Siberian Cocktail returned from a two-month layoff to notch a hard-earned 1 ¼-length victory Saturday in the $18,000 allowance feature for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
With Seth Martinez riding, the gray Siberian Summer gelding ran six furlongs in 1:10 1/5 and paid $5.80, $3.20 and $2.20. Tim McCanna trains and co-owns the Washington-bred horse with Kevin and Joann Sather. The $9,900 winner’s share bumped Siberian Cocktail’s earnings to $35,665, accrued via two wins and three seconds from five career starts.
Siberian Cocktail blazed to the early lead, running the opening quarter-mile in :21 4/5 seconds and the half in :44 4/5, although he actually relinquished the lead to Strawberry Topper into the lane. Siberian Cocktail battled back, however, regaining the lead in mid-stretch and staved off a bold late bid by Roy’s Tops for the victory.
Roy’s Tops, Gallyn Mitchell riding, finished second and paid $4.80 and $2.60. The Vann Belvoir-trained runner was bidding for a third win in four starts at the meet.
The Jim Penney-trained entry of Skyattic and Big Liberty finished in a dead-heat for third place. Skyattic, ridden by Ricky Frazier, and Big Liberty, with apprentice Cassie Papineau riding, both paid $2.40 to show,
Proud Nicholas, the 9-5 betting favorite, finished fifth, and Strawberry Topper was sixth and last.
Siberian Cocktail, runner-up in last year’s Captain Condo Stakes, hadn’t been out since finishing a game second to Winning Machine in an April 18 allowance event at 5 ½ furlongs. Winning Machine subsequently has developed into one of Emerald Downs’ best 3-year-olds and comes off a stakes record victory in the Tacoma Handicap.
“I knew he was fast, and Tim (McCanna) told me to let him roll and see if they could catch him,” said Martinez, the rider on Siberian Cocktail in four of his five races. “He’s a little bit smarter and a lot stronger than he was last year. Tim’s done a great job with him.”
It was the second win of the day for Martinez and his third straight riding double this week. McCanna also had two wins and opened a 40-30 lead over Howard Belvoir in the trainers’ standings. The 47-year-old Spokane native is on pace to win 80 races and smash his own record of 66 training wins set last year.
NOTES: Ricky Frazier rode four winners—his fifth four-bagger and 29th multiple-win day—and completed the first half of the season with 85 wins and a 26-win lead over Gallyn Mitchell in the standings. Frazier is on pace to finish with 170 wins, which would break his own mark of 157 wins set two years ago…Jockey Freddy Fong Jr., winless in 49 mounts this season at Emerald Downs, has moved his tack to Ruidoso Downs and recently rode two winners at the New Mexico track. Travis Cunningham, the 2008 Lindy Award winner, also is riding at Ruidoso Downs… Racing continues Sunday with first post at 2 p.m.
