Hayjax sprinted clear early and held off 4-to-5 betting favorite Showme Yourfriends for a 1-½ length victory Saturday in the $17,600 AAA Washington Purse for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by A. L. Gutierrez, Hayjax ran 6-½ furlongs in 1:15.22 and paid $19, $7.40 and $3.60. Tim McCanna is the trainer for owner Luigi DiPietro of Auburn and the Estate of Victor DiPietro.
Hustled by Gutierrez to the lead, Hayjax set fractions of :22.66, :45.22 and 1:08.83. He led by three lengths in mid-stretch, and held Showme Yourfriends safe to the wire.
A 3-year-old California-bred by Souvenir Copy, Hayjax has a 3-1-1 record in nine starts lifetime with earnings of $34,904.
McCanna, whose official induction into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame is Aug. 20, needs just one win to become the first trainer with 800 wins at Emerald Downs. He nearly achieved the milestone in the final race, but Our Soulja Boy finished second after leading in deep stretch.
Showme Yourfriends, the 50-to-1 here in the May 30 Auburn Handicap, rallied strongly in the stretch, but had to settle for second place. Ridden by Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo, Showme Yourfriends paid $2.80 and $2.10.
It was three-quarters of a length back to Vegas Flyer, ridden by apprentice Lance Bullock, and a $2.40 show payoff. It was the first career loss for the Henny Hughes gelding after scoring back-to-back 14-to-1 victories.
Kooky Saluki and Avalon Beach dead-heated for fourth place, and Memo to Mya finished sixth.
NOTES: Pasta Time ($23.40) ridden by Jorge Rosales and trained by Dinos Apostolou captured the George Sedlock Appreciation Purse named in honor of the very successful Thoroughbred owner and original Emerald Downs investor.
Olympic Lights ($10.20) temporarily ran the fastest six furlongs of the meeting—1:08.65—while defeating stablemate Tequila Gold by three-quarters of a length in the second race. It was the 11th Emerald Downs victory for the 7-year-old Tropic Lightning gelding.
However, four races later 3-year-old Seattle Sniper ($3.20) ran six furlongs in 1:08.32 to take over the top spot. By Strong Hope-Taste the Passion, Seattle Sniper is 3-4-2 in 11 lifetime starts including a second in the 2010 Gottstein Futurity and third in the May 30 Auburn Handicap. Saturday marked his first start in a claiming race, and trainer Tom Wenzel, as he earlier did with both Rossi Reserve and Tasya, managed to win the race and avoid the claim.
Private Fortune, stakes placed twice last year including runner-up honors at 45-to-1 in the Washington Oaks, collected her second career victory in the fifth race. Ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, the 4-year-old Private Gold filly ran 1-1/16-mile in 1:43.71 and paid $9.40.
Jockey Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo was uninjured after Armed Service stumbled and unseated the rider at the start of the first race…Jockey Leonel Camacho-Flores posted his second straight riding double, including a $39.80 victory aboard J.T. Rocks in the nightcap.
Mitchell also rode two winners on the eight-race card…Jim Penney led the trainers with two wins…The $0.50 Pick 5 (6-4-2-2-10) paid $4,648.65—the second highest payout since the wager was introduced June 17.
Live racing continues Sunday with first post 2:15 p.m. The opener is for Quarter horses at 300 yards; the ninth race Thoroughbred feature is a $17,600 purse for 3-year-olds and up at 6-½ furlongs. Vic-Tory Stables’ He’s All Heart is the 2-to-1 morning line favorite.
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