SEATTLE SLEW HANDICAP
36TH RUNNING, JULY 15, 2012
1-1/16 MILES IN 1:41.61  :22.21 :45.05 1:09.11 1:34.86

JOCKEY WILLIAM ANTONGEORGI, ITALIAN BOY, WINNER: “I wanted to give my horse an easy lead, but we had to go a little quicker than I wanted. Makors Finale put pressure on us, and I though he’d lay off us. (Italian Boy) got tired in the turn, but like a good horse, he dug in. I was a little surprised he was able to hold on after going so fast early in the race, especially since it was his first time going around two turns. He just kept trying the whole way.”

JOCKEY LESLIE MAWING, D’HONORABLE ONE, SECOND: “I knew the speed was blistering up front. I felt I had a good position. This is one of those horses you just have to keep grinding on. In the turn, I could tell the leaders were tiring, so I just tried to save ground. I’m disappointed that we didn’t win, but he ran a great race.”

NOTES: Italian Boy (6-4-1-1-$59,230)*This is the first stakes win for Italian Boy and the first Emerald Downs’ stakes win for jockey William Antongeorgi who had been 10-0-3-0 in stakes this season*Tim McCanna is No. 1 all-time with 834 wins at Emerald Downs and fourth in stakes wins with 31*Next for 3-year-olds: $65,000 Emerald Derby, 1-1/8 miles, Sunday, Aug. 12*Italian Boy is the fifth gate-to-wire in the 17 Seattle Slew Handicaps at Emerald Downs.