Cliff’s Secret, who debuted against rock-bottom maiden claimers two months ago, continued her rapid rise Friday at Emerald Downs with a smashing 5 ¾-length victory in the $13,100 Abbott Party Purse for older fillies and mares.
With regular rider Juan Gutierrez aboard, Cliff’s Secret ran six furlongs in a swift 1 minute, 8 3/5 seconds and paid $7, $3.80 and $3.80. Jim Penney, assisted by daughter Kay Cooper, is the trainer for owners Michael and Amy Feuerborn of Maple Valley.
Ghost Tree, ridden by Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo, finished second and paid $10.40 and $5.40. Mizzen You, Inoel Beato riding, finished third and paid $5.40. Dan Markle saddled the second and third-place finishers.
Cee the Lady, the 1-1 betting favorite bidding for her fourth straight win at the meet, was rushed to the lead after a poor break, and then tired to finish a well-beaten fourth. Cee the Lady was claimed for $17,500 by trainer Roy Lumm and owner Janet Johnson.
A Kentucky-bred by The Cliff’s Edge, Cliff’s Secret sold for $50,000 at the 2007 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, but it took her nearly three years to get to the races, and her May 15 debut was for $5,000 maiden-claiming. There were no takers at the claim box and only a smattering of support at the betting windows, but Cliff’s Secret won like a 1-to-5 shot, waltzing home by 7-¼ easy lengths.
Her second race wasn’t quite so simple, but she got the job done by three-quarters of a length against $17,500 non-winners of two races.
She was back in easy mode Friday, gliding past Cee the Lady on the turn, opening a four-length lead into the lane, and pouring it on late.
Cliff’s Secret set fractions of 22 1/5, :45 and 56 3/5.
“She has a ton of ability,” said Cooper, who has seen her share of fine horses while working with her Hall of Fame father. “We still don’t know how good she is.”
Cliff’s Secret earned $7,205 to increase her earnings to $16,335.
Penney now has three 3-for-3 horses at the meeting—Cliff’s Secret, Squeallin By and Sis’s Sis—and he’s 27-for-103 overall (26.2 percent)
The Feuerborns are the meet’s leading owners with a 10 wins in 26 starts—38.4 percent. They also own Sis’s Sis, who goes for her fourth straight victory Sunday in the $50,000 Washington’s Lottery Handicap for 3-year-old fillies.
West Seattle Boy finishes fifth
The record will have to wait for another day.
West Seattle Boy, attempting to become the track’s all-time leader in wins, finished fifth and last in the sixth race under jockey Gallyn Mitchell. R Samurai ($7.60), ridden by Francisco Duran, prevailed over Huzyurhuckleberry as the front-runners dominated the 1 1/16-mile race.
West Seattle Boy, 11-years-old, remains tied with Bob Stories and Market Master at 16 wins each.
news and Notes
• Kevin Krigger rode two more winners and is 13-for-26 in the last four racing days, including two doubles, a four-win day and Thursday’s five-win evening.
• The amazing Rileighs Hot Pants did it again Friday, finishing second in the fourth race as Lady Eliza ($12.80) led all the way for her second victory of the meeting. Rileighs Hot Pants has five seconds and two thirds in seven starts at the meet, all with Inoel Beato riding.
• Dinos Apostolou, trainer of Lady Eliza, is now 4-for-13 at the meeting, and as track announcer Robert Geller said, “The wine will be flowing Saturday night at Santorini Pizza & Pasta,” the north Seattle eatery that Apostolou owns and operates…With 39 wins, Pedro Terrero is on pace to break Cassie Papineau’s record of 70 wins by an apprentice jockey set last season. Terrero, however, is just 13-for-133 after beginning the season 26-for-90….
• Live racing continues Saturday with first post at 2 p.m.
• Daily Racing Form Publisher Steven Crist will host a seminar & DVD signing at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the trackside tent. Crist’s DVD “Exotic Tickets” will be available for $15 or free for entrants in the Cross Country Handicapping Challenge.
