Two-year-old Trackattacker Sets New Track Record in Debut

Trackattacker Reed Palmer photo

    It looks like REV Racing, the nom de course for Roy and Ellie Schaefer of Port Orchard, has another good one in the barn. The Schaefers, who raced three-time state champion Atta Boy Roy, and more recently campaign stakes-placed three-year-old Mebossman, are the proud owners of Trackattacker. In the two-year-old gelding's initial outing, a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on June 1, not only did he blow away his competition by nine lengths, he bettered Sea Speaker's 2007 track mark, winning the race by a speedy :49.98 to earn a 78 Beyer rating. Trackattacker, a son of Harbor the Gold who hails from Frank Lucarelli's barn, was partnered in the impressive win by Leslie Mawing.

  As were Atta Boy Roy and Mebossman, Trackattacker is a product of the WTBOA sales program. The Schaefers purchased their latest star from his breeders Dr. Duane and Susan Hopp's Castlegate Farm consignment at the 2013 WTBOA August sale. Trackattacker is the second foal and winner out of three-time Emerald stakes-placed Eclatante, whose current colt, a son of "hot" sire Lucky Pulpit, will be offered at the summer yearling session of the 2014 sale venue. As a two-year-old who went through the WTBOA Sales ring and was fully nominated to the sales company's Sales Incentive Program, Trackattacker earned an additional $1,000 bonus as a result of his maiden win in the maiden special weight.

Seattle by the Bay

City by the Bay Kristy Batie photo

  Martin W. Bach and Jack B. Owens shipped their unbeaten three-year-old filly City by the Bay north from her Golden Gate Fields base and the Kentucky-bred miss came away with her third victory in the $50,000 Seattle Handicap on June 1. Unraced since winning the $100,000 Barretts Debutante Stakes by 8 1/2 lengths last September, City by the Bay was ridden by Juan Hernandez, who has been aboard the runner in each of her victories.

  A field of eight went to the post for the 6 1/2-panel Seattle Handicap, the first race in the 2014 Washington Oaks series. Michael and Amy Feuerborn's homebred 2013 Washington champion Chu and You (You and I-Bronze Charmer) led through the first half-mile and "responded when challenged by the winner," giving "way grudgingly to that rival in the drive" and dropping the win by only a half-length. Bill and Betty Stiles and Valerie Maria Johnson's Mylast Sweet Pea, a Washington-bred daughter of Grindstone-Secret Game, finished three lengths further back in third in the race run in 1:1.76. Robbie Baze conditions both Chu and You and Mylast Sweet Pea.

  "I thought she could win this race, but I didn't think it would be easy," said Hernandez, who currently ranks second to Russell Baze among those riding at Golden Gate this spring. "She responded really well. I was worried that we might finish second because the filly on the inside (Chu and You, ridden by Juan Gutierrez) looked like she was never going to give up, but my horse didn't quit."

  City by the Bay, a daughter of City Zip-Glitter Time, by Glitterman, who is trained by William Morey - in both his and rider Hernandez's first Emerald appearances - has earned $97,670.

No Stops

Stopshoppingdebbie Wayne Nagai photo

  If horse of the meet honors had to be decided this week, Northwest Farms LLC's talented and unbeaten four-year-old filly Stopshoppingdebbie would easily rise to the top of the class.

  Even before the June 8 Washington State Legislators Stakes, regular rider Rocco Bowen was telling all that "She really has matured; she's twice as nice as she was last year. She's so smooth. You don't even feel it when she switches leads. The only thing you feel is when she switches gears."

  In the 19th running of the stakes for older fillies and mares, Stopshoppingdebbie faced five other talented distaffers, including her stakes-winning stablemates Goin to the Window and Blueberry Smoothie (who ended up running second and third to her in the $50,000 stakes, just as they did all season last year).

  C and M Racing and Northwest Farms LLC's Blueberry Smoothie (Giant's Causeway-Shampoo) grabbed the early lead in a hotly contested pace, with Finding More and Madame Pele lapping her for the first half-mile. Stalking the leaders was 123-pound race highweight Stopshoppingdebbie, ridden by Bowen, who moved to take command inside the quarter pole and held off the challenge of Debbie Paxton and Northwest Farms LLC's Goin to the Window (Tapit-Queens Full) by a half-length in a time of 1:14.20, the fastest time for the race since the stakes had been shortened to 6 1/2 furlongs in 2000.

  "She didn't get home by a big margin, but (I) had a lot more horse left," commented Bowen on his superstar mount. "With these types of horses you don't need to win by ten. She's got the heart of a champion, a heart of a lion and a heart of a colt."

  Stopshoppingdebbie and Palace Malice, who added a win in the $1.25-million Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on June 7 to his tally in the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1) and pushed his earnings to over $2.6-million, must be considered the best female and male performers sired by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, from whose first crop they both stem.

  In winning the Washington State Legislators Handicap, the Tom Wenzel-trained Stopshoppingdebbie, who is out of Northwest Farms prize stakes-winning producer Taste the Passion, by Wild Again, joined Fleet Pacific (2001) and Ema Bovary (Chi) (2003) as the only favorites to take the race. Stopshoppingdebbie is now only the tenth horse to win at least six stakes at Emerald Downs and currently holds the title of most wins by an undefeated horse in North America. The now seven-race winner has earned $183,773.

Gemstones

  Bar C Racing Stables Inc.'s homebred Kenai King, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, won the featured allowance/$25,000 optional claiming (N) race run on May 31. The three-year-old Washington-bred son of Harbor the Gold-Kirkela, by Giant's Causeway, who is trained by Doris Harwood and was stakes-placed in the 2013 Emerald Express Stakes, improved his record to 2-1-2 from seven starts and earnings to $35,889. It marked the 1,358th Emerald victory for Mitchell.

  2013 Lindy Award-winning rider Connie Doll scored her first 2014 win at the meet on May 31 aboard Chromatose, a seven-year-old Washington-bred son of Klinsman (Ire) who hails from owner/trainer Allen Gideon's stable. Doll, who has been competing in recognized races since 1976, has the longest riding career of any other female jockey in North America.

  Emerald Racing Club's Dancing Yodeler made his racing debut for his 128-partner syndicate on June 1 and the six-year-old gelded son of Swiss Yodeler-Phaenna finished third in the six-furlong $5,000 claimer, earning $1,080. Ridden in the outing by Felipe Valdez, Swiss Yodeler is being trained by Larry and Sharon Ross. The race was won by Hard Slider, an offspring of City Zip.

  Through June 1, 40 horses have been claimed for an aggregate $221,000 at the current meet, up from 34 claims totaling $204,000 through the same date last year.

  Jennifer Whitaker reclaimed her lead as Emerald Downs all-time leading woman rider when she scored with Howard Belvoir's five-year-old homebred mare Kilauea, by He's Tops, in the last race of the day on June 6. Whitaker leads Debbie Hoonan 437-436.

  Pam Gibson and Maureen Hallett's improving claimer He's a Cruiser became the 2014 meet's first four-time winner when the Washington-bred five-year-old gelding by Raise the Bluff-Designer's Gold, by Stolen Gold, took a $15,000 claiming race on June 7. Bred by Pamela and Vince Gibson and trained by Vince, it marked the seventh lifetime win for He's a Cruiser who has earned $66,039.

  Through the first 24 days (June 8) of the meet, trainer Jeff Metz's continues his reign with 27 wins and $185,462 in earnings versus second place Frank Lucarelli's 17 victories and $180,485 total. Tim McCanna and Vince Gibson are tied in third place in the trainer standings with ten wins apiece. Jim Penney currently ranks fifth in wins with nine and third in earnings with $140,780. Howard Belvoir and Roy Lumm have each won eight races.

 Among the Emerald riders, Leslie Mawing has taken over the lead from Rocco Bowen, 34-31 with Isaias Enriquez sitting in third place with 24 victories. Juan Gutierrez and Eliska Kubinova are tied in fourth with 15 wins each.

  Owners Tim and Sue Spooner narrowly lead ($65,415-$63,472) win leader Saratoga West (14-7). Ron Crockett Inc. also sits second in the win category with seven tallies.

  (See "WTBOA Sales Graduates in the News" below for more Emerald results.)

Washington-breds of the Week at Emerald Downs

  The top horse chosen for week eight was over achiever Trackattacker (see paragraph above).  Joe Toye was named trainer of the week and he was joined by jockey Isaias Enriquez, owners Mike and Amy Feuerborn and groom Noe Regalado, who works for Frank Lucarelli, as weekly honorees.

  For the second week in a row, a 2013 WTBOA sales graduate has been named Washington-bred of the week. In week nine, honors went to Private Boss (see WTBOA Sales Graduates in the News below). Groom of the week honors went to Julio Landeros, who hails from the Jim Penney barn. Dan Markle earned top trainer status and Javier Matias was lauded as top jockey. The top owners for the week are Jim and Karen Proffitt and Jim's dad Zola Proffitt.

Emerald Downs Statistics through June 8

Total races: 213

Total Washington-bred races: 13 (6%)

Total starters: 1,339

Total Washington-bred starters: 856 (64%)

Total Washington-bred winners: 114 (54%)

Total WTBOA-sold winners: 46 (22%)

Average starters per race: 6.28

   First-time stakes winner Tiz'naz, the three-year-old son of Tiz Wonderful-Homecoming, by Pulpit, who won the $50,000 Grover Buddy Delp Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park on May 28, is yet another stakes winner from the family of Washington champions and WTBOA sales graduates Stryker Phd, Madame Pele and Schoolin You.

  Three-year-old Midnight Mayhem, a son of Lucky Acres' Matty G out of Magarita Midnight, by Slewdledo, bred in Washington by Jean and Ed Welch and their Tall Cedars Farm LLC, won a 1 1/16-mile, $20,000 maiden claimer by 4 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on May 30.

  Ron Crockett Inc.'s Spot On Babe, ridden by Leslie Mawing, is now three-for-three during the 2014 Emerald Downs meeting as the Frank Lucarelli-trained filly took a $20,000 claiming race by three lengths on May 30. The four-year-old daughter of Tribal Rule out of stakes winner Irene's Bonus Baby, by Free At Last, who was bred in Washington by Nina and Ron Hagen, has now won five of eight starts and just shy of $40,000. Her half-sister by Papa Clem has been entered by the Hagens to the 2014 WTBOA sale.

  Both two-year-old maiden races run at Emerald Downs on June 8 were won by Washington-bred offspring of El Dorado Farms LLC's Private Gold. The first of the $25,000 claiming races was taken by WTBOA sale graduate Private Boss, a gelding out of stakes winner Irene's Bonus Baby, by Free At Last (see above), bred by Nina and Ron Hagen and who races for the partnership of Delbert J. Kelly, Mort Robbins and trainer Roy Lumm. He took his first win by an impressive 5 3/4 lengths under the guidance of Felipe Valdez. In the next race, Candi Tollett, Elaine Parks and TMSA Holding's first-time starter Fine Red Wine, who was bred by Jennifer Hanson and Tami Masters out of the Tychonic (GB) mare Ty's Princess, drew clear to take her first victory by 1 1/2 lengths while ridden by Javier Matias.

  Seven-year-old Lady Frangelica, a daughter of Skimming-Catawba County, by Gone West, bred by DiPietro Thoroughbreds, won a 5 1/2-furlong allowance race in gate-to-wire fashion by 2 1/4 lengths at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show in Union on June 7. It marked the 10th victory for the $2,000 2008 WTBOA yearling RNA who has now earned $26,655.

  Five-year-old After the Bell, a full brother to Grade 1 winner Country Star and one of four winners out Washington horse of the year, Grade 1 winner and WTBOA sales graduate Rings a Chime, won a 1 1/16th mile allowance at Penn National on June 5. It marked the third win for the gelded son of Empire Maker who has now earned $73,873.

  Hetty, a Cahill Road-sired half-sister to Washington champion Talk to My Lawyer, recorded her second win with a 1 1/2-length score in a six-furlong allowance/$25,000 optional claiming race at Emerald Downs on June 7. Bred by Dale Mahlum out his Washington champion racemare Infernal McGoon, a daughter of the recently deceased Wekiva Springs, Hetty races for Homestretch Farm Inc. and is trained by Jim Penney. Hetty, who has earned $38,610 with a record of 2-2-1 in seven starts, was ridden by Rocco Bowen.

   Undrafted, the four-year-old first-time stakes winner who won the $300,000 Jaipur Invitational Stakes (G3) at Belmont on June 7, hails from the stable of Selah-born trainer Wesley Ward. According to Ward, the gelded son of Purim-French Jeannette, by French Deputy, will next be pointed to the July Cup (G1) at Newmarket.

  Ben's Cat, the multiple champion son of Gibson Thoroughbred Farm's three-time leading Washington sire Parker's Storm Cat, upped his earnings to $1,985,990 after he ran fourth in the six-furlong turf stakes.

  The Ward-trained three-year-old filly Sweet Emma Rose also earned her first stakes win on June 7 after the daughter of City Zip-Miss Moneypenny, by Deputy Minister, took the $61,200 Crank It Up Stakes at Monmouth Park.

  Ward also trained the first two finishers in a five-furlong maiden special weight race for juvenile runners on June 6. The winner of the Belmont turf event, who set a new course record of :58.26 in just her second start, was Ten Broeck Farm Inc. (Dave Mowat)-raced Sunset Glow, a daughter of Exchange Rate-Perfectforthepart, by Dynaformer, who defeated an open field of two-year-olds, led by her stablemate, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Crown the Kitten, by two lengths.

  Jenny Webber reports that both Sunset Glow and Mowat's two-year-old filly To Be Determined - a daughter of Elusive Quality who ran third in a Churchill Downs maiden special weight race in May in her only start - are among those runners Ward plans to take to England for the Royal Ascot meet (June 17-21).

   2014 Brazilian Triple Crown winner Bal A Bali won the 12-furlong Grande Premio Brasil (G1), Rio de Janeiro's marquee race, over Gavea's turf course by three lengths on June 8. It marked the first start for the son of Put It Back-In My Side, by Clackson, since he finished his Triple Crown rally on May 16. The Brazilian-bred runner, whose fourth dam is Washington horse of the year and Hall of Fame inductee Table Hands, has a record of 11-0-1 from a dozen starts.

  The Grande Premio Brasil is among the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" races and makes Bal A Bali, who has earned Brz$489,454, eligible for the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) to be held at Santa Anita on November 1.

  Two three-year-old British Columbia-breds sired by El Dorado Farms LLC's Grade 2 stakes winner Abraaj (Carson City-Kris's Intention, by Kris S.), from his first crop of eight foals, broke their maidens at Hastings Racecourse over the May 31-June 1 weekend.

  Unraced at two, The Kula Kid made his second start on Saturday and won the 6 1/2 -furlong maiden claimer by a neck. The winning filly, out of Kula Girl, by Hesabull, was bred by Jens Jensen and races for Jensen's Double J Racing.

   The 2014 Washington Thoroughbred Foundation Scholarship, part of the national Race For Education program, has been awarded to Eliza Weeks, of Gig Harbor. The 20-year-old daughter of longtime Washington Thoroughbred industry members, veterinarian Bo Weeks and his wife Linda, is currently attending Western Washington University in Bellingham with plans to obtain a degree in journalism with a public relations major.

  The Washington State Thoroughbred Foundation Scholarship is available to Washington state residents or students attending a Washington school from any background wishing to pursue a career in pre-veterinary medicine (equine practice only), equine science, racetrack management, equine business management or pasture management as it pertains to horse farms, equine or racetrack marketing and/or communications and other related fields.

  For more information on this or other scholarships available through the Race For Education go to: http://www.raceforeducation.org/scholarships/. 

For information on Washington Thoroughbred Foundation scholarships and grants visit http://www.thoroughbredfoundation.org.

  Dr. George Todaro, Rick Awtrey and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer's Grade 2 stakes winner Fury Kapcori finished second by a half-length to Clubhouse Ride in the $200,000 Californian Stakes at Santa Anita on May 31.Fury Kapcori, a four-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Tiznow-Gin Running, by Go for Gin, improved his record to 6-5-1 from 15 starts and has now earned $519,880. Todaro and Hollendofer's three-year-old filly Global Rule, a California-bred daughter of Globalize-Lighten Up Rule, by Tribal Rule, ran third in the $100,000 Campanile Stakes at Golden Gate on June 6 and has now earned $51,884.

  Washington-bred Private Ride, a three-year-old gelding by El Dorado Farms LLC's Private Gold-Summer Ride, by Old Trieste, bred by Demaar Krysinski Matson, won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show in Union on June 6 and returned to the track two days later to win a claiming race by two lengths.

  Four of the eight winners at Santa Anita on June 5 had connections to Washington. In the first race Al and Saundra Kirkwood's homebred three-year-old filly Always an Angel, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Corinthian-My Little Margie, won $40,000 maiden claiming race at a mile. Both the second (Le Fascinator, by Hat Trick [Jpn], in a $25,000 claimer) and the seventh race winner (When We Met, by Maria's Mon) were trained by Vann Belvoir, who also owns When We Met. Heart of Paradise, the two-year-old filly by More Than Ready-Paradise Playgirl who won a five-furlong maiden special weight race in her first start by two lengths, races for Dan Hoeflin, Dr. George Todaro and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

  Dulcedumbre, a four-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Candy Ride (Arg), won a six-furlong allowance race at Pimlico on June 1. The now $106,065 earner and her graded stakes-winning half-sister Irish Gypsy are out of $151,420 stakes winner Rayelle, a daughter of Relaunch out of Washington horse of the year and Grade 1 winner Delicate Vine, by Knights Choice.

  Slip By, a three-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Curlin, won a 7 1/2-furlong turf maiden special weight race at Delaware Park on June 1. Trained by Michael Matz, the new winner is a son of Grousemont Farm's $304,420 stakes winner and multiple stakes producer Fortune Pending, by Fortunate Prospect, and races in the colors of Grousemont Farm's Washington Racing Hall of Fame breeder Theiline P. Scheumann.

  Mark Dedomenico LLC and North American Thoroughbred Horse Company's Saturday Nite Ride, a five-year-old daughter of Flower Alley-Placerita, by Gilded Time, added her fourth stakes victory - all at Northlands Park - and seventh win in 13 outings when she went gate-to-wire to win the John Patrick Handicap by 5 1/4 lengths on June 6 and increased her earnings to $199,810.

  Six-year-old stakes-placed Ol' Steely Blue, a son of Sea of Secrets bred in California by Leonard Dunham and Denise Halstead, won his sixth race, an allowance/$15,000 optional claiming (N) race at Assiniboia Downs on May 31. The $73,416 earner, a half-brother to $126,944 stakes-placed Blendara and stakes-placed 2014 three-year-old Stikine Slough, is one of six winners from six starters for Bar C Racing Stable Inc.'s broodmare Bluledo, a daughter of Slewdledo who has a yearling filly by Harbor the Gold entered in the 2014 WTBOA sale.

  The Grey Gatsby, winner of the €1,500,000 Prix du Jockey Club (G1) at Chantilly in France on June 1, stems from the same immediate female line as leading Washington sire Parker's Storm Cat. The Grey Gatsby's second dam Metisse is a three-quarter sister to Parker's Storm Cat's Group 1-winning dam Macoumba. The Irish-bred colt by Mastercraftsman (Ire) has earned €1,024,318 in eight starts.

  Three-year-old Koffee Grinder, a British Columbia-bred son of Oregon-based Oakhurst Thoroughbreds' classic winner Grindstone, won the $45,740 River Rock Casino Handicap at Hasting Racecourse on June 7 for owners/breeders Butch and Renata Goertzen. It marked the second win in four starts for the colt out of Just Pinn'er, by Stephanotis, who has now earned $43,804. Running second in the 6 1/2-furlong race was stakes winner Aspen Getaway, a son of Gilded Time out of multiple stakes producer Page Design, a stakes-placed daughter of Staff Writer.

  Four-year-old Washington-bred filly Meet Me for a Kiss won a five-furlong maiden race at Lethbridge by three lengths on June 6. Bred by Charles B. Case and owned and trained by Lyle Magnuson, the new winner is a daughter of Case's homebred stakes winner Bound to Be M V P and is the fifth winner out of the Sky Classic mare Heavenly Refrain, a daughter of Washington broodmare of the year Whimsical Aire.

  Running against some of the best older horses currently racing in South Africa, four-year-old King of Pain took the R1,000,000 Rising Sun Gold Challenge (G1) by three-quarters of a length at Clairwood racecourse on June 7. The gelded son of Greys Inn, who was winning his seventh race, is out of Viva La Belle, an Australian bred daughter of former leading Washington sire Defensive Play.

  In the Spring 2014 edition of the Kemi (Kentucky Equine Management Internship) is their latest class of students. Among them is Rachael Magnuson of Gig Harbor. Magnuson, who graduated in December 2013 from Washington State University with a bachelor's degree in animal science, is interning at Lane's End Farm. In addition to WSU and Yakima Valley Community College, Oregon's Linn Benton Community College, Eastern Oregon University and Oregon State University are among the participating colleges and universities.

Sheryl "Shari" Lynn Knapp

  Sheryl "Shari" Knapp, 49, died on, June 1, 2014, .in Vancouver, Washington. She and her identical twin sister, Karen, were born on December 16, 1964, in Tucson, Arizona.

  Shari was educated in schools in Oregon and Washington where she and Karen excelled in sports, especially basketball.

  After graduation Shari became  a successful jockey. Her father Neil Knapp is a longtime successful Washington and Oregon trainer. She was rated one of the top female riders in the United States when she was riding and her name was well known in Thoroughbred racing circles in the Pacific Northwest and Hollywood Park. Shari was one of the five top US jockeys to compete with five top Canadian jockeys in the prestigious Can/Am race in Vancouver, British Columbia at Exhibition Park. From 1981 through her last mount at Longacres on August 28, 1992, Shari had 1,710 mounts and a record of 191-188-177, with earnings of $587,096.

  Shari is survived by her significant other, Ronald Jewett; her parents, Gloria Knapp, of Arizona, and Neil Knapp, of Washington; sister, Karen Knapp; and brother, Kevin Knapp.

Anna Jean (Vernier) McCandless

  Anna Jean "Jeanie" McCandless, 83, recently passed away in Spokane. Born on December 14, 1930, in Wenatchee, she lived on a farm in Ephrata until she was the seven. Her family then moved to a farm north of Pullman. She graduated from Pullman High School, where she was head majorette, in 1948. As a young woman Jeanie enjoyed riding horses, working outside on the farm and attending dances.

  She moved to Spokane to attend beauty school and become a model. In 1951 she married Thomas McCandless and they moved to the Spokane Valley where they raised three children.

  She was involved in the sand and gravel business for over 40 years, eventually becoming part owner of the company.

  Jeanie loved to play the piano and accordion, traveled extensively and owned racehorses.

  She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi and attended the Spokane Valley Church of the Nazarene.

  She was preceded in death by brothers, Harvey Vernier and Elry Vernier; and sister, Carol Nelson. She is survived by daughters, Marvel Travis and Cindee McCandless; and son, Bruce McCandless, all of Spokane.