Sis’s Sis made it two-for-two on the young season with a hard-earned three-quarter-length victory over stable-mate Sweet Nellie Brown in the $18.000 feature race for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Emerald Downs.
With Juan Gutierrez riding his third winner of the day. Sis’s Sis ran six furlongs in 1 minute, 8 3/5 seconds on a fast track and paid $14.40, $5.60 and $3.80.
Sweet Nellie Brown, ridden by Inoel Beato, was clearly second best and returned $4.20 and $4.
Jim Penney trains the winner and the runner-up, and the Penney runners were so dominant that it was 5 ¾-lengths back to the show horse, Greenback Forest. Ridden by Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo, Greenback Forest paid $5.40 to show.
Sweet Nellie Brown and Sis’s Sis stalked Oregon shipper Shame On Rosie through a half-mile in 44 4/5, and then swung into action at the quarter-pole. Sweet Nellie Brown gained a short lead into the lane, but Sis’s Sis quickly drew alongside, and the fillies battled to the wire with Sis’s Sis proving slightly better than her stable-mate, who was racing for the first time in over nine months.
Owned by Michael and Amy Feuerborn of Maple Valley, Sis’s Sis earned $9,900 to increase her bankroll to $24,885. Sis’s Sis has a 3-0-0 record from five starts.
Penney won two races and moved into first place with 13 wins in 37 starts—a 35.1 percent success rate.
“Everything’s kind of clicking right now, and it’s great,” Penney said.
News and Notes
• Penney won with yet another first-time starter as Cliff’s Secret ($10.40) debuted with a 7 ¼-length victory in the fourth race. A $50,000 yearling purchase, Cliff’s Secret went unclaimed while defeating $5,000 maidens in 1:03 2/5 for 5 ½ furlongs. Penney already has won with four first-time starters, and is on pace to break the single-season record of eight debut winners. The Feuerborns also own Cliff’s Secret.
• Assessment is the 3-1 morning line favorite in Sunday’s $50,000 Seattle Handicap at six furlongs. The Seattle is the first race for older handicap horses en route to the $250,000 Longacres Mile (GIII) on Aug. 22. The 10 entrants have a combined 20 stakes wins at Emerald Downs…Nominations for the $50,000 Auburn Handicap will be released Sunday. The Auburn, to be run at 6 ½ furlongs on May 23, is the first stakes for 3-year-olds on the road to the Aug. 15 Emerald Derby.
• Troy Stilwell was fined $500 for failure to maintain a straight course in the fifth race Friday, which resulted in Little Cookie being disqualified from first to fourth place.
• Stillwell delivered a picture-perfect ride in the sixth race Saturday to rally Glo Bou Liza ($10.60) to a nose victory over 3-5 favorite Super Dixie in the $15,100 co-feature.
• Trainer Joe Toye won with his first starter of the season as Kickapole ($22) scored in the nightcap under Anne Von Rosen.
• Gutierrez, Ricky Frazier and Gallyn Mitchell are tied for first in the jockeys’ standings with 15 wins each. Inoel Beato is a length back in fourth with 14 wins.
