Emerald Downs: Wenzel's Northwest Farms pair run 1-2 in Angie C Stakes

AUBURN, Wash. - A pair of stablemates turned the $49,500 Angie C Stakes into a veritable match race Sunday at Emerald Downs. Goin to the Window prevailed by a length over Blueberry Smoothie in the meeting's first open stakes race for 2-year-old fillies, and the top two, trained by Tom Wenzel for Jerre Paxton's Northwest Farms, were more than 10 lengths clear of the other four runners.

Goin to the Window ran six furlongs in a stakes record 1:09.01 and paid $4. She was a slight favorite over her stablemate, both of whom recorded romping maiden victories in their career debuts before their much-anticipated meeting Sunday.

Song of Seattle, the third favorite at 9-2 following her front-running maiden victory, had been expected to set the pace, but when she lunged at the break, the Wenzel trainees shot to the front and were all but inseparable until the final 50 yards. Goin to the Window, racing outside her stablemate, finally inched away under jockey Juan Gutierrez, running the final quarter-mile in 24.06 seconds.

The race was delayed for several minutes at the start when Blueberry Smoothie became agitated in the gate and her rider, Gallyn Mitchell, suffered an apparent hand injury that required treatment. Blueberry Smoothie was brought back to the paddock, saddled again by Wenzel, and returned to starting gate with Leslie Mawing aboard.

"I was sitting in the jockeys' room watching the race on television, and I heard Gallyn got hurt at the gate," Mawing said. "I told Dan [Bryson], the clerk of scales, I was open to ride. Tom came down to the paddock and gave me some last-minute instructions. My horse broke great and showed good early speed. Next thing I know, Juan has his horse right alongside me. My horse got a little uncomfortable. I don't think that she liked the pressure. Still, she straightened out in the stretch and tried the whole way."

Gutierrez had ridden both fillies to their maiden victories and was torn about which one to ride in the Angie C. He made the right call, and was rewarded with another stakes victory -
his fifth of the meeting.

"It was a hard decision," he said. "I had more confidence in Goin to the Window because she won her race easier. I didn't have to ask her at all. In this race, I wanted to sit behind the speed, but she pulled me right up to the front. I had to ask her a little bit in the lane because I knew Blueberry Smoothie wouldn't quit. She's a nice filly."

Goin to the Window earned $27,225, increasing her ledger to $37,043. She and Blueberry Smoothie could be seen next in the 6 1/2-furlong Barbara Shinpoch Stakes on Aug. 26.