Ugottabcatty rallied under leading rider Ricky Frazier and scored a nose victory over Dress Code in the $15,100 feature race for older horses Saturday at Emerald Downs.
Taking his first win since last August, Ugottabcatty ran 6 ½ furlongs in 1 minute, 15 4/5 seconds on a sloppy track and paid $19, $9.80 and $5.80. H. R. Pat Mullens is the trainer for owner James Foulkes.
It was Frazier’s third win of the day as the defending riding champion opened a 39-35 lead over Gallyn Mitchell in the jockeys’ standings.
Dress Code, ridden by Kevin Krigger, took a short lead in mid-stretch but was outfinished by the winner. The runner-up paid $11.20 and $7.
It was 1-½ lengths back to Westsideclyde, who held third under Seth Martinez and paid $5.60. It was the first start in just over two years for the track’s Top Sprinter of 2007, and the now 8-year-old gelding held on well after setting fractions of :22 and :44 2/5.
Skyattic, who dueled with Westsideclyde to the head of the stretch, finished fourth and was followed by Snake Attack, 8-to-5 betting favorite Zagreus, Noble Juan and Song of Pirates.
A 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Jazzing Around, Ugottabcatty has a 4-4-2 mark in 13 starts with earnings of $36,753. Saturday’s win was worth $8,305.
With Frazier riding, Ugottabcatty has a 3-3-0 record in six starts.
News and Notes
• Kevin Krigger, who won Friday’s feature aboard long shot Highdleburg, recorded his first riding double of the season including a $45.60 stunner in the nightcap on second-time starter Heza Witch Doctor, who is owned by former jockey Cammie Papineau.
• Trainer Steve Bullock came within a nose of winning the late daily double with 9-1 Dress Code and 21-1 Heza Witch Doctor.
• Trainer Neil Knapp saddled back-to-back winners with Super Starlett ($2.60) in the sixth race and Dolly Varten ($6) in the seventh…Leading trainer Vann Belvoir also doubled with Winnie the Stew ($10.20) in the third and Primarius ($6.20) in the fifth. Belvoir leads Frank Lucarelli by a 29-26 margin.
• Live racing continues 2 p.m. Sunday with a 10-race card . Defending champion Assessment is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the $50,000 Budweiser Handicap at one mile.
