Emerald Downs: Showme Yourfriends pays $102.40 in Auburn

AUBURN, Wash. - The Emerald Downs tote board lit up in a big way Monday when Showme Yourfriends, the second-longest shot on the board, raced to a half-length victory in the $50,000 Auburn Handicap for 3-year-olds. Showme Yourfriends paid $102.40, the largest win price at the meeting and the second-highest win payout in a stakes race in the track's 16-year history.

Showme Yourfriends, coming off a maiden victory, tucked in behind a fierce speed duel, saved ground around the turn, surged to the front near the furlong grounds and held off fast-closing Winter Warlock in the final yards to prevail by a half-length. Winter Warlock was 2 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Seattle Sniper in the nine-horse field, with pacesetter Mack's Gold Bullet, Zayda, Landed On the Moon, Slim Pickins, 4-5 favorite Couldabenthewhisky, and Hayjax completing the order of finish.

Bred in Washington by Howard Belvoir, a prominent trainer at Emerald Downs, Showme Yourfriends was transferred via private sale to owners Jody Peetz of Issaquah, Wash., and Tina and Scott Saxwold of Des Moines, Wash. The $27,500 winner's share of the Auburn Handicap purse increased Showme Yourfriends's career earnings to $43,350 in four starts. Jockey Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo was aboard for trainer Chris Stenslie.

"I honestly had no game plan going into the race," said Hoonan-Trujillo, who took Showme Yourfriends from the paddock to the track several minutes before the rest of the field. "He gets really nervous before the race, but he's perfect during the race. He didn't pull hard on me at all today, and he switched leads on cue. Going around the turn, I knew I had a lot of horse."

Showme Yourfriends, who ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.05 after fractions of 21.85 and 43.79 seconds, could be seen next in the one-mile Pepsi-Cola Handicap on June 26.

* Class Included ($6) captured the $50,000 Seattle Handicap for 3-year-old fillies Sunday at Emerald Downs, rallying from midpack to win by three lengths in 1:15.68 for 6 1/2 furlongs. Carrabelle Harbor finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of 13-10 betting choice Awesome Woman. Elusive Noise, Rossi Reserve, Debbie's Striker, and Love Makor completed the order of finish.

Class Included, a homebred for Mike and Amy Feuerborn of Maple Valley, Wash., earned $27,500, increasing her lifetime mark to $45,000 in four starts. Leslie Mawing was the rider for trainer Jim Penney, who recorded his 35th Emerald Downs stakes victory.

"Our only option was to sit back and wait, which is Class Included's style," Mawing said. "We've been training her behind horses, and she's responded really well. I knew they were setting some pretty fast fractions up front. We had the perfect trip."

The next stakes race for 3-year-old fillies is the one-mile Irish Day Handicap on June 26.