Sorelli prevails in $59,760 Bank of America Emerald Challenge

Published 10:56 am Monday, August 22, 2016

For the Reporter

Sorelli gamely held off stable mate Stella Corona and registered a head victory Sunday in the $54,000 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge for Quarter Horses.

Ridden by Eswan Flores at 124 pounds, Sorelli ran 440 yards in :21.794 and paid $6.60, $4.40 and $3.60.

Stella Corona, ridden by Luis Gonzalez at 122 pounds, held second and paid $13.20 and $7.40, while 34-1 long shot Klassic Secret Br, ridden by Eduardo Gutierrez-Sosa at 124, finished third and paid $20.

Trainer Roddina Barrett saddled the winner and runner-up – both fillies – as Sorelli joined 2014 winner Chicks Special Angel as the only fillies to win the meet’s biggest race for Quarter Horses. Barrett, meanwhile, is far and away the meet’s leading Quarter Horse trainer with eight wins.

Running the third fastest time in the six-year history of the race, Sorelli earned $27,940 for co-owners Tim Floyd of Spokane and Kelly Dougan of Mountlake Terrace.

A 4-year-old Oklahoma-bred by Brookstone Bay, Sorelli is 6-3-2 in 16 career starts – including four wins at the current meet – with earnings of $50,080.

Breaking cleanly from the No. 3 post-position, Sorelli maintained a short lead from flag fall to finish, dueling the entire way with Stella Corona, a 3-year-old Washington-bred that nearly pulled off the upset.

Winning rider Eswan Flores said he got to know Sorelli while finishing second in the trials two weeks ago.

“This is where it all matters,” Flores said. “She ran a big race last time in the trial, and we were pretty confident she was going to do well in this race. This is definitely a big accomplishment. This is the biggest Quarter Horse race at the meet.

“I’m just grateful for all the opportunities that I’ve received this year. A lot of people have been supporting me throughout this meet, and I’m just grateful for everything.”

Flores now has won two championship races in the last two weeks, one Thoroughbred and one Quarter Horse. He guided Perhaps a Pie to a 20-1 upset in last Sunday’s $65,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares.

Barrett, the first trainer to finish first and second in the Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge, said it was a highlight of her career.

“I was crying on the way down (to the winner’s circle),” she said. “I want to thank Tim (Floyd) and Kelly (Dougan) for this opportunity. I’m pretty ecstatic right now. This is one fast filly.”

With the victory, Sorelli earned a berth in the $350,000 Bank of America Challenge Championship (Grade 1), Saturday, Oct. 29, at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif. Bh Lisas Boy, winner of last year’s race at Emerald Downs, earned a berth last week with a win in the Bank of America Regional Challenge at Los Alamitos.

Rtm Mr Caccia, third choice at 9-2, finished fourth and was followed by 7-5 favorite James First Affair, Bh Country Chrome, Lebron 6, Hes a Bugin, My Best Bunny Yet and Quematierras.

Notes

Archie Graham ($6.20) chalked one up for the Emerald Racing Club with a last-to-first victory under Leslie Mawing for trainer Larry Ross in the seventh race for older $10,000 claimers. A 4-year-old California-bred by Grazen, Archie Graham ran 1 1/16-mile in 1:43.23 is 2-for-6 at the meet with $16,259 in earnings…Klassic Secret Br’s $20 show payoff is an Emerald Downs record for a Quarter Horse race. … Emerald Downs’ first Quarter Horse race was September 25, 2010, won by Snip N Dale. This was the sixth Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge. Previous winners are: Devon Dat Cash (2011), A Royal Dervish (2012), Vodka With Ice (2013), Chicks Special Angel (2014) and Bh Lisas Boy (2015). … Rocco Bowen and Leslie Mawing rode two winners each on the nine-race card and with three weeks remaining Bowen leads Mawing 94-62 atop the standings. … Trainer Blaine Wright won the Sunday opener with Coming in Hot ($6.20) and pulled within one win, 34-33, of Jeff Metz in the trainers’ standings. … The 2016 WTBOA Summer Yearling & Mixed Sale is 2 p.m. Tuesday at the MJ Alhadeff Sales Pavilion adjacent to Emerald Downs. … Entries for the Xpressbet Washington Cup will be drawn Thursday in the Quarter Chute Café. WA Cup features six stakes for state-breds worth an aggregate $300,000, including Stryker Phd bidding for a third win in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic. … Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:30 p.m.