Canadian invader Coulterberry powered through the lane for a 1¾-length victory over Trump Itz in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic for 3-year-olds and up Sunday at Emerald Downs.
Ridden by Amadeo Perez, at 118 pounds, Coulterberry covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.71 on a sloppy surface and paid $5.20, $3.60 and $2.60. Mark Cloutier is the winning trainer for owners/breeders Roy and Dixie Jacobson of Abbotsford, B.C.
While Grinder Sparksaglo and Mike Man’s Gold sizzled through fractions of :22.73, :45.21 and 1:09.16, Coulterberry lagged some 10 lengths off the pace. Rallying four-wide into the lane, Coulterberry collared the leaders inside the eighth pole and drew off with authority.
“When I asked him, he really came with a fast move today,” said Perez, whose previous Emerald Downs’ stakes win was aboard Herbie D in the 2013 Longacres Mile. “He handled the (sloppy track) no problem.”
A 6-year-old B.C.-bred by Finality, Coulterberry earned $26,400 for his first career stakes victory. His overall mark is 10-5-3 in 24 starts with earnings of $155,499.
Cloutier and Perez nearly doubled Sunday, but their Under Par was edged out by No Talking Back in the $50,000 Washington Cup Filly & Mare.
Trump Itz, longest shot on the board at 21 to 1, edged Hit the Beach for second and paid $14.20 and $6.80.
Hit the Beach rallied in tandem with Coulterberry into the stretch, and was nipped by Trump Itz for the place. The defending Muckleshoot Tribal Classic champion, Hit the Beach paid $3.20 to show.
Elliott Bay, Grinder Sparksaglo, Makah Lane and Mike Man’s Gold rounded out the order of finish. Sippin Fire and The Press were scratched earlier in the day.
No Talking Back wins third straight stakes
In the $50,000 Washington Cup Filly & Mare presented by Xpressbet, No Talking Back wore down Canadian invader Under Par in the final strides for a three-quarter-length victory.
Ridden by Scott Stevens at 123 pounds, No Talking Back ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.73 on a sloppy track and paid $6.40, $3 and $2.20. Chris Stenslie is the trainer for owners One Horse Will Do Corp. (Jody Peetz) and Steve Shimizu.
With the victory, No Talking Back became the meet’s first triple stakes winner and has all but clinched honors as the track’s Top Older Filly or Mare. With Stevens riding, the 5-year-old mare has reeled off consecutive victories in the Boeing Stakes, Emerald Distaff and Washington Cup Filly & Mare. Sunday’s win was worth $26,400.
“She runs on any surface, and she’s getting better,” Stevens said.
A Washington-bred by Flatter-Talk to My Lawyer, No Talking Back is 6-6-3 in 22 starts overall with earnings of $170,504.
Peetz, who also bred No Talking Back, said the mare deserves Horse of the Meeting consideration, while Stenslie added No Talking Back is a joy to train.
“I love this mare,” Stenslie said. “She loves to train, she loves running, and I love having her at the barn.”
The speedy Under Par, now 9 for 14 lifetime, nearly stole the race. The 4-year-old Stephanotis filly set fractions of :22.68, :45.62, 1:09.97 and 1:35.79, and dug in gamely when challenged by No Talking Back. Ridden by Amadeo Perez at 119 lbs, Under Par paid $3.40 and $2.60.
Dontkissntell, ridden by Ryan Barber, finished third and paid $3.40 to show. A 4-year-old Rosberg filly, Dontkissntell now has three Washington Cup placings in the last two years; she won the 2018 Sophomore Filly and was runner-up to Fly Far Away in the 2018 Filly & Mare.
Rounding out the order of finish were Bella Mia, Magical Spell, Fortune’s Freude and Suddenly Awesome.
No Talking Back and Under Par both went off at 2 to 1, but Under Par had about $700 more in the win pool.
Sunday also was 2019 Washington Racing Hall of Fame Day, with induction ceremonies after the first four races. Ruth Parton (Trainer), Snow Plow (Filly or Mare), Griffin Place (Breeder) and Aaron T. Van de Vanter (Lifetime Achievement) were all officially enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
Notes
Stevens and Kevin Orozco lead the stakes standings with four wins each. … Back from a two-day suspension, Gary Wales rode two winners and owns a 95-63 lead on Orozco in the overall standings. Wales needs five wins in the final three days to become the 17th different rider with a 100-win season at Emerald Downs. … Baja Sur worked six furlongs in 1:14.70 on a sloppy track before Sunday’s first race for trainer Blaine Wright. Unbeaten in four career starts, the 3-year-old Smiling Tiger gelding is possible for the $25,000 Pete Pedersen Overnight Stakes on closing day. … Only three days remain in the 2019 live racing season: Friday, Sept. 20, 6 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 21, 5 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 22, 2 p.m.
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