Stryker Phd pours it on in Mt. Rainier Handicap | Emerald Downs

Published 10:04 pm Sunday, July 19, 2015

For the Reporter

Stryker Phd appears to be in another league from his foes at Emerald Downs.

Sunday, the 6-year-old gelding turned in perhaps his strongest race yet, rolling from behind for a powerful six-length victory in the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap for 3-year-olds and up.

Ridden by Leslie Mawing at 122 pounds, Stryker Phd ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.89 and paid $4, $2.60 and $2.10. Larry Ross is the winning trainer for owners Jim and Mona Hour of Bellevue.

The winning margin was a stakes record, and Stryker Phd became the fourth horse to win the Mt. Rainier twice. He also tied Noosa Beach’s track record for most consecutive stakes win by an older horse with six, and in four weeks bids to become the first horse to win the Longacres Mile twice at Emerald Downs.

A Washington-bred by Bertrando-Striking Scholar, Stryker Phd has a lifetime mark of 7-5-5 in 20 starts with earnings of $375,651, including $27,500 for Sunday’s win.

Absolutely Cool, ridden by Rocco Bowen at 118 pounds, closed well for second and paid $5.80 and $3.40. Del Rio Harbor, a 25-to-1 long shot ridden by Julien Couton at 116 pounds, held third place and paid $10.60.

Noosito, the 2-to-1 second choice, rallied into contention into the lane, but lost his punch late and finished fourth. Scat Daddybaby, Remembertobreathe, Herbie D, Mike Man’s Gold and Grinder Sparksaglo completed the order of finish; Prohibition and Mebossman were scratched earlier in the day.

Stryker Phd, as usual, lagged far back early, biding time as Scat Daddybaby, chased by Herbie D, carved out fractions of :22.36, :44.81 and 1:09.06. He commenced his rally on the last turn, flying past horses in droves, and swept to the lead into the stretch. By the time the field straightened into the lane, Stryker Phd already was five lengths clear and pouring it on, stretching the lead to eight lengths at one point before coasting to the wire.

“I knew the pace was going to be fast,” Mawing said. “He grabbed a hold of the bit early, but his forte is coming off the pace. He likes running at horses.

“When I made that move, he was just going by horses,” Mawing added. “When I asked this horse to go, he just gave me a turn a foot and exploded. I just eased him up in the stretch to save him for next time.”

Barkley takes the Emerald Express

As expected, the $50,000 Emerald Express for 2-year-old colts and geldings developed into a virtual match race, with even-money favorite Barkley out-finishing 6-to-5 Gold Rush Dancer for a half-length victory in 1:11.04 for six furlongs.

Ridden by Javier Matias at 120 lbs, Barkley paid $4, $2.60 and $2.10.

Gold Rush Dancer, ridden by Julien Couton, finished second and paid $2.40 and $2.10. It was 6 ½ lengths back to third-place finisher Wando Cat, followed by Packy’s Out and Ryan Walt.

Barkley sat third as Gold Rush Dancer and Ryan Walt dueled through fractions of :22.19 and :45.50 for the quarter and half-mile. The winner attacked from the outside, collaring Gold Rush Dancer at the head of the stretch, and proved best in a long stretch battle.

Unbeaten in two starts, Barkley earned $27,500 for the win, pushing his career ledger to 2-2-0-0-$38,775. Howard Belvoir is the winning trainer and co-owner with Rising Star Stable III, a syndicate led by Vicki Potter of Auburn, Wash.

A Kentucky-bred by Munnings-Numero d’Oro, Barkley cost $21,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Belvoir now has a record five wins in the Emerald Express—including four straight from 2003-06—and is 4-0-1 in five 2-year-old races at the meet.

Matias, up for both of Barkley’s wins, is No. 7 all-time with 22 stakes wins at Emerald Downs.

Notes

Mawing had a great weekend, notching riding triples Saturday and Sunday including stakes wins on Belle Hill in the Irish Day Handicap and Stryker Phd in the Mt. Rainier Handicap. … With 40 days in the books, Julien Couton leads the jockeys’ standings with 57 wins, with Mawing and Juan Gutierrez tied for second at 45 wins apiece. … In the trainers’ standings, Jeff Metz owns a 32-20 lead over Frank Lucarelli, with Howard Belvoir third with 19 wins. … Montelena ($38.80) scored her 10th career win at Emerald Downs, rallying for a neck victory over The Gang and I in Sunday’s sixth race. A 7-year-old mare by Spinelessjellyfinish, Montelena has six wins the last two seasons for trainer Martin Pimentel. … Chaching Pete ($6.60) also has a winning spirit at Emerald Downs, rolling to his 12th win here and 15th lifetime victory in race seven for older $5,000 claimers. An 8-year-old Petersburg gelding, Chaching Pete now has four multiple win seasons at Emerald Downs. … Live racing resumes Friday with first post 6:45 p.m.