Horse Racing: Emerald Downs Candy Caballo blisters in the Feature; plus Weiner Dogs and Wanna-be’s

8/23/2026

(Auburn, WA) Sunday’s race card had 9 horse races and several Weiner dog and Wanna-be dog races in between. All of our coverage of Sunday’s races is below with race re-caps and replays plus our track notes section under the Track Wire.

Weiner Dog and Wanna-be Winners!

Wanna-be Repeat!

In the Wanna-be rae Arlo the Long Boi defended his Wanna-be title getting the win with a determined run. Arlo’s owner Jamie Jenson says his big trophy from last year is next to his bed and this one will go on the other side.

Weiner Dog Winner from the Harbor!

In one of the closest finishes in any dog race ever at Emerald Downs, Pete got his nose down on the finish line just in front of 2 others. Pete’s owners Sean and Victoria Bies from Hoquiam raced for the 1st time and pulled off an incredible win.

The Stretch Run 

The handle on the day was $1,038,861 for the 9 races. With just 6 racing days left counting today, the scramble at the end of the season is on. Trainers trying to fit at least one race in if not two. Owners and trainers trying to decide the next moves with many of their horses, are there some claiming opportunities to get a fit runner ready to keep hitting the board and winning to pick up late. 

Still many storylines to be completed over the next few weeks in the 2026 season.

From the Saddle

Adrian Castellanos was hot on Sunday winning 4 including the feature race aboard Candy Caballo. He won the opener and then took the 5th, 6th and 7th races. That 50-cent pick 3 of a 4-1 to odds-on to 10-1 paid just shy of $60.

It was a strange day with wins either being odds-on or a long shot. There were 5 favorites who won with 4 being less than 1-1. The lone medium odds was 4-1 Candy Caballo but was the 3rd favorite in a 5 horse field with a 1-1 and a 6-5 overwhelming favorites. The other winners were 8-1, 9-1 and 10-1. 

Other winnng riders included Alex Cruz, Kevin Krigger, Silvio Amador, Lenny Seecharan and Talliyah Timentwa.

And a tip of the cap to Alex Anaya who had 4 rides at 26-1, 6-1, 38-1 and 28-1. He had 2 places and a 3rd but then was DQ’d on a questionable call at best and placed 4th but hit the top four at a rate of 75% with his average odds being 25-1. 

From the Barn

Trainer Tom Wenzel added 2 more wins his 24th and 25th and is now in 3rd place in the trainer standings, 4 behind Howie Gibson who has 29 and one back of the defending training champ Jorge Rosales who took the finale to push his total to 26.

Wenzel leads all trainers in win percent with 3 or more starts at 34% and he leads in total earnings at $506,277, 46k more than Gibson who also won the biggest purse of the season when Adios Jojo won the Longacres Mile. Wenzel’s deep stable includes 6 stakes wins and shows the consistency Wenzel hits the board.

Steve Bullock picked up another win and with a smaller stable Bullock is having a great year currently in 13th place with an 8-10-5 from 28 starts record winning at 29% and 82% top 3 finish. He’s also 11th overall in earnings. Hilario Perez and Faustino Patino also got their picture taken on Sunday.

Ladies Day pays big

Three ladies got training wins on Sunday and all three were responsible for the biggest win pays of the day. Jaymie Cruz got things going by taking the 2nd race with 8-1 Petite Ange ridden by her husband Alex Cruz. 

Melissa Ledford scored a win in the 7th race with 10-1 Speed It Up, lone of Castellanos’ 4 wins both Cruz and Ledford picking up their 2nd wins this season. 

Anne Wisdom got her 3rd win of the year when 9-1 Its Kraken Time went wire-to-wire with Lenny Seecharan aboard. 

The Owners Box

All eyes on Dr George Todaro and his team of trainer Tom Wenzel, barn manager Bob Capelletti and jockeys Adrian Castellanos, Frank Alvarado and Carlos Montalvo before Montalvo moved his tack back east at Colonial Downs.

Todaro tied for the owners title last year with just 8 wins. He’s now doubled it with 16 wins this season and has almost matched last year’s 8 in Stakes wins with 6 so far in 2026. 

Todaro is 16-8-5 from 39 mounts winning at a 41% rate and top 3 finish of 74%. He leads all owners in earnings by more than 3x his nearest competitor racking up $378,550 in earnings with 5 more racing days and multiple stakes races to aim for. 

Last year his final numbers were 8-8-9 from 46 starts a win percnt of 17% and top 3 finish rate of 54%. He finished the season as the top earnings owner with $281,330. He’s already earned nearly 35% more than he did last season.

5th Race Feature Race

With all the front speed signed on for this field of 5 going 6 furlongs who would break first? Tax Code, Chuckanut Bay, Knightline? Nope, Candy Caballo broke quickly under Adrian Castellanos and set sizzling fractions of 21.78 and 44.52. That did not knock her out of breath as Castellanos asked for more he got more from the 4-year-old colt holding off all the big challenges winning by nearly 2 lengths in a blistering 1:07.86 final time.

Candy Caballo is part of the connections juggarnaut of the George Todaro team. Todaro won his 16th race of the season, 9 in front of the next winningest owner. Todaro tied for top owner last year with just 8 wins and has now doubled what he did in 2025. Trainer Tom Wenzel picked up his 25th win and trails leading trainer Howie Gibson by 4. But Wenzel leads in the earnings column with more than $500,000 in the bank.

Betting favorite Chuckanut Bay and Allyssa Morales have been able to rate and not have to have the lead but in this one there was no catching the winner. 19-1 longshot Atmospheric River ran hard for Isaias Enriquez and just missed 2nd place by a 1/2 length. Kinightline and Blake Nunnally was part of the early pace and begrudgingly weakened toi be 4th. Tax Code the 2nd choice with kevin Kriger threated at the top of the stretch but flattened out to finish 5th.

Candy Caballo collected $14,250 for the win and improved his career record to 4-2-3 from 15 starts and pushed his career earnings to $92,675.

• $1.00 EXACTA 3-5 $12.28
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 3-5-2 $37.27
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 3-5-2-1 $23.22
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 3-3 $9.98
• $0.50 PICK 3 2-3-3 $8.36

Race Replay

The rest of Sunday’s races

1st Race

The field of 5 went 6 1/2 furlongs and odds-on choice Shady Rambler went to the lead and never looked back under the guidance of Adrian Castellanos. Shady Rambler races for Shady Valley Ranch and trained by Tom Wenzel. Shady Rambler is a Washington bred by Sixthirteen out of Mayz’s Music by Music of My Soul and was bred by Jeff and Doris Harwood and Delores Christiansen.

R D Stimulous with Kevin Orozco closed well to be 2nd, Glory Sunday and Blake Nunnally took 3rd while Final Out with Lenny Seecharan ran 4th.

• $1.00 EXACTA 4-2 $5.36
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 4-2-6 $4.06
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 4-2-6-3 $3.23

Race Replay

2nd Race

Once again the front end was dangerous on Sunday like it was on Saturday. In the 2nd race 6 went a mile and 8-1 Petite Ange upset as the 4th favorite. Alex Cruz had the front end timed perfectly winning by 3 in a final time of 1:37.16. Mark Freeman and Hastings Racing Club own Petite Ange and trained by Jaymie Cruz.

2-1 Acclaimed Preacher with Silvio Amador was a clear 2nd, the odds-on choice Chatty Leroybrown under Adrian Castellanos was the show horse and Shanghai Barbie and Kevin Orozco finished 4th.

• $1.00 EXACTA 3-2 $26.99
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 3-2-6 $27.97
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 3-2-6-1 $22.13
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 4-3 $28.59

Race Replay

3rd Race

Ms Flashy Harbor was bet down to 1-2 and did not disappoint her backers. Kevin Krigger was patient out of the gates settling in 2nd to last but circled up on the turn rolling past the field to win by 2+ lengths in a final time of 1:09.57. Creme de Menthe and Isaias Enriquez ran 2nd, Bronze Girl ridden by Blake Nunnally finished 3rd and Rabble under Adrian Castellanos filled out the superfecta.

Ms Flashy Harbor is owned by Ron and Nina Hagen, Ron Bohlman and Steve Bullock and trained by Bullock. Ms Flashy Harbor is a Washington bred by Abraaj out of Point Da Harbor by Harbor the Gold and was bred by Bohlman and the Hagen’s.

• $1.00 EXACTA 2-1 $3.68
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 2-1-6 $21.89
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 2-1-6-4 $15.86
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 3-2 $27.54
• $0.50 PICK 3 4,5-3-2 $20.43

Race Replay

4th Race

1-5 heavy favorite Kristin Lee cruised to an easy 7 1/4 length win leading every step of the way with Silvio Amador in the saddle. The duo went 21.67 and 43.81 for the half finishing in a fast 1:08.95 all wrapped up at the finish line. Kritin Lee is owned by Schmidt Happens Racing and trained by Faustino Patino.

16-1 Jersey Sunset  with Alex Cruz ran a big race to be 2nd, Gypsy Lynn and Alex Anaya finshed 3rd with 21-1 Coiffeur under Kevin Orozco took 4th. But there was an inquiry and obejection between Gypsy Lynn and Coiffeur and the stewards determined the minimal

• $1.00 EXACTA 3-5 $7.06
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 3-5-4 $12.09
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 3-5-4-2 $5.81
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 2-3 $2.38
• $0.50 PICK 3 3-2-3 $17.63
• $0.50 PICK 4 4 OF 4 4,5-3-2-3 $24.08

Race Replay

6th Race

A nice field of 9 went 5 1/2 furlongs and odds-on choice Tigersun cruised to a gate-to-wire win stopping the clock in a blazing 1:02.69 with a 4 length cushion. Adrian Castellanos was on his game on Sunday tallying his 3rd win of the day for owner Emil Abrahamson and trainer Hilario Perez.

36-1 Shiny Orb outran all expectations with a great effort for the place ridden by Alex Anaya, 20-1 Draw Nigh and Blake Nunnally completed the trifecta and taking 4th was Street Gun with Kevin Orozco in the saddle.

• $1.00 EXACTA 3-1 $20.28
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 3-1-4 $59.56
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 3-1-4-5 $37.22
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 3-3 $10.99
• $0.50 PICK 3 3-3-3 $7.22
• $0.50 PICK 4 4 OF 4 2-3-3-3 $9.99

Race Replay

7th Race

Adrian Castellanos surprised the public with a 4 bagger scoring an off the pace win with Speed It Up at 10-1 running down the 28-1 Flight Ryder and Alex Anaya in the final 25 yards for the length win in a final time of 1:38.58 for the 1 mile run. 7-1 Run Baba Run and Kevin Orozco ran 3rd and 2-1 2nd choice Jess in Time flattened out late for Kevin Krigger but held on for 4th.

Speed It Up races for Steve and Letha Haahr and trained by Melissa Ledford. The tote board lit up on this race with big pays across the board.

• $1.00 EXACTA 7-4 $230.70
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 7-4-1 $707.50
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 7-4-1-9 $572.76
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 3-7 $14.83
• $0.50 PICK 3 3-3-7 $59.47

Race Replay

8th Race

6 went the 1 mile and front runner Its Kraken Time had been knocking on the door but the public wasn’t convinced letting trhe 6-year-old Washington bred go at 9-1. Lenny Seecharan went to the front and never gave in when challenged winning by a 1/2 length. 5-2 Baie Longue and Frank Alvarado ran on well to be 2nd edging Calmcoolncollected ridden by Alex Cruz with 5-2 favorite Elegant Boy and Adrian Castellanos taking 4th.

Its Kraken Time ran the mile in 1:35.77 and races for 48 Racing Stable and trained by Anne Wisdom. Its Kraken Time is by Running Tap out of Its Diva time by You and I and was bred by Anne Wisdom.

• $1.00 EXACTA 2-1 $36.80
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 2-1-6 $112.81
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 2-1-6-3 $66.68
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 7-2 $167.08
• $0.50 PICK 3 3-7-2 $129.28

Race Replay

9th Race

Apprentice jockey Talliyah Timentwa knew what to do with the 3-2 favorite in the finale, keep My Sweet Forza close and out of trouble and once they straightened for home let him go and he did just that winning by 7 lengths in a final time of 1:17.11 for 6 1/2 furlongs. My Sweet Forza races for Salsa and Passion and trained by Jorge Rosales.

Avellinasa ridden by Kevin Orozco just got up for 2nd nosing out Tiger Passion and Isaias Enriquez, Milkman Express with Blake Nunnally took 4th and rounding the Super High 5 was Three P’s and Silvio Amador.

• $1.00 EXACTA 7-2 $10.20
• $0.50 TRIFECTA 7-2-3 $39.19
• $0.10 SUPERFECTA 7-2-3-4 $41.54
• $0.50 SUPERHIGHFIVE 7-2-3-4-6 $372.83
• $1.00 DAILY DOUBLE 2-7 $27.30
• $0.50 PICK 3 7-2-7 $244.32
• $0.50 PICK 4 4 OF 4 3-7-2-7 $234.06
• $0.50 PICK 5 5 OF 5 3-3-7-2-7 $1,491.35
• – PICK 6 CarryOver $6,483.53
• $0.10 PICK 6 6 OF 6 3-3-3-7-2-7 $791.92

Race Replay

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