7/24/2026

(Auburn, WA) Friday night had a solid 7 race card. Again, ESN is involved in a community free concert series so we are relying on the great work of Emerald’s Media Director Vince Bruun to cover for us. We have his reporting and added the race-by-race re-cap, prices and replays.

Track Notes by Vince Bruun

Adrian Castellanos and Alex Cruz dominated action Friday night, each riding three winners on the seven-race card. . .Trainers Jaymie Pearman-Cruz and Scott Freeman scored their first wins of the season, notching victories with Go Lent Go ($9.64) and River Dance ($14.30) in races one and two. . .Handsome Ticket paid a season-low $2.28 to win in race four. . .Hard-hitting 6-year-old mare Kinky Moon ($6.80) made it two wins and two seconds in four starts this season, exploding to win race five for Steve Fisher and owner Paul Hagemann. . .The $0.10 Jackpot Pick Six carryover is $23,397.89. . .Friday’s handle totaled $999,019 on the seven-race program.

6th Race “Feature” 

Bak to Liberty and hot-riding Adrian Castellanos led all the way and scored a four-length victory over Jullian in Paris in Friday’s $24,000 FTF Starter Allowance for 3-year-olds and up.

With Castellanos riding his third winner on the card, Bak to Liberty covered one mile and 70 yards in 1:40.17, returning a healthy $22.60 to win.

Co-owned by Woodway Stable and trainer Charles Essex, Bak to Liberty was racing first off the claim, having been haltered for $8,000 three weeks ago.

It was a timely victory, too, as Friday’s purse included $10,000 from a generous anonymous sponsor. Gunned to the lead by Castellanos, Bak to Liberty set splits of :22.57, :45.77, 1:10.04, and 1:35.86, repelled 8 to 5 betting favorite House of Lords into the stretch, and held a safe lead to the wire.

Jullian in Paris, also trained by Essex, rallied from far back to finish second while Street Vendor with Silvio Amador finished third. House of Lords, bidding for his fourth winner of the meet, finished fourth while rounding out the order of finish were Light the Beam, Toppers At Seaside, Royal Halo, Pistol Power, and Wood Ceiling.

A 5-year-old British Columbia-bred by Bakken, Bak to Liberty has six wins in 32 starts lifetime with earnings of $116,864.

• $1.00 EXACTA 1-4 $51.51
• $1.00 TRIFECTA 1-4-5 $228.90
• $1.00 SUPERFECTA 1-4-5-2 $615.10
• $1.00 DOUBLE 3-1 $65.74
• $1.00 PICK 3 1,4-3-1 $66.76

Race Replay

The rest of Friday’s card

1st Race

A well timed ride from Alex Cruz set the tone for Cruz who would go on to win 3 of the 7 Friday night races. Cruz sat in the stalking position with Go Lent Go then angled out at the top of the stretch to run down favorite Kyalam with Silvio Amador aboard to get the win by a neck. The final time for the 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:17.72. The win for Go Lent Go was a family affair as Cruz’s wife Jasymie Cruz owns and trains the winners.

Fruit Lutes and Kevin Krigger held the show placing with Rise Up and Go under Adrian Castellanos settled for 4th.

• $1.00 EXACTA 1-6 $13.25
• $1.00 TRIFECTA 1-6-3 $30.08
• $1.00 SUPERFECTA 1-6-3-2 $94.80

Race Replay 

2nd Race

After a couple of scratches the field dropped to 5 and 6-1 River Dance handed Alex Cruz his 2nd win upset win of the night as he swept the opening Daily Double. River Dance made the rare last to first move at the Auburn oval as the 6-year-old mare dropped back by 8 lengths at the beginning of the race. Cruz used the same blueprint from the 1st race swinging 4 wide at the top of the stretch running past all of them including odds-on top choice Whiskeywithatwist and Blake Nunnally to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Slippery Silk and Kevin Krigger were the early speed and held 3rd while Hot Betty piloted by Kevin Orozco took 4th.

River Dance ran the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.08 and races for Free Brook Racing and gave Scott Freeman his first training win of the year.  

• $1.00 EXACTA 1-7 $19.98
• $1.00 TRIFECTA 1-7-4 $28.62
• $1.00 SUPERFECTA 1-7-4-2 $65.00
• $1.00 DOUBLE 1-1 $30.46

Race Replay

3rd Race

6 went 6 furlongs in the 3rd and Conrad Meadows who likes to be on the engine settled to rate just behind the early speed of Peter Flies. Adrian Castellanos had the race measured perfectly and when Peter Flies tired, Conrad Meadows got first run clearing the field to win by nearly 3 lengths. Conrad Meadows finished in a time of 1:10.62 and is owned by Kevin Chavarria and Howie Gibson and trained by Gibson.

Roll Dem Bones, one of the hottest runners at the track ran a solid race but settled for the place for Kevin Krigger, Hadlees Honor and Blake Nunnally ran an even 3rd while completing the superfecta was 4th place Olympic Legend and Talliyah Timentwa.

• $1.00 EXACTA 2-1 $12.10
• $1.00 TRIFECTA 2-1-3 $45.20
• $1.00 SUPERFECTA 2-1-3-4 $170.80
• $1.00 DOUBLE 1-2 $34.36
• $1.00 PICK 3 1-1-2 $207.86

Race Replay

4th Race

Adrian Castellanos would follow Alex Cruz sweeping is own daily double in the 3rd and 4th taking 1-9 overwhelming favorite to the lead and never looking back winning by 6 lengths with Handsome Ticket. The 7 year-old gelding was the lowest odds winner of the meet paying just $2.28 on the 42 win. He’s owned by Hat Trick Racing and trained by Francisco Rodriguez and ran the 3/4’s mile in 1:11.02.

14-1 There Goes My Hero and Pablo Castillo was 2nd best, Slew Skies and Alex Cruz ran 3rd with Hot Goblin under Blake Nunnally taking 4th.

• $1.00 EXACTA 1-2 $3.15
• $1.00 TRIFECTA 1-2-5 $11.38
• $1.00 SUPERFECTA 1-2-5-7 $17.40
• $1.00 DOUBLE 2-4 $3.77
• $1.00 DOUBLE 2-1 $5.31
• $1.00 PICK 3 1-2-1,4 $54.34
• $1.00 PICK 4 4 OF 4 1-1-2-1,4,8 $227.00

Race Replay

5th Race

Kinky Moon was the 2nd last to first winner on Friday night and boy did K-M make a bold move. Going 6 1/2 furlongs jockey Frank Alvarado had Kinky Moon sitting last and about 12 lengths behind the front pace. As they hit the top of the stretch all the front speed fell apart as Kinky Moon and Alvarado stayed on the rail and then exploded about the 1/8th pole to win going away by 5 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:16.70. Kinky Moon is owned by Paul Hagermann and trained by Steve Fisher.

As the pace tired the early 6th and 7th place runners made big moves as well but could not get close to the winner. Coiffeur and Alex Cruz ran 2nd followed by Cut N Curl ridden by Pablo Castillo and Kir Royale with Kevin Orozco had the lead inside the 1/8th pole but tired to take 4th. 

• $1.00 EXACTA 3-2 $16.46
• $1.00 TRIFECTA 3-2-5 $84.56
• $1.00 SUPERFECTA 3-2-5-7 $341.60
• $1.00 DOUBLE 1-3 $3.68
• $1.00 PICK 3 2-1,4-3 $22.68
• $1.00 PICK 4 4 OF 4 1-2-1,4,8-3 $230.20

Race Replay

7th Race

Alex Cruz bookended the day winning the 1st race from the 1 hole then taking the lasat race from the far outside 9 position. In the 1st race he came from last to 1st, in the finale he went wire to wire with front runner Count Dalia at 5-1. Count Dalia ran the 6 furlongs in a quick 1:09.02 blowing the field away by 7 1/4 lengths. Joe and Gloria Russo are the owners and Patty Leaney picked up the training win.

Favorite One Phil with Alex Anaya could not challenge the winner but was a clear 2nd, The Bronx bull and Lenny Seecharan finished 3rd, Melvins Lute with Kevin Krigger ran 4th and completing the Super Hi 5 was Three P’s and Frank Alvarado. 

• $1.00 EXACTA 9-7 $20.64
• $1.00 TRIFECTA 9-7-3 $252.36
• $1.00 SUPERFECTA 9-7-3-2 $1523.20
• $1.00 SUPERHIGHFIVE CarryOver $1498.01
• $1.00 DOUBLE 1-9 $70.75
• $1.00 PICK 3 3-1-9 $386.76
• $1.00 PICK 4 4 OF 4 1,4,8-3-1-9 $352.70
• $1.00 PICK 5 5 OF 5 2-1,4,8-3-1-9 $1936.96
• $1.00 PICK 6 6 OF 6 1-2-1,4,8-3-1-9 $11507.40
• $1.00 PICK 6 CarryOver $23397.89

Race Replay

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