6/20/2025
(Auburn, Wa) Friday night racing kicked off a big weekend of on-the-track action with the first 4 Stakes races of the year on Sunday. Up first 7 races on another Fab Friday night with a field of 7 battling in the Muckleshoot Casino Resort Purse. Let’s get to Friday night’s action!
The Numbers
There were 7 races on Friday night with a total of 48 starters for an average of 6.9 per race. The handle was a season low of $810,836 for the 7 races and an average of $115,834 per race. The low handle of the year may sound negative but to keep it in perspective through the first 18 days of racing last year, Friday’s handle would have been 9th lowest.
So, before widespread panic takes over, this low handle of the season is actually a great measuring stick and should be looked as a huge positive. It shows the basement has shown great growth and this isn’t just a few days in, we’re a third of the way through the season.
Last year at this point the total handle was $15,436,828 compared to this year’s $22,468,427 with the average daily handle last year of $857,602 compared to this year’s $1,248,246. That’s a 45.5% increase. And the average handle per race is up 41.6% going from $108,710 to $153,893 per race.
We know there are many variables that go into handle these days with all the off site and on-line wagering and different percents from each racing group so it is difficult to measure the true difference between last year and this year except that we know it’s all better wsith higher numbers and so far this season has been exceptional.
From the Saddle
The top of the jockey standings dominated the night winning 5 of the 7 races. Kevin Krigger led with a triple winning the feature race on 11-year-old Surprisinglyperfect along with the 3rd and 6th races. Manny Americano took the 5th and 7th races.
It looked like it may be a wide open day with Frank Alvarado taking the 1st race and Julien Couton winning the 2nd. Then in the 3rd race Krigger somehow got the nose down in front of 16-1 Beau Mischief. Carlos Montalvo just missed and just missed longtime horseman Bob Bean his 1st win of the season.
Manny Cruz doubled and also got a win just in time holding off the fast closing Don’t have Another in the finale with Alex Cruz coming up a neck short.
The Streaks
Both Krigger and Americano continued their consecutive wins i9n a day streak while Krigger regained the advantage in the overall standings. Krigger has now won races in 14 straight race days while Americano is one back with a 13 day run. Krigger now tops the rider ranks with 29 wins to Anericano’s 28. The 5-time defending champ Alex Cruz is in 3rd but far back with 15 victories.
From the Barn
The first big highlight from Friday night from the barn is the Tom Wenzel’s win streak of 4 straight wins. Wenzel began last Friday with Savitas in the 7th, then on Sunday, Silvery Orb won the 2nd race both ridden by Julien Couton. Wenzel picked up a 2nd win on Sunday for 3 in a row when Jullian in Paris took the 4th with Carlos Montalvo. Couton made it 4 in a row this Friday taking the 2nd race with Swift Caro and Couton in the saddle.
His next entry is the 4th race on Sunday with Candy Cat and Julien Couton up at a morningline of 4-1. If he gets through that race he also sends our 8-1 Candy Caballo and Montalvo in the 6th race in the Auburn Stakes. He’ll then start 4-5 Aloha Breeze and Montalvo in the 7th race the Hastings Stakes.
If he can somehow manage a streak like we’ve never seen before he’ll finish Sunday with 7-2 Slew’s Tiz Whiz and Couton in the Budweiser Stakes, the 8th race and then in the 4th and final stakes of the day in the 9th, Wenzel starts 5-1 Maximum Sparkle with Montalvo in the Seattle Stakes.
Bean just misses
Longtime conditioner Bob Bean looked like he got his first win of 2025 when 16-1 Beau Mischief snuck up the rail in the 3rd took the lead then got nosed out by favorite Bedrock on the wire. Bean is now 0-4-5 from 17 starts. Bean would also finish 3rd in the finale with Asphalt Andy.
Beau Mischief with the tough luck loss
Evans and Rakoczy revving up
Defending champion trainer Justin Evans and defending owners Rakoczy Racing and Evans took back-to-back wins friday night with Bedrock getting that nose victory. They followed up with the 11-year-old Surprisinglyperfect in the 4th race. Both ridden by Krigger. Evans now extends his lead in the trainer standings with 13 wins over Tim McCanna who had 1 win on Friday with 11.
1st Owner Double Win
Evans and his owner partnership with Rakoczy Racing are also defending champions and picked up wins 3 and 4 on the season to tie Harris Farms for the lead as the only 2 owners with 4 wins. Evans and Rakoczy are also the first owners or ownership team to double on the same day. There is a 5-way tie for 3rd place in the owners standings all with 3 wins.
The Betting Window
Pick 6 is getting interesting
There was a 15k+ carryover heading into Friday’s 20-cent Jackpot pick 6 and it started with the 3rd favorite Swift Caro won the 2nd. Even thugh only 2-1 was still the 3rd choice. But when 16-1 Beau Mischief got nosed out in the 3rd race by 6-5 favorite Bedrock it seemed likely the pick 6 was going to carry over especially when 8-5 Surprisinglyperfect took the 4th.
The next big chance was the 11 horse field in the 5th but odds-on 4-5 shot Blazing Peme rolled to the win. In the end Kevin Krigger and Manny Americano won 5 of the 6 races in the Pick 6 and there is no shot of a Jackpot winner in that case. Going 6 for 6 paid out a measley $132. Saturday’s carryover is now more than 17k. If it can get to Sunday that pick 6 will offer a chance for a jackpot winner with some upsets in those Stakes races.
Lots of tickets cashed
Friday night a lot of tickets were cashed with the high $2 win of the night in the 7th race of just $7.32. There were some really good place pays startng in the 1st race with$12.20 from 11-1 Daddy’s Quest. Beau Mischief paid $9.12 in the 3rd, Pharoah’s List $9.74 in the 5th and $10 in teh 6th from 16-1 Chief Wild Eagle. The average $2 place paid 8-5 or $5.50 while the average $2 win returned $5.87 or 9-5.
The high pick 3 returned just $23.92 and the top pick 4 was $67.25 with the pick 5 at $142.48. This did lead to a lot of tickets getting cashed on Friday night just no big winners.
Let’s get to the Friday Races!
4th Race and Feature Race Muckleshoot Casino Resort Purse
The 11-year-old continues to dazzle and deny old-age as Surprisinglyperfect with his best buddy Kevin Krigger sat behind the pace of Mister Mafioso who would tire and finish last. Anitanewmercedes and Manny Americano got first run and took the lead at the quarter pole but Surprisinglyperfect cruised right up to the lead and pulled away for a 2 length lead and then had to keep deep closer I’m Noble at a safe distance to win by about a length in a final time of 1:35. Mangia Pane and Carlos Montalvo ran 4th.
Surprisinglyperfect completes the daily double of owner Rakoczy Racing and Justin Evans trained by Evans and ridden by Krigger. The 11-year-old earned $10,260 for his 26th career win to push his earnings career earnings to $387,621. He’s now 26-16-14 from 94 career starts a 28% win rate and career 59% top 3 finish.
Pay-Outs
2 Surprisinglyperfect (Krigger) $5.50 $3.18 $2.22
6 I’m Noble (Duran) $4.98 $2.64
5 Anitanewmercedes (Americano) $2.34
$1 Ex 2-6 $12.99
$1 Tri 2-6-5 $23.80
$1 Super 2-6-5-3 $65.20
$1 DD 3-2 $5.71
50-cent Pick (3) 4-3-2 $14.15
50-cent Pick (4) 2-4-3/6-2 $45.13
Race Replay
The rest of the Friday night races.
1st Race
A field of 7 went 6 1/2-furlongs older maidens. Ride for Gold, the 2nd favorite at 2-1, was sent to the front by Frank Alvarado and set all the fractions of 22.38 and 45.11. At the top of the stretch, 11-1 Daddy’s Quest with Francisco Monroy came on to challenge Gold but the crafty Alvarado had plenty left to pull away for a 2 length win in a final time of 1:16.74. The 2nd fastest 6 1/2-furlong time of the meet. Ride for Gold is owned by Harris Farms and trained by Debbie Peery.
Daddy’s Quest was a clear 2nd, favorite Chasin a Dollar and Alex Cruz took 3rd and 5-2 Doradus and Manny Americano ended up 4th.
Pay-Outs
2 Ride for Gold (Alvarado) $6.32 $4.18 $2.82
4 Daddy’s Quest (Monroy) $12.20 $5.04
6 Chasin a Dollar (Cruz) $2.34
$1 Ex 2-4 $29.84
$1 Tri 2-4-6 $73.92
$1 Super 2-4-6-7 $158.70
Race Replay
2nd Race
6 went older fillies and mares went 6-furlongs and a two tiered race with the top 3 choices split between 8-5 and 2-1 and the 3 longer shots from 8-1 to 33-1. 2-1 3rd choice Swift Caro got a perfect stalking trip for our top Power Rankings rider for this week, Julien Couton. Couton kept his hot riding streak rolloing pulling away in the final 16th overcoming front speed and 9-5 2nd choice Prancin Lady with Frank Alvarado in the saddle. 8-1 Misty Malibu and Carlos Montalvo ran 3rd with the favorite I’lltakeitfromhere and Akatsuki Tomita was 4th.
Swift Caro races for David Thorner, Richard Cuyle and Tom Wenzel and trained by Wenzel. Wenzel has now won 4 straight races going 3-3 last weekend.
Pay-Outs
4 Swift Caro (Couton) $6.52 $2.82 $2.36
3 Prancin Lady (Alvarado) $2.64 $2.30
2 Misty Malibu (Montalvo) $3.00
$1 Ex 4-3 $6.40
$1 Tri 4-3-2 $20.82
$1 Super 4-3-2-5 $33.50
$1 DD 2-4 $12.42
Race Replay
3rd Race
5 runners went the flat mile and 5-2 3rd favorite Club Mesquite with Silvio Amador went straight to the lead and set the pace all the way to the stretch. 6-5 favorite Bedrock with Kevin Krigger rolled up on the outside while 16-1 longest shot on the board Beau Mischief with Carlos Montalvo came flying up the rail and took the lead inside the 16th pole but Bedrock battled back and the nose bob went to Bedrock in a final time of 1:35.59. Club Mesquite held on for 3rd and 7-1 Super Mazel and Francisco Monroy completed the superfecta.
Bedrock races for Rakoczy Racing and Justin Evans and trained by Evans. With the win, Kevin Krigger extended his consecutive days with a win to 14 days.
Pay-Outs
3 Bedrock (Krigger) $4.52 $3.02 $2.20
1 Beau Mischief (Montalvo) $9.12 $3.28
2 Club Mesquite (Amador) $2.24
$1 Ex 3-1 $19.17
$1 Tri 3-1-2 $26.20
$1 Super 3-1-2-5 $113.60
$1 DD 4-3 $9.85
50-cent Pick (3) 2-4-3 $16.73
Race Replay
5th Race
The large field of 11 older horses going 6-furlongs looked like it might be competitive and it was..for 2nd place. 4-5 odds-on choice Blazing Peme broke from the 11 gate and Manny Americano went straight to the front and never slowed down winning clear 2 1/2 lengths covering the 6-furlongs in 1:09.03. Blazing Peme is owned and trained by Tim McCanna.
The race for 2nd came down to a nose that 13-1 Pharoahs List got the nod with Isaias Enriquez riding over 13-1 Wirewyre and Francisco Monroy just missed the placed and 8-1 Light the Beam with Javier Matias finished 4th.
Pay-Outs
11 Blazing Peme (Americano) $3.96 $3.14 $2.84
4 Pharoahs List (Enriquez) $9.74 $4.84
1 Wirewyre (Monroy) $5.14
$1 Ex 11-4 $16.32
$1 Tri 11-4-1 $41.55
$1 Super 11-4-1-5 $354.10
$1 DD 2-11 $10.58
50-cent Pick (3) 3/6-2-11 $12.82
50-cent Pick (4) 4-3/6-2-11 $27.68
Race Replay
6th Race
7 older runners went 6 1/2-furlongs with 2-1 favorite Moonlightnwine breaking last with Kevin Krigger. Never far behind Moonlightnwine took his time and waited for the inside to open as the fractions laid down were 22.37 and 44.45 which were a little too fast for the pacesetters. Krigger waited and eventually came off the rail at the top of the stretch splitting tiring runners and burtsing through mid stretch to pull away for a 1 1/2 length win in a final time of 1:15.44 blistering the previous fast time for 6 1/2 by more than a second. Moonlightnwine is owned by Joan Hutchison and Jim Leslie and trained by Vince Gibson.
16-1 Chief Wild Eagle had a nice run in his Emerald debut with Frank Alvarado up for a clear 2nd, 3-1 Always on Cay and Alex Cruz threatened at the top of the lane but flattened out to take 3rd as did 5-2 Horse Doctor and Silvio Amador tired at the end for 4th.
Pay-Outs
4 Moonlightnwine (Krigger) $6.92 $3.90 $2.68
3 Chief Wild Eagle (Alvarado) $10.00 $5.38
2 Always on Cay (Cruz) $3.46
$1 Ex 4-3 $23.76
$1 Tri 4-3-2 $154.14
$1 Super 4-3-2-7 $336.50
$1 DD 11-4 $8.36
50-cent Pick (3) 2-11-4 $18.78
Race Replay
7th Race
In the finale, a well matched field split the bettors with a 2-1 favorite, 2 5-2 shots and a 4-1 with 2 outsiders. The outsiders did not surprise and finished 5th and 6th. 5th place finisher 13-1 Galloping Major and Kiaman McGregor went to the lead setting an early split of 22.15 for the 6 1/2-furlong run. 5-2 Ibn Sina and Manny Americano stalked behind but didn’t wait to long to surge to the lead heading into the turn and quickly drew off by 1 1/2 lengths.
Turning for home Ibn Sina drew by 4 lengths at the 1/8th pole as Americano went to steal the race at that point and ended up needing all of it to hold off a fast closing Don’t Have Another and Alex Cruz by just a neck, closer to a head. Don’t Have Another went a touch wide and hesitated getting into a fullo run that cost him the race. 9-2 Asphalt Andy and Carlos Montalvo came from dead last to close well for a clear 3rd while 2-1 favorite Tempting Prospect and Kevin Krigger tired late and finished 4th.
Ibn Sina races for Dream Big Racing and is trained by Charlie Essex running the 6 1/2 in 1:17.22. Ibn Sina is a Washington bred by Smiling Tiger out of Sariano by Rubiano and was bred by Dr Rodney Orr.
Pay-Outs
1 Ibn Sina (Americano) $7.32 $3.62 $2.88
3 Don’t Have Another (Cruz) $4.48 $2.34
7 Asphalt Andy (Montalvo) $2.94
$1 Ex 1-3 $10.80
$1 Tri 1-3-7 $54.26
$1 Super 1-3-7-2 $108.00
50-cent Super High Five 1-3-7-2-6 $144.14
$1 DD 4-1 $18.09
50-cent Pick (3) 11-4-1 $23.92
50-cent Pick (4) 2-11-4-1 $67.25
50-cent Pick (5) 3/6-2-11-4-1 $142.48
20-cent Pick (6) 4-3/6-2-11-4-1 $132.80 Carryover $17,879
Race Replay
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