Who’s Your Next Ex took the early lead and held off the closers late for a head victory Thursday in the $10,900 Ashbaugh Beal Purse for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs.
With jockey Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo riding her third winner on the card, Who’s Your Next Ex ran one mile in 1:36.66 on a fast track and paid $5.80, $2.80 and $2.20. Charles Essex is the trainer for owner Kimberly Nobles of Auburn.
He’s Flyin Home, with Joe Crispin riding, nosed out Overtime Victory finished second and paid $2.80 and $2.40. Overtime Victory, Javier Matias riding, flew late to finish third—missing the win by less than a length—and paid $2.60 for show.
Nursed on the lead through fractions of :23.87, :47.22 and 1:11.21, Who’s Your Next Ex shook off Immigration into the lane, and then was all-out to hold off He’s Flyin Home and Overtime Victory for the triumph.
Immigration, Snow On the River and Whitney Bridge completed the order of finish.
A 5-year-old Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold-Synanita, Who’s Your Next Ex has compiled a 6-2-4 record in career starts with earnings of $64,767. The chestnut gelding is two-for-five this season after missing the entire 2010 season. He was a triple winner in 2009 and also finished second in the $50,000 Trooper Seven Stakes on Washington Cup Day.
Hoonan-Trujillo, meanwhile, keeps rolling along. Already with 53 wins, she needs just 15 victories to tie her career-high 68 wins set in 2005. And Hoonan-Trujillo is just 11 wins away from tying Jennifer Whitaker’s mark of 371 wins by a female jockey at Emerald Downs.
Juan Gutierrez also rode three wins on the eight-race card and ranks third in the standings with 55 wins.
Leading rider Leslie Mawing was blanked in two mounts and still leads Crispin by a 65-59 margin. Mawing took off his final two rides due to illness and snapped his streak of 14 straight days with at least one riding win.
NOTES: West Seattle Boy rallied for a third-place finish in the fourth race won by Kool Comic ($7.40). The track’s all-time leader with 19 wins, West Seattle Boy now has 99 career starts with earnings of $170,780.
In the fifth race, trainer Joe Toye brought Wowie Maui ($12.60) back from a 16-month layoff for a 3 ¾-length victory in 1:09.48 for six furlongs. The Harbor the Gold 5-year-old has a 3-2-0 record in six career starts for owner-breeder David Breiwick.
Vann Belvoir saddled his second winner in two days at Del Mar as Washington-bred Certified Diamond ($13.80) prevailed under Chantal Sutherland in the fourth race. Belvoir saddled Mentidoso to a $38.40 victory Wednesday on opening day of Del Mar’s 37-day meeting. Incidentally, in his previous start July 2 at Emerald Downs, Certified Diamond finished eighth in a race won by He’s Flyin Home.
Belvoir added a victory at Emerald Downs as Majestic Peak ($6.80) led gate-to-wire in the nightcap, the third win of the meet for West Point Thoroughbreds’ 4-year-old gelding.
Live racing continues Friday with first post at 6:15 p.m.
