City by the Bay sparkles in Seattle Handicap victory

AUBURN, Wash. – City by the Bay ran her unbeaten record to 3 for 3 with a three-quarter-length victory Sunday in the $50,000 Seattle Handicap at Emerald Downs. A 3-year-old filly by City Zip, City by the Bay ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.76 and paid $3.60 as the favorite in an eight-horse field.

City by the Bay’s start at Emerald may turn out to be a one-time thing. City by the Bay is based at Golden Gate with trainer Bill Morey and came north to Emerald only because of a gap in Northern California’s stakes schedule for 3-year-old fillies. Prior to her Seattle victory, City by the Bay had been idle since September, when she captured the $100,000 Barretts Debutante at Pomona, Calif.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, who came in from Golden Gate for the mount, City by the Bay tracked pace-setters Chu and You and Lotta Attitude through the early going, ranged up three wide nearing the top of the stretch, and gradually inched away while racing well off the rail. Chu and You, the champion 2-year-old filly at Emerald in 2013, hung on gamely for second. Mylast Sweet Pea, 50-1, finished third, followed by Lotta Attitude, Strawberry Dawn, Sunpenny, Just a Love, and Belladiva.

City by the Bay earned $27,500, pushing her earnings to $97,670 for owners Martin Bach and Jack Owens. They purchased City by the Bay for $40,000 at a Barretts sale of 2-year-olds in training last May.

Ealier Sunday, Trackattacker, a 2-year-old son of Harbor the Gold, set a track record for 4 1/2 furlongs, running the distance in 49.98 seconds to capture the day’s second race by nine lengths with Leslie Mawing riding. He paid $7.60.

Trackattacker, trained by Frank Lucarelli for Roy and Ellie Schaefer, was making his first lifetime start. The Schaefers acquired him for $25,000 at the 2013 Washington yearling and mixed sale in September.