Alittlelesstalk proved she’s the real deal Sunday at Emerald Downs.
In one of the season’s most exciting races, Alittlelesstalk wrestled command from Forty Six Carats into the stretch and held off 1-to-5 favorite Mucho Amor for a neck victory in the $50,000 Kent Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Ridden by Lorenzo Lopez at 119 pounds, Alittlelesstalk covered 6½ furlongs in a stakes record 1:15.33, and paid $24.80, $5.20 and $3.80. Roddina Barrett is the trainer for owners Tim Floyd of Spokane, Kelly Dougan of Mountlake Terrace, and Stephanie Loffredo of Las Vegas.
Mucho Amor, ridden by Juan Hernandez at 122 pounds, loomed boldly into the stretch to engage Alittlelesstalk in a virtual match race to the wire.
“I had a lot of horse at the three-eighths pole, but I knew Mucho Amor was coming,” Lopez said. “(Alittlelesstalk) really had some fight in her today. She ran an amazing race.”
For Lopez, 49, it was his first stakes victory at Emerald Downs.
Mucho Amor, six-length winner over Alittlelesstalk in the Seattle Stakes last month, returned $2.20 and $2.10. It was 6¾ lengths back to third place finisher Senoradiablo and a $5.60 show payoff.
Twirling Devon, Forty Six Carats, Killarney Lass and Suddenly Awesome completed the order of finish; Northwest Factor was a late scratch.
For Alittlelesstalk, the victory capped a productive seven weeks for the sophomore filly, during which she compiled a 2-2-0 mark in four starts with earnings of $47,975.
A Washington-bred by Demon Warlock-Trainingat the Bar, Alittlelesstalk is 3-2-0 in seven starts lifetime with earnings of $55,225, including $26,400 for Sunday’s win.
For Barrett, the Kent was her first Thoroughbred stakes victory at Emerald Downs, although she previously won the 2016 Bank of America Quarter Horse Challenge with Sorelli, also owned by Floyd and Dougan.
“I don’t even know that to say right now,” Barrett said in a jubilant winner’s circle. “This is awesome.”
Floyd, who stands Demon Warlock in Yakima, said perhaps the victory would open some eyes.
“It’s nice to see Roddina compete with the big boys,” he said. “This is an awesome training job by her.”
Mucho Amor earned $9,600 to boost her earnings to $102,190, with a record of 3-1-0 in six starts.
The 3-year-old fillies reconvene for the $50,000 Irish Day Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Sunday, July 14.
Notes
Four different riders doubled Sunday – Lopez, Javier Matias, Eddie Martinez and apprentice Jose Leon. … Through 21 days of racing, Gary Wales leads Matias 26-19 atop the standings. … Frank Lucarelli and Jorge Rosales each had two training wins Sunday, and Lucarelli leads Blaine Wright 26-12 in the trainers’ standings. … Fleur De Lis Stables’ Rally Cat ($6.60), fourth in the Auburn Stakes last month, prevailed in the $18,500 sub-feature for 3-year-old colts and geldings in 1:09.21 for six furlongs. … Invite Me ($13) broke her maiden vs. males in Sunday’s second race, scoring a neck victory over Mae Belle Passe in 1:39.22 for one mile. … Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:30 p.m.
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