Mixo among live mounts for Gutierrez as he closes in on record
With 1,415 wins at Emerald Downs, Juan Gutierrez is just four wins away from tying Gallyn Mitchell as the all-time leading rider at the Auburn, Wash., track. There is not much doubt Gutierrez will pass Mitchell before the meet ends on Oct. 29.
Gutierrez, who was inducted into the Washington Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2018, could catch Mitchell as early as Wednesday. Just one of the seven horses he rides Wednesday is the morning-line favorite, but each has a legitimate chance of winning and his highest-priced mount is Party for One at 6-1 in race 7.
Gutierrez has an excellent chance of winning the featured eighth race with Mixo, who is listed at 5-1 in the six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up running for a top claiming price of $12,500. Post time for the first of nine races is 2:25 p.m. Pacific.
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Trained by Sharon Ross, Mixo is coming off a third-place finish behind Owners’ Prestige going 6 1/2 furlongs for the same price Aug. 20. Mixo must face Owners’ Prestige again Wednesday, but Owners’ Prestige is a front-runner facing plenty of other speed, and he is breaking from the outside post in the nine-horse field. The race could set up nicely for Mixo.
A 6-year-old son of Abraaj, Mixo is looking for his first victory since he won a $10,000 starter race on July 10, 2018. He came from well back to finish in front of Owners’ Prestige when he was the runner-up to La Waun in his first start this year on July 8.
Mixo drew the rail, and if all the speed goes, he should get the same kind of trip Wednesday.
Owners’ Prestige, trained by Blaine Wright, set wicked fractions on his way to easy wins in his last two races. He won a $12,500 claimer for nonwinners of three on July 29 and was never threatened when he stepped up to face non-conditioned company in his latest.
If Owners’ Prestige can clear early, he could be gone with Gary Wales retaining the mount. That is a big if, though.
The Nick Lowe-trained Pure Pursuit also is going for the hat trick after winning back-to-back $3,500 starter races that carried a $7,500 claiming option on Aug. 27 and Sept. 18. In both victories, he led at every call and won easily with leading rider Alex Cruz in the saddle.
Cruz will be aboard Pure Pursuit when he breaks from post 7.
So Lucky, third to La Waun in a $10,000 starter race that carried a $15,000 claiming option on Sept. 24, could be dangerous from a stalking position with Jennifer Whitaker riding for trainer Howard Belvoir.