One Quick Brew, from the red-hot Larry Wolf stable, showed unusual early speed and held off betting favorite Follows None in the stretch for a one-length victory Saturday in the $12,600 feature race.
Well-ridden by Seth Martinez, One Quick Brew ran one mile in 1 minute, 35 seconds and paid $12, $5.60 and $3.20. Wolf, saddling his second winner of the day and his 14th in just 63 starts at the meeting, is the trainer for owner Joe Kitchen.
Follows None, Ricky Frazier riding, finished second and paid $3.80 and $3. Icy Ridge, bidding for a third straight victory under Troy Stillwell, rallied strongly but settled for third and a $2.20 show payoff.
Normally a deep closer, One Quick Brew engaged Follows None on the backstretch, and the 4-year-old geldings would battle all the way to the wire. One Quick Brew took a short lead into the stretch, but Follows None was resilient and dug in bravely through the lane. Frazier on Follows None claimed foul against Martinez on One Quick Brew, alleging the winner caused interference in the stretch run, but the stewards dismissed the claim.
Meanwhile, Gallyn Mitchell on fourth-place finisher Mr. Makah claimed foul on Stilwell and Icy Ridge for alleged interference on the last turn, but that claim also was disallowed.
A Kentucky-bred by Milwaukee Brew, One Quick Brew has seven wins in 22 starts with earnings of $72,810. The gelding was winless in three starts at the meet and hadn’t won since an 11-length win in the Norton Memorial Handicap at Portland Meadows on Nov. 9, 2008.
Martinez, the 2008 Emerald Downs riding champion, rode two winners and is tied for fourth place with apprentice Cassie Papineau at 63 wins apiece.
Track notes:
• Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo rode two winners—her second double of the week and fifth of the meeting-and is up to seventh place in the jockeys’ standings with 34 wins. Hoonan-Trujillo, of course, dominated the Portland Meadows meeting with 89 wins.
• Stillwell also recorded his second straight two-win day and the resurgent jockey ranks sixth with 44 wins.
• Frazier drew a rare blank but remains the runaway leader by a 143-103 margin over Mitchell.
• Tim McCanna continues to lead Doris Harwood 56-54 in the trainers’ standings.
• Racing continues Sunday with Washington Cup VII. First post is 2 p.m.
• Wasserman is 3-5 on the morning line to defend his title in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.
• The exceptionally fast Atta Boy Roy, a close fifth in The Mile, is 1-2 in the $50,000 Chinook Pass Sprint.
• Knight Raider, attempting to become the first 2-year-old to win five races in a season at Emerald Downs is 1-2 in the $50,000 Diane Kem Stakes.
• In all, Emerald Downs will present seven stakes worth an aggregate $350,000 purse money
• And paid admission receive free Emerald Downs beanies while supplies last.
