Cryderman has strong pair in Emerald allowance dash
Owner John Parker and trainer Candi Cryderman have a strong one-two punch with Preskitt and Cielo Diamante in a first-level allowance race for 3-year-fillies on Saturday at Emerald Downs. The 5 1/2-furlong dash headlines a nine-race card that begins at 2:15 p.m. Pacific.
Preskitt figures to be favored over her stablemate. After all, they are coming out of the same race, and Preskitt was the chalk when she won the $50,000 starter race April 23 at Golden Gate Fields. Cielo Diamante finished third in the 5 1/2-furlong dash on Tapeta.
A California-bred daughter of Stay Thirsty, Preskitt chased Fire Escape, who set a brisk pace before fading to finish eighth. Preskitt assumed command on the turn and after opening up a clear lead in the stretch was able to hold off a late move by Autism Innocence to win by a neck. Cielo Diamante was in striking distance in midstretch but hung.
The pair ended up in the same positions in a similar race April 2, but the roles were reversed with Cielo Diamante taking them all the way in the six-furlong sprint. The fillies were trained by Michael Lenzini in the Golden Gate races and will be making their first starts for Crydeman, who won the opening-day feature last Sunday for Parker with Franks Fix It. Cielo Diamante was claimed out of her win in a $12,500 maiden-claiming race on March 12.
Preskitt can handle dirt, as evidenced by her runner-up finish in a maiden special weight race for California-breds at Del Mar in her second start as a 2-year-old. A daughter of Cupid, Cielo Diamante has only raced on the synthetic main track at Golden Gate, where she has compiled a solid 2-0-2 record from five starts.
Preskitt will break from post 5 in the six-horse field with Juan Gutierrez up.
Cielo Diamante will need to hustle leaving from the inside post with Javier Matias aboard.
Gold N Glitter romped by 9 1/2 lengths when she debuted in a $25,000 maiden-claimer for trainer Frank Lucarelli last year and could be dangerous as a fresh horse.
In her only other two starts, the Washington-bred daughter of Harbor the Gold set the pace before being overwhelmed by Kron in the $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch and $48,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Fillies. She finished second in the Shinpoch and lost the runner-up spot by a head to Let It Reign in the Juvenile Fillies. Both races were at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Gold N Glitter won’t mind the shorter distance and could be tough to reel in if she breaks on top with Kevin Orozco riding.
◗ Emerald opened the 2022 meet with a large crowd and strong handle, as the $2,268,445 wagered was a record for a nine-race card at the Auburn, Wash., oval.
◗ Juan Gutierrez won a third of the races, and his victory aboard Linchtown in the finale was his 1,500th at Emerald
“I want to thank all the owners, trainers, fans, and everyone at Emerald Downs who made this possible,” said the 52-year-old rider who was inducted into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame in 2018.