Tapadero aces feature race test | Emerald Downs

Tapadero swept past 1-to-2 betting favorite Come Away Home and notched a 1 1/4 -length victory Wednesday in the $10,500 feature race for 3-year-olds and up on Fireworks Spectacular night at Emerald Downs. Ridden by Isaias Enriquez, Tapadero ran six furlongs in 1 minute, 9.47 seconds and paid $8.20 and $2.10. There was no show wagering. Come Away Home, ridden by Javier Matias, gained the lead into the stretch but was unable to hold off Tapadero and finished in second place. Come Away Home paid $2.10 for place.

July 4, 2013 2:04 pm
Bill Jensen's 7-year-old gelding Tapadero surges to victory in the feature race for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs on Wednesday. Isaias Enriquez rode the winner for trainer Joe Toye.
Bill Jensen's 7-year-old gelding Tapadero surges to victory in the feature race for 3-year-olds and up at Emerald Downs on Wednesday. Isaias Enriquez rode the winner for trainer Joe Toye.

Tapadero swept past 1-to-2 betting favorite Come Away Home and notched a 1 1/4 -length victory Wednesday in the $10,500 feature race for 3-year-olds and up on Fireworks Spectacular night at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Isaias Enriquez, Tapadero ran six furlongs in 1 minute, 9.47 seconds and paid $8.20 and $2.10. There was no show wagering.

Come Away Home, ridden by Javier Matias, gained the lead into the stretch but was unable to hold off Tapadero and finished in second place. Come Away Home paid $2.10 for place.

Red Coats R Comin, the early leader, faded in the stretch and finished third. Cat On Base and Decarchy Cocktail were both scratched at the gate.

Owned by Bill Jensen and trained by Joe Toye, Tapadero snapped a 10-race winless streak, and has an overall record of 12-11-5 in 43 starts with $92,213 in earnings. A 7-year-old Kentucky-bred by Pleasantly Perfect, Tapadero enjoyed an excellent season in 2012, compiling a 5-7-1 record in 16 starts and $39,518 in earnings.

Enriquez enjoyed a big night with three wins, but actually lost ground in the standings. Defending riding champion Juan Gutierrez rode four winners and tied Enriquez for first place at 51 wins apiece.

Gutierrez won the first race on Freedomofthehills ($14.20), the third on Jordans Jem ($4.40), the sixth aboard Max Cooper ($7.20) and the seventh on A Belle and a Cat ($3.40).

In addition to Tapadero, Enriquez had wins on Salsa Boy ($10.60) in race two and Our Little Hen ($8.40) in race four.

NOTES: Trainer Jim Penney and owner Where We At won a four-way shake for Come Away Home for $10,000*Trainer Jeff Metz saddled the top two finishers in race six as Max Cooper ($7.20) held off stable mate M Two Forty for the victory in 1:35.85 for one mile. Max Cooper became the sixth horse with three wins at the meet, joining Hardbody, Polish Dollar, El Gran Bebe, Southern Solution and Roarified… Tom Wenzel was the only trainer with two wins Friday… Metz leads Chris Stenslie 22-19 in the trainers’ standings… Trainer Jim Fergason, perennially among the leaders at Portland Meadows, saddled his first winner of the meet as Our Little Hen ($8.40) scored an easy victory in race four, running 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.50… Live racing continues Thursday with a special holiday program at 2 p.m.