The curtain fell on the 2024 Emerald Downs season on Sunday and closing day saw rank outsider Colonel Ludlow win the $50,000 Gottstein Futurity. Trainer Justin Evans entered a trio in the futurity. Included among those were a pair of colts who each won $15,000 maiden-claiming races in their latest starts and a filly. As fate and training talent would have it, Evans came away finishing first, second, and fifth with runners sent away at a minimum of 10-1. Colonel Ludlow, who was the longest shot of the three at 32-1, is owned by J. Evans and Jeff Plotkin. Each of the juveniles in the one mile and 70-yard fixture were going around two turns for the first time. That factor added an element of luck to the equation which included a wet-fast surface.  Colonel Ludlow, with apprentice Manuel Americano aboard, prevailed by a neck and paid $66.86 to his scattered backers. Runner-up A Thousand Miles battled fiercely the whole way and just missed under Kevin Krigger. She was a length in front of Candy Caballo, who hails from the barn of Tom Wenzel. Another neck back in fourth was 3-5 favorite Si That Tiger. Speaking through an interpreter post-race, apprentice Americano recited the instructions given to him in the paddock by Evans: "Don't get any dirt in his face. If he breaks good, go!"  The futurity win was a great cap on a four-win day for Americano. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Earlier on the card were the Washington Cup Filly and Mare Stakes and the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic. Kay Cooper-trained Chai won the Washington Cup Filly and Mare by a head, returning $8.32 to her backers. Zippin Sevenz, from the barn of Frank Lucarelli, was runner-up, and she in turn was a neck in front of Emerald Sea, who is trained by Rigoberto Velasquez. They covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.35 over wet-fast going. Chai is owned by Jill Fabulich and Lori Heist. The Muckleshoot Tribal Classic went to Naval Escort, a David Martinez charge who came from last behind what evolved to be a scalding early pace. Early splits of 22.53, 44.94 and 1:08.51 began to take their toll and Naval Escort mowed everybody down to win in 1:42.57 for 1 1/16 miles. Runner-up Coastal Kid was in front of only Naval Escort in the early going and he finished 2 1/4 lengths to the good of It's Kraken Time. Naval Escort races for Oak Crest Farm LLC. Slew's Tiz Whiz, the Longacres Mile runner-up who would have been a heavy favorite in the Muckleshoot, was scratched. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.