Stopshoppingdebbie rallies to capture Hastings | Emerald Downs
Published 10:55 am Monday, May 12, 2014
For the Reporter
Northwest Farms’ superstar 4-year-old filly Stopshoppingdebbie exploded on the last turn and power housed home for a four-length victory Sunday in the $50,000 Hastings Handicap for older fillies and mares at Emerald Downs.
Now unbeaten in six career starts, Stopshoppingdebbie ran six furlongs in a stakes-record tying1:08.38, and paid $3.40, $2.60 and $2.10. With regular rider Rocco Bowen aboard at 122 pounds, Stopshoppingdebbie earned $27,500 and boosted her career earnings to $156,273 for owner/breeder Northwest Farms (Jerre Paxton of Yakima).
In fourth place early, as 33-to-1 long shot Ms. Sutherland smoked through fractions of :21.70 and :44.71, Stopshoppingdebbie unleashed a withering rally on the turn, blowing past Ms. Sutherland, Quizzical and Goin to the Window, gained the lead into the stretch, and drew off through the lane for an overpowering victory.
“Well, today she showed us that she is the real deal,” Bowen said. “I figured I was going to get packed a little wide, so I just tried to be patient and talk to her the whole way.
“When I asked her if she was ready to go, she responded. I said you know what, if they are going to try to run and catch me, then I’m going to run them off their feet, and no one was coming. I don’t even think I got her into second gear.”
A 4-year-old dark bay or brown filly by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of Emerald Downs champion Taste the Passion, Stopshoppingdebbie is trained by Tom Wenzel, who earned the track’s Top Training Development last year after Stopshoppingdebbie swept all four stakes races for 3-year-old fillies.
With Sunday’s win, Stopshoppingdebbie is tied with 3-year-old Louisiana-bred filly Ide Be Cool (6-6-0-0-$324,600) for most wins by an undefeated horse in North America.
“It’s unbelievable this horse,” Wenzel said. “I thought it might have been a little bit more of a horse race today, I really did. If she doesn’t go (so) wide, she probably runs 1:07 and change.”
Madame Pele, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 119 pounds, rallied from sixth place to finish second and paid $5.20 and $3.60.
Blueberry Smoothie and Goin to the Window, stable mates of Stopshoppingdebbie, finished third and fourth, and were followed by Finding More, Quizzical, Ms. Sutherland and She’s Stella Marie.
Blueberry Smoothie and Goin to the Window, also bred and owned by Northwest Farms, finished second and third to Stopshoppingdebbie in all four 3-year-old filly stakes last year.
Notes
David G. Lopez was involved in a training mishap Sunday morning and was off his mounts, including fifth-race winner Whiskey Prince ($14.20) ridden by Isaias Enriquez. … 90-year-old Don Munger saddled his first winner of the meet as 3-year-old colt Spit and Shine ($5) prevailed under Jose Zunino in the second race. … Zunino, Enriquez and Juan Gutierrez all rode two winners on the 10-race card. … Bowen holds a 22-17 lead over Enriquez and Leslie Mawing in the jockeys’ standings. … Enriquez throws out the first pitch before the Mariners-Rays game Monday night at Safeco Field. … G.G. Ryder ($3.40), a 3-year-old colt co-owned by George Todaro of Seattle, made it five wins in six starts this year with a victory in the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes on the turf at Golden Gate Fields. … Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:45 p.m.
