Emerald purses to get 10 percent hike in 2022
Going into the final weekend of the 2021 Emerald Downs meet, track president Phil Ziegler had some positive news regarding next year.
“It has been a good year, so we are going to increase purses by 10 percent in 2022,” Ziegler said.
The current meet was successful from a business standpoint, but Ziegler was more excited about having fans back at the Auburn, Wash., oval.
“The biggest thing was having people back,” Ziegler said. “We were not without challenges due to COVID restrictions, but I can’t remember seeing so many smiles on people’s faces.”
Ziegler also like the way the demographics seemed to change.
“I don’t have any numbers to go on, but when we went back to racing on the weekends it seemed like there were a lot more young people coming out,” he said. “They were getting dressed up and really enjoying themselves.”
Jockey race down to wire
The race for leading jockey is undecided, with Alex Cruz and Julien Couton tied at the top with 73 wins each. With 68 wins, Juan Gutierrez will need a strong weekend in order to catch Cruz and Couton.
People are still buzzing about Cruz’s remarkable ride aboard Akasi in the fourth race last Sunday. When Akasi broke sideways leaving the starting gate, Cruz lost his irons. Cruz tried in vain to get his feet back in the irons, and when Akasi dropped back more than 15 lengths behind the field, it appeared he was going to pull her up. Akasi had other plans, though, and she ended up making a strong move while going extremely wide to win the 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race by three-quarters of a length for trainer David Martinez.
“At the start, she stumbled and ducked out, that’s when I lost my irons,” Cruz said. “I tried to recover, but it was so muddy and my boots were slipping. I was going to pull her up going into the turn, but when we started to gain some ground, we went on with it.”
Akasi is owned by Jack Hodge of Oak Crest Farm.
“I’ve always loved Alex Cruz because he always rides hard the whole race, even if he’s not going to win,” Hodge said. “He had every reason to pull my filly up, but he knows the filly and her closing style and chose to continue riding. Alex is a tremendous athlete.”
Well-matched feature race
The Howard Belvoir-trained For You Only will vie for favoritism with Sacagawea, trained by Tom Wenzel, in a $20,000 claiming race for fillies and mares that will serve as Saturday’s feature. The six-furlong dash for nonwinners of two drew seven horses and goes as the 10th race on an 11-race card that begins at 6 p.m. Pacific.
Cruz rides Suddenly Winning, who is coming off a win in a $15,000 maiden claimer for trainer Kay Cooper.
Lutes Lil Gift will try to take them all the way with Couton riding for trainer Rosie Simkins.
Joe Toye has a five-win lead over Frank Lucarelli and appears to have the training title wrapped up. He will be represented in the feature race by longshot Coastal Run.