Saratoga Boot, a 9-to-1 long shot, was never headed Sunday and scored a 4 ¼-length victory in the $75,000 Emerald Derby for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.

With Kevin Krigger riding at 122 pounds, Saratoga Boot ran 1 1/8 mile in 1 minute, 48 2/5 seconds on a fast track and paid $21.40, $10.40 and $5.80. Tim McCanna trains the Arkansas-bred for owner Gary Hughes of Clarkston, Wash.

Saratoga Boot sped to the lead from the outside post, set fractions of :22 3/5, :46 3/5, 1:11 4/5 and 1:35 4/5 en route to the victory. The final time was one tick faster than Winning Machine ran last year.

Canadian shipper Ain, a maiden making only his third career start, emerged from the pack to finish second and paid $15.80 and $7.20. Gallyn Mitchell rode the runner-up at 122 lbs.

Posse Power, the 6-to-5 betting favorite ridden by Francisco Duran at 122 lbs, was a half-length back in third place and paid $2.60. The Kentucky-bred enjoyed a consistent season, finishing first, second or third in all four stakes appearances, but Sunday’s defeat was his third straight as the betting favorite.

California shipper Slew the Man finished fourth, followed by Clear to Canada, Seattle Slew Handicap winner Newfound Man, Mr. Mad Max, Majestic Peak and Koala Beach.

According to Krigger, he and McCanna hashed out several scenarios in the paddock. Alas, the game plan was simple—sprint to the lead, slow the pace down, and power home late. And that’s exactly how things developed.

“He broke sharply out of the gate,” Krigger said. “He knew where he wanted to be and he put himself on the front end. I didn’t think that we were going a :22 and change first quarter, but when you are on the good horses, it always feels easy.”

In front by 1-½ lengths on the last turn, Saratoga Boot spurted five lengths clear into the stretch and the game was all but over.

“When he switched to his left lead, he changed into another horse,” Krigger added. I asked him, but he practically was doing it on his own. He was a pro today.”

The $41,250 winner’s share more than doubled Saratoga Boot’s earnings to $74,200. The Storm Boot gelding has a 2-2-2 record in eight starts overall, including a second in the May 23 Auburn Handicap and a third in the July 25 Seattle Slew Handicap.

The mutuel handle was $1,695,505–up over 10 percent from last year.

News and Notes

Alex Solis will ride Burj Dubai for trainer Dino Condilenios in the $250,000 Longacres Mile Grade 3 on Sunday, Aug. 22. Solis, 46, has ridden in three previous Miles, compiling two seconds and a third…Three probable Mile starters recorded workouts Sunday morning at Emerald Downs. Defending champion Assessment worked six furlongs in a bullet 1:12 2/5 for Howard Belvoir; Gallon, eighth last year, drilled five furlongs in a bullet :58 4/5 for five-time Mile-winning trainer Jim Penney, and Jersey Town worked seven furlongs in 1:27 3/5 for trainer Tim McCanna. Entries for the 75th Longacres Mile will be drawn 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Emerald Room at Emerald Downs…Krigger rode three winners—his fifth day with at least three winners—and leapfrogged apprentice Pedro Terrero into fifth place in the jockeys’ standings with 50 wins…In the trainers’ standings, McCanna leads Vann Belvoir 47-43, with Frank Lucarelli third with 40 wins…McCanna, on pace for his 10th Emerald Downs training title, is the track’s all-time leader with 754 wins, and his 29 stakes wins rank fourth all-time…Gallyn Mitchell celebrated his 48th birthday with gate-to-wire victories on Maker Happy ($3.60) in the third race and Doable ($3.60) in the seventh. They were his 1,232nd and 1,233rd victories at Emerald Downs. And, of course, he added a second on the maiden Ain in the Emerald Derby. “I didn’t know much about the horse,” Mitchell said of the Hastings invader. “(Trainer) Dino (Condilenios) told me that he might be green, and he was. But at the three-eighths pole, he started to pick horses off, and I think Posse Power running next to him kept his attention. He won’t be a maiden for long.”…Live racing resumes Thursday with first post at 6 p.m. Emerald Downs is open for simulcast wagering Wednesday-Sunday.