Stakes romp and sprint record at Emerald Downs

AUBURN, Wash. - An undefeated 2-year-old filly and a hard-knocking claiming sprinter shared top billing on a balmy Sunday at Emerald Downs. Ethan’s Baby, the 2-year-old, romped to a 6 1/4-length victory in the $50,000 Angie C. Stakes, while the sprinter, I Keep Saying, set a North American speed record by zipping 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.94 to prevail in a $32,000 claimer.

On a day when Emerald’s racing surface seemed to enhance speed more than usual, Ethan’s Baby broke sharply under David Lopez to clear the field, turned back a mild bid from Boss Lori midway through the turn, and widened her margin through the stretch. Pippa Bou Peep was a distant second in the meeting’s first stakes race for 2-year-old fillies, followed closely in third by Seeking the Light in a field of six.

Ethan’s Baby ($4.20) ran six furlongs in 1:09.29 and earned $27,225 for her breeders and owners, Todd and Shawn Hansen of Tenino, Wash. Trained by Howard Belvoir, Ethan’s Baby is by Offlee Wild, out of the Broken Vow mare Hope and Vow. She could be seen next in the 6 1/2-furlong Barbara Shinpoch Stakes on Aug. 17.

Earlier on the card, I Keep Saying, a 5-year-old by Yankee Gentleman, made all the running to prevail by 6 1/4 lengths in a strong field of older horses. He carved extraordinary fractions – 22.01 seconds for the first quarter-mile, 43.89 for the half and 1:06.82 for six furlongs – to break the North American record of 1:13 set by Sabertooth at Emerald Downs in 2005.

Ridden by Juan Gutierrez for Washington Hall of Fame trainer Jim Penney, I Keep Saying is owned by Penney's Homestretch Farm and was bred by Penney's daughters Kay Cooper and Jill Fabulich.