Sweep, Sweep, Sweep, Sweep

Reed Palmer Photo

   Northwest Farms LLC's homebred Stopshoppingdebbie continued to add her own series of notations in the Emerald history books as the daughter of Curlin became the first filly to sweep all four of the Washington Oaks series stakes with her three-length tally in the big event itself, the August 10, $65,000 Oaks.

   Now unbeaten in five starts, Stopshoppingdebbie made up for her dam, Emerald champion two-year-old filly Taste the Passion, who finished second by a half-length to Crossatyourownrisk in the 2000 Oaks; and her half-sister Shampoo, who was also an Emerald champion and won four Emerald stakes as a three-year-old in 2007, but could only finish fifth in the Oaks.

   Also for the fourth time this season, Northwest Farm co-owned fillies Goin to the Window (Tapit-Queens Full) and Blueberry Smoothie (Giant's Causeway-Shampoo) finished in the second and third spots, though for the Oaks, Blueberry Smoothie, who also races for C & M Racing, finished ahead, instead of behind, Debbie Paxton co-owned Goin to the Window. Two lengths separated the two, with Ernest Sherman's Beautranda running only a head behind in the field of four.

   Ridden by Rocco Bowen, Stopshoppingdebbie, who went off as the heavy favorite at 40 cents to the dollar, finished the nine-furlong stakes in 1:48.65 and with her $35,750 winner's share, has sent $128,733 to Paxton's account.

   Using different running tactics this time, Stopshoppingdebbie eased back into third place behind her stablemates before blowing by those runners in the stretch.

   "I knew she would be fine coming from behind," said Bowen. "She's such a nice horse that you can place her anywhere. Hands down, I think she can win from anywhere in the race. I feel strongly that she could compete against the top fillies around the country."

   All three of the Northwest-owned fillies hail from Tom Wenzel's high-ranking barn and of the $215,000 offered in the 2013 Washington Oaks series, the NWF fillies took home $194,654.

Emeraldventurer

Wayne Nagai Photo

   For the fourth time this season, a British Columbia -owned runner has taken the Sunday featured stakes at Emerald. Hoist won the Governor's Handicap. Gosailgo took the Boeing Handicap. Herbie D was the winner of the Mt. Rainier Handicap and now Worldventurer earned his fourth stakes win, and first outside of Texas, when he drew off to take the $65,000 Emerald Downs Derby by seven lengths on August 11.

   After running third in both the Coca-Cola and Seattle Slew handicaps, Worldventurer went off as second betting choice behind Music of My Soul, who went to the lead for the first half-mile, in the nine-furlong Derby. With Julien Couton up from Del Mar for the ride, Worldventurer was content to bide his time near the back of the six-horse field for the first four furlongs before beginning to make his move nearing the quarter and then opened up "with little need of urging" for the stretch run.

   R.E.V. Racing's Valiant Flame (Eddington-Joi's Flame) ran second and another 7 1/2 lengths separated him from Swag Stables and Gallo Stables' Mike Man's Gold (Liberty Gold-Chedoodle) in third.

   "The only thing that (trainer Blaine Wright) told me before the race was that this horse didn't like to be on the inside," said Couton, in his first Emerald victory. "Obviously they went pretty fast for the lead (:21.80 first quarter), so we were able to get out on the backside and get him in good cruising speed."

   The race marked the first Emerald Downs Derby win for Blaine Wright, whose trainee D'honorable One had run third in the 2012 edition. His father Richard Wright had saddled Flying Judgement to dead-heat with Cassaleria in the 1982 Derby.

   Worldventurer races for longtime British Columbia racing supporter Peter Redekop, who hopes to add a victory in the September 8 British Columbia Derby with his Texas-bred runner. Worldventurer, who improved his record to 5-2-4 from 15 starts and his earnings to $263,182, was bred by Clarence Scharbauer Jr. whose family raced champion and Kentucky Derby-G1 winner Alysheba. A son of Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Wimbledon (by Wild Rush), Worldventurer is out of the unraced Elusive Quality mare Better Than Most, whose dam was a stakes-producing full sister to Alysheba.

Gemstones

   Two juvenile allowance races for WTBOA Sales Incentive Program (SIP) eligible horses were offered in mid-August. The filly division, run on August 10, was taken by maiden Sunpenny. The Washington-bred daughter of Good Reward out of stakes winner Cascade Corona who races for Z Thoroughbred Racing Partners III had finished second in two maiden special weight races prior to her 1 1/4-length victory. Bred by Rick and Debbie Pabst, the new winner hails from Frank Lucarelli's barn.

   The colt and gelding division WTBOA SIP race also went to a maiden runner, as One Horse Will Do Corporation, Scott and Tina Saxwold and trainer Chris Stenslie's Stikine Slough was an impressive 18 3/4-length winner of the 5 1/2-furlong test. The victory distance was the longest ever in a sprint race or for a two-year-old at Emerald. Only three-year-old A. Lurie Girl's maiden win in a 1 1/16-mile race in 2008 was more, and that was only another quarter-length more at 19 lengths. Bred by Bar C Racing Stables Inc. Stikine Slough is a gelded son of Harbor the Gold out of the stakes-producing Slewdledo mare Blueledo.

   As both horses were taking their first victories, they also qualified for a $1,000 SIP bonus, in addition to their track winnings.

   Two-year-old Fragrant Harbor, who was bred and races for Pat and Mullan Chinn's Vital Signs Stable, became the sixth two-year-old winner of the meet for trainer Doris Harwood when the Washington-bred daughter of Harbor the Gold-Follow Your Shot won a $25,000 maiden claiming race by over four lengths on August 10.

   The following day Harwood added another impressive juvenile winner when Jack and Ivor Jones' first-time starter Charismata, a daughter of Curlin, won a maiden special race by 2 3/4 lengths in her racing debut.