Juan Gutierrez rides 2,000th winner

Jockey Juan Gutierrez brought Semi Sweet ($15.60) from last to upset 7-5 favorite Gazing in the first race Thursday at Emerald Downs. It was the 2,000th win for the 50-year-old Washington Hall of Fame jockey. He did not rest on his laurels as he proceeded to win the next two races on the 10-race card.

“I feel real good, and it’s an emotional moment for me,” Gutierrez said. “Getting 2,000 wins is great. I always try to be consistent. You can’t do something like that without the help of owners, trainers, grooms, and everyone else on the backstretch."

Gutierrez is 32 wins away from surpassing Gallyn Mitchell’s all-time record of 1,419 wins at Emerald.

A gem of consistency, Gutierrez won his first race at Emerald on April 28, and in one stretch, he was in the top five in the jockey standings 13 straight years. He won the 2012 title with 117 wins.

He is a two-time winner of the Longacres Mile. He also pulled off the biggest upset in the most important race at Emerald when he guided No Giveaway to a shocking victory in the 2005 Mile. The Grant Forster-trained son of He’s Tops paid $122 for his three-quarter length victory over Quiet Cash.