Though a gray, rainy late summer day and sloppy track may have dampened spirits for some, the connections and fans of Washington-bred racehorses still had lots to celebrate during the ninth running of Washington Cup. Six stakes races exclusively for Washington-bred and/or -sired runners were among the ten races carded at Emerald Downs on Sunday, September 18.

 Dodging Kats

  The first of the day's stakes races was the $35,000 Dennis Dodge Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings. After the late scratch of First Last Chance, a field of six went forward in the 6 1/2-furlong race. Odds-on choice Harbor Wind broke first and led for most of the distance before giving way in the final furlong.

  Meanwhile, Brady's Kat, whose ten-to-one odds would be omen of things to come, lacked early speed and by the half-mile post had only gained fifth place. As the field drew down the rain-sopped lane, Grasshopper Racing Stable Inc.'s Gold Surge (Storm Surge-Insearchofgold) opened up a clear lead on the field, only to be nipped at the wire by the furious rally of Brady's Kat and rider Javier Matias. Final race time was 1:17.69. Pam Gibson and Maureen Hallett's He's a Cruiser (Raise the Bluff-Designer's Gold) finished five lengths back in third place, but a half-length the better of favorite Harbor Wind.

  Brady's Kat, a homebred runner for Keith and Jan Swagerty's Auburn-based West Coast Racing LLC, is now unbeaten in two starts. The Washington-bred son of Katowice-Miss Natalia, by Rehaan, Vann Belvoir-trained runner was the first of six new stakes winners - a record for a Washington Cup card - and one of three with a feline-themed name. Brady's Kat has earned $21,736.

 Just E Z

  A half-dozen three-year-old distaffers drew in for the $35,000 John and Kitty Fletcher Stakes. Though none of the fillies were previous stakes winners, two of the runners, both the three-to-five favorite The Gang and I and third betting choice E Z Kitty, had already proven their worth with three trips to the winner's circle apiece.

  Leonel Camacho-Flores had E Z Kitty primed and ready to go from the start, as the filly sprinted clear soon after the break and took to the lead by open lengths at every call, including the most important one at the wire, where the Alan Bozell-trained filly was ridden off to a 6 1/2-length victory. Her final time for the mile race was 1:38.26.

  Carlos Cerna and Bill Trabold's homebred Judging Mimi (Tribunal-Mimi's Racine) picked up second, finishing 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Homestretch Farm Inc. and Ellen Follett's third place finisher The Gang and I (You and I-R C Gangster).

  Bred by Jerry and Peggy Woods, E Z Kitty races for Nancy and Homer Gibson, of Kent, and their Tige Too Racing Stables. A $1,200 2009 WTBOA summer sale RNA, E Z Kitty, a Washington-bred daughter of He's Tops-Envision the Cat, by Lost Code, has earned $36,516 in seven starts with a record of 4-0-1.

 Feline Trio

  The day's largest stakes contingent came forward for the $35,000 Diane Kem Stakes for two-year-old fillies. Eight juvenile distaffers, including maidens Just Have'n Fun, Kit Cat Kitty and Semele - who went off as the mild two-to-one favorite - vied for the top spot in the 6 1/2-furlong stakes.

  Warlock Stables' Wild Chica broke on top and it looked until the final yards that she would standing in the winner's circle. But just as most had conceded the race to the daughter of Demon Warlock-Wild Ignition, Vann Belvoir-owned and -trained Kit Cat Kitty "surged from between rivals late" to score a neck victory in 1:18.93. Ramer Holtan Jr.'s Semele (Cahill Road-Castle Bravo) held steady to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind the determined Wild Chica. It marked the second 2011 Washington Cup victory for rider Matias.

  Bred by Emerald Downs' vice president Jack Hodge and his wife Theresa's Oak Crest Farm, Kit Cat Kitty was sold in a private transaction shortly after the 2010 WTBOA September sale, in which she had been a $1,700 RNA. The filly, who became the first $1,000 WTBOA Sales Incentive bonus winner (for WTBOA-sold or RNA'd two-year-olds who break their maidens as juveniles at Emerald Downs in either a maiden special weight or stakes race), had been claimed by the Auburn-based Belvoir after finishing second in a maiden $12,500 claiming race in August. Kit Cat Kitty's earnings now sit at $19,160.

Reed Palmer Photography

Sweet Belle

  Included in the field of five for the $35,000 Belle Roberts Stakes were many of the top sophomore state bred fillies of 2010. Missing from the field was two-time stakes winner Sis's Sis, who was sidelined with a minor injury, and Ghost Tree, who was scratched by the stewards for refusing to load in the gate. (Both Sis's Sis and Ghost Tree would finish the 2011 Emerald race season with wins on the track's September 25 closing day.)

  That left Tacoma residents James and Zola Proffitt's Sweet Nellie Brown to set a pressured pace in the 44th running of the distaff stakes, as she worked her way from just off the rail. She was closely followed by multiple stakes winner Zenovit for the first six furlongs. After putting that rival to rest, Juan Gutierrez-guided Sweet Nellie Brown drew off in the stretch and then held off the late charge of Sue and Tim Spooner's homebred Lilly's a Jewel (You and I-Ruby Dawn) to record a three-quarter length win. With her 1:43.67 victory in the 1 1/16-mile Belle Roberts, Sweet Nellie Brown became the only favorite (going off at $1.10-to-one odds) to win among the six Washington Cup races. Blue Ribbon Racing #2's Private Fortune (Private Gold-Shimmer of Silk) ambled in five lengths further back in third place.

  Both Sweet Nellie Brown, a Washington-bred daughter of Cape Canaveral-Brown, by Demons Begone, and Private Fortune were bred by Rick and Debbie Pabst at their Blue Ribbon Farm and both were offered, but not sold, at the 2008 WTBOA September sale. Sweet Nellie Brown, who improved her record to 5-5-1 from 18 starts and has earned $103,918, was a $14,000 RNA, while Private Fortune, who now runs for a Blue Ribbon racing syndicate, went out of the ring unsold at $9,500 (and has earned $79,505). Big Bad Brown, a Tribunal-sired half-sibling to Sweet Nellie Brown, would further add to their dam's catalog page by finishing third in the Chinook Pass Stakes one race later.

 The Eagle Has Landed

  Trainer Chris Stenslie had three of the seven sophomore males running in the $35,000 Chinook Pass Stakes, including the race favorite, stakes winner Showme Yourfriends and eight-to-one choice Our Eagle Boy.

  Triple L Stables' Our Eagle Boy, with Juan Gutierrez in the saddle, broke first out of the gate to set the pace, with R and R Warren LLC's Big Bad Brown on his heels. As the field reached the stretch, Out Eagle Boy increased his lead to 1 1/2 lengths and then proceeded to hold off the late charge of Dale Mahlum's homebred Codys a Bobcat (a son of Posse-Touriga who surely got some betting action just because of the day's previous success of runners with "cat" in their names) to win by a length. Final time for the mile stakes was 1:37.13.

  Unraced at two, Our Eagle Boy, who is from the final crop of Tribunal, now has two wins and one second from four outings and has earned $29,537.

There's a nice story behind the lightly-raced Our Eagle Boy. It's the age-old story of a boy and a horse.

  A few years ago, longtime Auburn residents and industry supporters Dr. A. L. "Bud" and Patricia Hallowell befriended a young local family with three children. The couple's oldest son, Marcus, then eight, had already decided he wanted to become a veterinarian.

  It was now February 2008 and the Hallowells' stakes-winning mare Knights Choice mare, Miss Nice Choice, was scheduled to give birth to her ninth foal. The equine veterinary specialist and his wife invited the Martin family to come to their farm to welcome the new arrival. So on that winter night, the good doctor and his young friend together pulled a chestnut colt into the world and a special bond was formed between the two youngsters. Later named Our Eagle Boy, in honor of their young friend, the Hallowells decided to keep and race the promising youngster in Pat's Triple L Stable silks.

  Marcus, joined the Hallowells at Emerald Downs for both the Wednesday race draw and as member of the large and happy winner's circle contingent.

Reed Palmer Photography

Heartfelt

  A field of five older runners contested the 69th running of the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic Stakes. Included in the handful were the now nine-year-old Wassermann, who has making his sixth appearance in the race, and 2010 Seattle Slew Handicap winner Newfound Man, who went off as the even-money favorite in the mile and sixteenth stakes.

  But the stars of the race turned out to be He's All Heart - owned by the Kent-based Vic-Tory Stables IV - and rider Juan Gutierrez - in his third stakes win of the day. Starting from post position one, He's All Heart broke at the top and was never headed, as the five-year-old gelding drew off to handily record a 10 1/4 length victory. John and Janene Maryanski's Newfound Man (Newfoundland-Katherine Jean) finished second best and five lengths the better of Howard Belvoir's gallant oldster Wasserman (Cahill Road-Share the Knight), who now has two wins, two seconds and two thirds in the race. Wasserman continues as the track's all-time leading earner, now having won $540,741 while racing at Emerald. Final race time was 1:43.03, the slowest running of the race at the distance since Captain Condo's third Classic victory in 1991.

  He's All Heart, who had shown a liking for wet tracks after winning half of four starts on off surfaces, had finished third behind Longacres Mile (G3) winners Noosa Beach and Wasserman in the 2010 Classic.

  He's All Heart, who sports a heart-shaped star, is the most successful runner to come out of the Washington Thoroughbred Foundation's then resurrected youth broodmare program. Austin Rogers, of Enumclaw, who raised the future stakes winner, was 14 at the time of He's All Heart's February 2006 birth.

  Purchased by trainer Larry Wolf for $2,000 for media man Vic Cozetti from the 2007 WTBOA Summer Yearling Sale, He's All Heart is from the first crop of El Dorado Farms LLC's Private Gold and is out of the Chequer mare Big Headache. The gelding has now won seven of his 27 lifetime starts, with six seconds and five thirds while under Wolf's shed row and earned $105,294.

Additional Sale Horse Placements

  Other WTBOA sale horses finishing in the top three stakes spots on Washington Cup card were: Dennis Dodge Stakes runner-up Gold Surge; Chinook Pass Stakes second and third, Codys a Bobcat and Big Bad Brown; and Muckleshoot Tribal Classic second Newfound Man.

  The 16th Emerald Downs race meet ended on Sunday, September 25 with the historic Gottstein Futurity and the always contentious six-race Ashbaugh Beal claiming challenge.

  Although trainer Howard Belvoir won the sixth race on the closing card with Tony Lofton's Heza Witch Doctor and Frank Lucarelli was blanked for the 11-race card, Lucarelli notched his fourth Emerald training title by one win, 53 to 54 , over Belvoir, who was the meet's leading owner by wins (12) for the second year in a row.

  Jeff Harwood's Noosa Beach was named horse of the meet for the second consecutive year, which marked the first time in track history that a runner has achieved the high accolades twice at the Auburn oval.

  Nineteen-year-old rider Lance Bullock, a son of trainer Steve Bullock and nephew of top Emerald jockey Gallyn Mitchell, was voted by his peers to receive the 2011 Lindy Award, which honors longtime and now retired clerk of scales Lindy Aliment and is presented each year to a rider for accomplishment and sportsmanship throughout the season. Bullock rode eight of his 14 winners as an apprentice during the 82-day meet.

  Two trainers were named the recipients of the 2011 Martin Durkan Award, which is presented in honor of the late longtime state senator and Thoroughbred racing supporter. Veteran horseman Don Munger, 87, and Billy Christian, 33, were chosen by Emerald Downs director of racing Bret Anderson for exhibiting leadership, cooperation, sportsmanship and excellence, both on and off the track.

  Breeder, owner and trainer Munger has been involved with racing for over 50 years. He saddled nine winners during the meet, including his and wife Wanda's two-year-old Wild Hoss on the closing Friday.

  Both of Christian's parents were involved in racing, as his father William was a jockey, and his late mother Patty was also a trainer. The younger Christian had seven winners during the meet and was instrumental in helping to fill early season Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse races.

Reed Palmer Photography

Not Just Talk

  Although only two of the field of five vying for the winner's share of the $65,000 purse offered for the Gottstein Futurity had entered the winner's circle prior to the September 25 race - stakes winners Chu and I and Sweet Saga - each of the trio of others had placed in at least one juvenile stakes at the Auburn racetrack. Sweet Saga, who had broken her maiden in the Barbara Shinpoch Stakes, would go off as the $1.60-to-one race favorite with two-time stakes winner Chu and I the bettors' second choice at two-to-one in the 1 1/16-mile stakes.

  Will This One Do Stable's Talk to My Lawyer, with meet leading rider Leslie Mawing in the irons, broke awkwardly, but still managed to open up with a clear lead and was the top-placed runner for the first half-mile. As the field drew close to the 5/16th's pole over the wet-fast track, Talk to My Lawyer dropped back and the two favorites, along with C.E. and Ann Richardson's homebred Havanna Red, began a head-to-head-to-head battle. But Talk to My Lawyer was not finished yet, as she came on to make a second bid for the lead and though bumping with Havanna Red in the final yards, got up to defeat that rival by a neck in an exciting finish. Washington-bred Havanna Red (Cahill Road-Bou Bou Be Dough) outran Tice Ranch Stables LLC's third place finisher Leadership, a Kentucky-bred son of Jump Start-Daunserly Light, by 4 1/2 lengths. Sweet Saga was another neck back in fourth place while Chu and I weakened to last.

  Will This One Do Stable's (a partnership of Jody Peetz, Mary Lou and Terry Griffin, Will Brewer and Marcie Healey) Talk to My Lawyer is the second stakes winner and ninth winner from the first crop of Lawyer Ron, the nation's 2007 champion older male.

  Talk to My Lawyer gave trainer Chris Stenslie her third stakes win of the meet. The conditioner, who won 32 races this season, was named the recipient of the 2011 Emerald top training achievement award.

  For just the tenth time in its 74 runnings, a filly arrived first at the wire for the Gottstein Futurity. Golden Rocket was the first distaffer to accomplish the feat by winning the third renewal in 1942, but only one other filly has taken the pivotal juvenile stakes since the race was established at Emerald Downs, Smarty Deb in 2007.

  Bred by former Montana State Senator Dale Mahlum, Washington-bred Talk to My Lawyer, is a out of Washington champion and $153,965 stakes winner Infernal McGoon, a daughter of Wekiva Springs who was also raced by Peetz.

  Mahlum is also the breeder of Sis's Sis. The Washington-bred daughter of Cahill Road-Carni Gal, by Carnivalay, who was voted Emerald Downs' champion sophomore filly last year, won a mile allowance on the Gottstein undercard and gave some solace for the day for Michael and Amy Feuerborn, who also race Chu and I. It marked the sixth win for the 2008 WTBOA summer sale graduate who has earned $115,235 in 15 starts.

  Leonel Camacho-Flores, 27, who won aboard three mounts on the closing Sunday, was voted as giving the top riding achievement for the meet after having a marked improvement for the later half of the meet and finishing with 47 wins.

Gemstones

  Twelve-year-old West Seattle Boy racked up win number 21 after closing strongly to record a neck victory over Form a Posse in the $10,000 Bob Stories Ashbaugh Beal Claiming Challenge starter allowance race on the meet's September 25 closing card. The victory in the 1 1/16-mile race was the gelding's 103rd lifetime start and gives him an overall record of 25-13-19, with earnings of $179,575. Bred by the late Al Benton, the Washington-bred son of Majesterian-Pancho's Girl, by Pancho Villa, races for Lisa Baze and Jerry Carmody and is trained by Rigoberto Velasquez.

  Czech Republic native Eliska Kubinova, 22, ended the meet by riding three winners on September 24: Leanna's Blast, Chaching Pete, and in her first Quarter Horse victory, Hannibal Lector.

  Chris Randall and Nick Rossi's Touch of Elegance, trained by Frank Lucarelli, became the meet's first seven-time winner after scoring a 4 1/2-length win in a $12,500 claimer on September 9. The four-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Olmodaver was claimed out of the race by trainer Roy Lumm for Blue Diamond Stable and Janet Johnson and was later named claimer of the meet.

  The other Ashbaugh Beal claiming challenge winners on the closing card were: September House's Ghost Tree, trained by Dan Markle; Michael Pattison and Dean Essex's Snowbound Margarita, trained by Charles Essex; Blue Diamond Stables' Nina Win, trained by Roy Lumm; and David Breiwick's Wowie Maui, trained by Joe Toye. All six of the challenge winners were foaled in Washington.

Through September 25 (82 days of racing)

Number of horses entered: 5,269

Number of Washington-breds entered: 3,027 (57%)

Total number of races: 728

Number of Washington-bred winners: 400 (55%)

Number of Washington-bred races: 56

Number of Quarter Horse races: 18

  Four-year-old Notoriously added another $10,388 to her totals after she finished second to Miss Victoriana in the $50,825 Matron Stakes, a nine-furlong September 16 feature at Assiniboia Downs The Kentucky-bred daughter of Cherokee Run who now has earned $213,899 and has a record of 8-2-2 from 17 starts. Bred and consigned by Jerre Paxton's Northwest Farms LLC, the daughter of stakes-placed Eastern Echo mare Silver Echo is a full sister to Barbara Shinpoch Stakes winner Cherokee Echo. Notoriously was originally purchased by David and Jill Heerensperger for $92,000 at the 2008 WTBOA Summer Yearling Sale but now races for Darrell Landry and is trained by Rodney Cone.

  1992 WTBOA Winter Sale weanling purchase What a Knight (by Tough Knight), a full or half-sister to Washington champion Time of Sale, stakes winners Tough Tara and Foxy Island and two other stakes-placed runners (all bred by Jerre Paxton), produced the brilliant unbeaten, but ill-fated 2005 Grade 2 stakes winner What a Song, by Songandaprayer. Her current two-year-old, Right to Vote, a Political Force-sired three-quarter brother to What a Song, won a six-furlong maiden special weight at Belmont Park by 1 3/4 lengths on September 17. The Eoin Harty-trained runner had finished second by a half-length to Clip the Coupons in his only other start, an August 13 maiden special weight at Saratoga.