Northwest Farms’ Tasya used her early speed Thursday and ran away with a seven-length victory in the featured Ashbaugh Beal Purse for 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs.
With Juan Gutierrez riding, Tasya ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1 minute, 16.34 seconds on a fast track and paid $4.20, $3.40 and $2.80. Trained by Tom Wenzel for owner Jerre Paxton (Northwest Farms), Tasya has won two straight races by a combined 11-½ lengths at the $7,500 claiming level.
Renaissance Queen, a 19-to-1 long shot ridden by Leonel Camacho-Flores, rallied to finish second and paid $11 and $6.80. Giacomina, with Pedro Terrero riding, finished third and returned $4 for show.
A 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Successful Appeal out of Heart That Matters, Tasya is 3-3-0 in eight lifetime starts with earnings of $27,710.
Wenzel is 24-for-75 at the meeting—32 percent winners—and has saddled 10 feature race winners. Gutierrez, riding two winners on the night, is second in the Thoroughbred standings with 80 wins including 17 two-win days.
Breaking from the outside post, Tasya went to the front and set fractions of :22.08, :44.61 and 1:09.58 en route to the victory. She straightened into the stretch eight lengths clear, and coasted home under intermittent urging.
NOTES: Frank Lucarelli saddled Captain Bob ($5.80) to a neck victory in the third race and continues to chip away at Howard Belvoir’s lead in the thoroughbred trainers’ standings. With 16 days left in the 2011 meeting, Belvoir leads Lucarelli 44-41.
Both Belvoir and Lucarelli will have plenty of action this weekend at Emerald Downs, as Belvoir has entered horses in nine race while Lucarelli has runners in eight.
Trainer Roy Lumm hit the 350-win mark at Emerald Downs as Sarganis ($3.60) connected in Thursday’s nightcap under Gallyn Mitchell. Lumm is only the eighth trainer to hit the milestone…Washington-bred Evita’s Crown ($9.40) scored a nose victory in her lifetime debut Thursday at Del Mar for trainer Vann Belvoir and owner/breeder Pay Dirt Racing (Ron McCormack, Maple Valley).
Vann Belvoir also scored with a first-time starter at Emerald Downs as Brady’s Kat ($10.60) prevailed in the fourth race under Javier Matias.
Live racing continues Friday with first post 6:15 p.m.
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