Kiss My Lulu headlines $50,000 Angie C Stakes | Emerald Downs

Published 10:26 am Friday, July 24, 2015

For the Reporter

Apparently Howard Belvoir and Javier Matias were serious when they joked about winning all of the 2-year-old stakes this year at Emerald Downs.

Last week, Barkley—trained by Belvoir and ridden by Matias—prevailed by a half-length in the $50,000 Emerald Express for 2-year-old colts and geldings.

This week Belvoir and Matias combine with Kiss My Lulu in the $50,000 Angie C Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

Coming off a sensational debut — 4½ furlongs in a meet-fastest :51.25 on June 27 — Kiss My Lulu figures to be favored Sunday, although it’s not a slam-dunk.

Princess Kennedy and My Heart Goes On also enter the Angie C following snappy maiden wins. In Fact, Kiss My Lulu, Princess Kennedy and My Heart Goes On each earned a 64 Beyer in their respective maiden wins.

A Washington-bred by Coast Guard-Runaway Lulu, Kiss My Lulu left no doubt in her debut, rocketing to a long early lead before romping home by six lengths. Her early fractions — :22.32, :45.04 — are fastest of any of Sunday’s five entrants.

“She was always No. 1 on my list,” Belvoir said of Kiss My Lulu. “I really thought they’d have to run hard to outrun her the first time I ran her. She proved I was right. She’s really one of the top fillies that I’ve had the past couple years.

“After she ran, I worked her the other day behind horses and she came through up the fence. We spotted the other horse seven lengths and she had her caught by the quarter pole. Javier Matias also rode the other top horse in this race (My Heart Goes On) and he chose us, so that must say something.”

It’s not a stretch to call Belvoir and Matias a dynamic duo. The 71-year-old trainer and 43-year-old jockey have a long history of success together: 78-for-386 (20 percent) with a fat $2.75 ROI, and at the current meet they’re a combined 10-for-39 with a $2.14 ROI.

Moreover, Belvoir and Matias are the meet’s 2-year-old kings. Belvoir entered the week 4-0-1 in five starts with 2-year-olds, while Matias led all jockeys with a 5-1-1 record in nine mounts on 2-year-olds.

• The Angie C Stakes is Race 9 at 6:09 p.m.

• Through 13 stakes, average field size is 9.2 horses and average win payoff is soaring at $19.40. Favorites have won the last three stakes and are 5-for-13 overall.

• The field for the 20th running of the Angie C Stakes: Princess Kennedy, Gallyn Mitchell, 119 pounds; My Heart Goes On, Juan Gutierrez, 119; Jerre to Carrie, Rocco Bowen, 117; Pebble Beach, Joe Steiner, 117; Kiss My Lulu, Javier Matias, 119.

Bring your appetite: Food Truck Fest is here

Put down those chips and soda, it’s time for Food Truck Festival 2015 at Emerald Downs.

This Saturday and Sunday, a brigade of food trucks will invade North Park and serve fans all types of delectable meals, treats and beverages: Athena’s, Crisp Creperie Seattle, Just Jacks Food Truck, Fish Basket, Street Donuts, 314 Pie and Stacks Burgers and many others!

All trucks will battle for the coveted People’s Choice Award.

Finish lines

Weekly Honors #14 – Jockey – Leslie Mawing; Trainer – Larry Ross; Owner – Rising Star Stable III; Groom – The Ross Barn; WTBOA Washington-bred – Stryker Phd (Char Clark Thoroughbreds & Todd Havens); Exercise Rider-Brian Allen. … Quarter Chute Café Exercise Rider of the Week Brian Allen had an interesting week, to say the least. The 23-year-old Allen is the regular exercise rider for Belle Hill and Stryker Phd — each a stakes winner last week—but also suffered a broken fibia while working on the starting gate crew Saturday. The mishap, which occurred prior to the fourth race when Allen briefly became trapped in the gate with C C n’Water, figures to sideline Allen at least a month. … While Kentucky-breds lead Washington-breds 8-to-4 in stakes victories this season at Emerald Downs, Washington-breds continue to dominate the older horse division, with Stryker Phd, Absolutely Cool, Del Rio Harbor and Noosito taking the top four placings for the Evergreen State Sunday in the Mt. Rainier. Incidentally, the top three have surpassed $200K in earnings: Stryker Phd $375,651, Absolutely Cool $294,518, Del Rio Harbor $208,341 and Noosito is not far behind with $172,183. … “Harbors” have finished third in the last three stakes races: O B Harbor in the Seattle Slew Handicap, Suva Harbor in the Kent Handicap and Del Rio Harbor in the Mt. Rainier Handicap. … Sunday’s 11-race card begins with two Quarter Horse races, both of which drew 10-horse fields. In the second race for $7,500 claimers at 300 yards, Jacango can become the first Quarter Horse to win three races at the meet. … Sunday’s card also features a $24,000 allowance for 3-year-olds and up at one mile, and a $25,500 allowance for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Botch goes for his third win of the meet in the former, and triple stakes winner Madame Pele seeks a rebound in the latter. … Sunday’s fourth race is a $20,500 maiden special weight for 2-year-olds at 5½ furlongs. First-time starter Wanda’slastchance (Flashy Bull-Band Queen) is a half to 2009 Derby Trial (G3) winner Hull. … Gallyn Mitchell (1,406 wins) and Juan Gutierrez (1,187) are the top two riders in Emerald Downs’ history. Both are riding extremely well in routes this season, with Mitchell ranking first in win percentage (7-for-24, 29 percent) and Gutierrez second (12-for-49, 24 percent). Mitchell has been riding extremely well, winning on 11 of his last 34 mounts and has jumped to ninth overall with 19 wins. … Jockey Natasha Coddington has seven wins at the meet, and five have come in the last race of the day including Touch of Danzig’s 4¼-length victory in Sunday’s 11th race.