For the Reporter
Del Rio Harbor took the early lead and overpowered his five opponents Sunday for a 3¾-length victory over Grinder Sparksaglo in the $25,000 allowance feature for 3-year-olds and up.
Coming off a fifth in the Longacres Mile two weeks ago, Del Rio Harbor was backed to odds-on favoritism, and ran six furlongs in a very fast 1:08.81 on a wet-fast track. Ridden by Julien Couton, the winner paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.10.
Trained by Marshall Allen for owners/breeders Desert Rose Racing and Bar C Racing Stables, Del Rio Harbor is 7-4-3 in 18 career starts with earnings of $227,091, including a $13,750 check for Sunday’s win. A Washington-bred 4-year-old by Harbor the Gold, Del Rio Harbor was the track’s champion 2-year-old of 2013, and has four stakes wins here the last two years.
Wresting the lead from Fleet Eagle early, Del Rio Harbor set fractions of :22.09, :44.62 and :56.45 en route to his first victory in six starts this year.
Grinder Sparksaglo, ridden by Rocco Bowen, chased the winner home to finish second and paid $8.20 and $4.40. Trick Or Retreat, the longest shot on the board at 24-to-1, finished third with Leslie Mawing riding and paid $4.40 to show.
Fleet Eagle, second choice at 8-to-5, tired after a half-mile and finished fourth, and Coach Royal and Remembertobreathe completed the order of finish.
Notes
The track was listed sloppy for races one through seven and wet-fast for races eight through 10. … Krazy for Kugel ($11.60) rallied from last to win the $12,300 Italian Day Purse, culminating the track’s third annual Italian Day festivities that included Tarantella Dancers and a spaghetti eating contest. … Jeff Metz saddled three of the last four winners Sunday – Percy’s Bluff ($5.20), Krazy for Kugel and Square Jimmer ($9.40) – and with 50 wins this season has surpassed his career-high total of 49 wins set in 2014. Metz needs 16 wins in the final 12 days to tie Tim McCanna’s track record 66 wins set in 2008. … Juan Gutierrez, Francisco Duran and Rocco Bowen had two wins apiece on the 10-race card. … Bowen has wins on seven straight cards, and Gutierrez is 25-for-66 (37.8 percent) this season when riding for Metz. … Couton’s win on Del Rio Harbor upped his meet-high total to 79 wins; Gutierrez with 66 wins and Leslie Mawing with 64 are second and third. … Leadership has eight wins lifetime, six of them with Javier Matias riding, including a $25 upset in Sunday’s fifth race. The last-to-first victory pushed the 6-year-old Jump Start gelding over $100,000 in career earnings. … Due to racing on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7, there is no live racing this Friday at Emerald Downs. Live racing resumes Saturday with first post 2 p.m.
