win bet paid $6.59 or 2-1. The 20-cent Jackpot Pick 6 paid $117 for all 6 and with multiple winners push the carryover into Saturday to to more than 5k.
Let’s get to the Friday Races!
5th Race and Feature Race
2-1 favorite Fifty Cinco with Alex Cruz went straight to the front and then gave way to longshot Shaun’s Jazz as they worked their way down the backstretch. Cruz and Cinco held their position on the rail and into the turn re-took the lead as Shaun’s Jazz began to fade. The field of 7 were all within 3 lengths of each other turning for home when Cruz let Fifty Cinco go and pulled away for a 1 1/2 length win in a time of 1:35.18.
Fifty Cinco races for Hern and LePley Racing and trained by Tim McCanna. Fifty Cinco is now 6-1-2 from 16 lifetime starts and a win percent of 38% and a top 3 finish at a 56% clip. Fifty Cinco picked up $10,260 for the win to push his lifetime earnings to $89.255.
Anitanewmercedes and Manny Americano closed well to be a clear second while I’m Noble and Frnacisco Duran closed from the back to be 3rd and Dirt Road Red with Javier Matias took 4th.
Pay-Outs
2 Fifty Cinco (Cruz) $6.62 $3.88 $3.00
3 Anitanewmercedes (Americano) $4.92 $3.56
4 I’m Noble (Duran) $3.72
$1 Ex 2-3 $15.19
$1 Tri 2-3-4 $67.70
$1 Super 2-3-4-5 $105.80
$1 DD 1-2 $10.37
50-cent Pick (3) 6-1-2 $23.16
50-cent Pick (4) 3-6-1-2 $100.96
Race Replay
The rest of the Friday night races.
1st Race
The field of 7 maiden 3-year-olds went 6-furlongs and at the break 4 broke in a bunch with 9-2 Arnie Boy and Manny Americano surging through on the rail to take the lead going into the turn. 4-1 Sawtooth Bow loomed up on the outside with Julien Couton in the saddle. As they turned for home Couton pressed go and Sawtooth Bow pulled away winning by 2 lengths in a final time of 1:10.78. Sawtooth Bow races for Circle T Racing and Victoria Weaver and trained by Scott Tubbs.
Arnie Boy tired and took 4th while Thatwouldbewrong and Kiaman McGregor closed to be 2nd after some traffic trouble and 5-2 favorite Chasin a Dollar with Alex Cruz got up for 3rd.
Pay-Outs
6 Sawtooth Bow (Couton) $10.40 $5.10 $3.52
3 Thatwouldbewrong (McGregor) $5.68 $3.28
4 Chasin A Dollar (Cruz) $2.68
$1 Ex 6-3 $21.52
$1 Tri 6-3-4 $51.04
$1 Super 6-3-4-1 $208.10
Race Replay
2nd Race
7 fillies and mares went a mile. Smilingatthemoon waa sent to the front by Alex Cruz and the duo settled in to a reasonable pace with 2-1 second choice After My Own Heart and David Haldar stalking right behind. That’s how the race would finish as those two ran 1-2 for all 8 furlongs. Princess Payton and Julien Couton closed from far back to take 3rd and Infinite Love at 12-1 completed the Superfecta.
Smilingatthemoon races for Julie Hebdon and trained by Jorge Rosales running the mile in 1:37.69.
Pay-Outs
3 Smilingatthemoon (Cruz) $8.18 $3.96 $3.28
4 Aftermyownheart (Haldar) $3.60 $3.24
5 Princess Payton (Couton) $4.10
$1 Ex 3-4 $10.47
$1 Tri 3-4-5 $52.18
$1 Super 3-4-5-7 $211.60
$1 DD 6-3 $18.15
Race Replay
3rd Race
7 3-year-old fillies went 5 1/2-furlongs. At the break from the outside 9-2 Smoocherro with Kevin Orozco went to the lead with 2-1 favorite Rebel Gal and Kevin Krigger set up just behind also on the outside. Those two would set all the fractions going 22.30 and 45.87. Turning for home Smoocherro held the lead but Rebel Gal rolled up in the middle of the track and eased by Smoocherro to get the win in a final time of 1:04.47. 3-1 Her Blind Side with Javier Matias ran an even 3rd while 2-1 favorite Crystalized Secret and Manny Americano finished 4th.
Rebel Gal is owned by Gold Coast Racing V and trained by Steve Bullock. Rebel Gal is a Washington bred by Coast Guard out of Creme by Somersham and was bred by Nina and Ron Hagen.
Pay-Outs
6 Rebel Gal (Krigger) $7.04 $3.72 $2.80
7 Smoocherro (Orozco) $5.20 $3.58
5 Her Blind Side (Matias) $3.32
$1 Ex 6-7 $15.05
$1 Tri 6-7-5 $45.78
$1 Super 6-7-5-1 $135.00
$1 DD 3-6 $19.68
50-cent Pick (3) 6-3-6 $57.22
Race Replay
4th Race
A field of 10 lined up under starter Mark Gibson going one lap for the flat mile. 9-5 favorite Move Over sat in a perfect stalking trip in 3rd behind the early speed. Amricano and Move Over took the lead at the 6-furlong mark and extended that lead to more than 3 lengths at the finish in a final time of 1:37.61. Move Over races for Rage #2939 and Terra Firma Farms and is trained by Joe Toye.
Blues Rapper and Kiaman McGregor closed from 9th to be a clear 2nd at 7-2, 9-5 2nd choice Gypsy Run with Carlos Montalvo was 3rd and 32-1 Its Five Somewhere completed the superfecta.
Pay-Outs
1 Move Over (Americano) $5.78 $3.22 $2.44
5 Blues Rapper (McGregor) $3.54 $2.46
4 Gypsy Gun (Montalvo) $2.56
$1 Ex 1-5 $7.71
$1 Tri 1-5-4 $22.62
$1 Super 1-5-4-2 $139.50
$1 DD 6-1 $11.11
50-cent Pick (3) 3-6-1 $38.36
50-cent Pick (4) 6-3-6-1 $163.22
Race Replay
6th Race
When the gates opened it was Pharoahs List with Isaias Enriquez sprinting to a clear lead while 1-2 odds on choice Always on Cay and Kevin Krigger sat in 2nd. Pharoahs List blazed the first quarter in 21.88 and the half in 44.67. Always on Cay began closing the gap and then exploded when straightened away in the stretch and opened up for a huge win in a final time of 1:09.21 by nearly 5 lengths. Always on Cay races for Susan and Bill Tomasic and trained by Justin Evans.
Pharoahs List ran a big race and held 2nd with 3-1 Light the Beam and Javier Matias closing from last to take 3rd and 17-1 Senor Del Campo with Francisco Monroy took 4th.
Pay-Outs
2 Always on Cay (Krigger) $3.06 $2.24 $2.10
7 Pharoahs List (Enriquez) $6.40 $3.60
8 Light the Beam (Matias) $2.70
$1 Ex 2-7 $8.89
$1 Tri 2-7-8 $19.14
$1 Super 2-7-8-5 $99.00
$1 DD 2-2 $8.30
50-cent Pick (3) 1-2-2/3 $14.09
Race Replay
7th Race
No surprises in the Friday finale with both 3-2 shots running 1-2. Dungarven Oak and Kevin Orozco ground away at front speed 12-1 Whiskleyontherocks with Carlos Montalvo and the other 3-2er Doradus with Alex Cruz and eased away to a 3/4’s length win in the 6-furlong dash in a final time of 1:12.68. Dungarven Oak races for Timothy O’Leary and trained by Isidro Tamayo.
Doradus ran 2nd, Whiskeyontherocks was 3rd while 18-1 Red Memorys and Juan Gutierrez was 4th and 6-1 R D Stimulus completed the Super High 5.
Pay-Outs
8 Dungarven Oak (Orozco) $5.02 $2.62 $2.44
3 Doradus (Cruz) $2.62 $2.30
1 Whiskeyontherocks (Montalvo) $4.38
$1 Ex 8-3 $4.94
$1 Tri 8-3-1 $11.56
$1 Super 8-3-1-4 $16.65
50-cent Super High Five $ 8-3-1-4-2 $170.77
$1 DD 2-8 $4.50 Consolation 2-7 $1.52
50-cent Pick (3) 2-2-7/8 $12.80
50-cent Pick (4) 1-2-2-7/8 $29.75
50-cent Pick (5) 6-1-2-2-7/8 $98.95
20-cent Pick (6) 3-6-1-2-2-7/8 $117.40 Carryover $5,259
Race Replay
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