Betrbegone surprises in Seattle Slew Handicap

AUBURN, Wash. – Betrbegone, the longest shot on the board, rode the rail to a $68.60 upset in the $50,000 Seattle Slew Handicap Sunday at Emerald Downs. Ridden by Leonel Camacho-Flores for trainer David Martinez, Betrbegone covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.79 and threw Emerald’s wide-open 3-year-old stakes division into further disarray.

There have been three stakes for 3-year-olds at the current meeting, with three different winners at odds of 8-1, 8-1, and now 33-1. The $65,000 Emerald Downs Derby is Aug. 9.

The front-running Betrbegone defeated Prime Engine by three-quarters of a length, kicking gamely through the final furlong after losing the lead to Prime Engine nearing the eighth pole. Prime Engine stormed from eight lengths back to reach the front but ran out of gas in the final 100 yards, allowing Betrbegone to come back. O B Harbor, who dueled with the winner for six furlongs, held on for third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Prime Engine.

Thetrailerguy, the 2-1 favorite Sunday on the heels of an impressive victory in the one-mile Coca-Cola Handicap June 21, moved into contention at the head of the stretch but ducked in and steadied sharply, losing his best chance. He finished fifth, behind Percy Fawcett. They were followed by Gloria’s Angelo, Daytona Beach, Senna, John’s Not Bluffin, Fire the Trainer, and Fooled Again in a field of 11 colts and geldings.

Betrbegone earned $27,500 for Jerry Maggard of Yakima, Wash. A homebred for Maggard, Betrbegone is by Parker’s Storm Cat and from the Tough Knight mare Final Drummer. The Seattle Slew victory ran his career record to 3-1-0 from six starts, with earnings of $52,238.