Midnight Mojo, Coastal Kid, Bayakoas Image win closing-day stakes
Midnight Mojo came from well back to win the $80,000 Gottstein Futurity at Emerald Downs on Sunday. He paid $19.60 for his 1 1/2-length victory over Diamond Willow.
Ridden by Heribert Martinez, Midnight Mojo was last early and had one horse beat in the nine-horse field when Diamond Willow posted a half-mile time of 46.97 seconds in the mile and a sixteenth race. He started to move into contention on the stretch turn and took command mid-stretch. Diamond Willow held on for second after dueling with Big Paper Daddy, who finished third.
The final time was 1:46.18.
“Since the first time he started galloping I’ve loved this horse,” said Martinez. “I had a lot of horse.”
A Kentucky-bred son of Midnight Lute, Midnight Mojo is trained by Tom Wenzel and races for George Todaro.
The Gottstein was one of three closing day stakes. The Muckleshoot Classic for 3-year-olds and up and the Washington Cup Filly or Mare were both restricted to horses bred in Washington or British Columbia or sired by a stallion standing in Washington or B.C.
Coastal Kid came from a stalking position to win the $50,000 Muckleshoot Classic. He paid $7 for his 3 1/4-length victory over Stay Fantastic in the mile and a sixteenth race.
With Wayne Barnett riding, Coastal Kid broke sharply from the outside post in the six-horse field, stalked Spittin Image through a half-mile in 47.72 seconds, engaged the leader at the three-eighths pole, and drew off in the stretch to win convincingly.
Stay Fantastic, also in a stalking position from along the rail, had to steady slightly when he tried to get through on the inside of Spittin Image approaching the stretch turn. He moved off the rail and rallied in the stretch to finish a length in front of Spittin Image.
The final time was 1:42.61.
“He broke sharply but I wanted to stalk and pounce as soon as I could because I had closers coming,” said Barnett.
Coastal Kid, the only 3-year-old in the field, gave trainer Jeff Metz his 800th win.
The homebred son of Coast Guard races for Letha and Steve Haahr.
The $50,000 Washington Cup Filly or Mare turned into a match race between heavily favored Bayakoas Image and longshot Brilliant Bird, who dueled the whole way in the mile and a sixteenth race. After a thrilling stretch run, Bayakoas Image prevailed by neck. She paid $2.80 and posted a final time of 1:42.94.
With Alex Marti aboard, Bayakoas Image broke sharply and was inside of Brilliant Bird as the pair hooked up soon after the start and posted interior fractions of 22.94 and 46.54 seconds. Bayakoas Image took a slight edge at the eighth pole and was all-out to hold off Brilliant Bird, who was game in defeat. She finished three lengths in front of Ms Lynn, who came from a stalking position to edge Blazingbellalblu by a neck for third.
Bayakoas Image was coming off an easy win in her first start at Emerald in the $50,000 Washington Oaks.
“She had to work a little harder today, “said Marti. Brilliant Bird was tough, she wouldn’t go away, but Bayakoas Image got it done.”
The homebred British Columbia-bred daughter of Lent is trained by Kay Cooper. She races for Nite and Day Stable and Joanne Todd.
Cruz, Toye win titles
In another tight race, Alex Cruz won the second to last race of meet to edge Julian Couton 75-74 in the jockey standings. Cruz was the leading rider at Emerald in 2020 with 72 wins.
Joe Toye won his first training title at Emerald with 29 wins. Frank Lucarelli, a seven-time leading trainer at the Auburn, Wash., oval, finished second in the standings with 26 wins.