Candy for Debbie overcame a slow start and rallied from behind for a 3-¾ -length victory Friday in the featured Mike Barbano 40th Birthday Purse for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.
With Leslie Mawing riding his third winner of the night, Candy for Debbie took the lead past mid-stretch and pulled away to score in 1 minute, 38.51 minutes for one mile on a fast track. The winner paid $9.20, $4.40 and $2.80.
A Kentucky-bred gelding by 2003 Pacific Classic winner Candy Ride, Candy for Debbie has a 2-1-0 mark in 12 starts with earnings of $15,475. Terry Gillihan is the trainer for owners Ron and Debbie Maus.
Just Jokin Around, ridden by Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo, rallied inside to finish second and paid $2.80 and $2.80. Flying Jack, Robert Skelly riding, finished third and paid $3.60.
Game Emperor, 7-to-5 favorite Banditontheloose and Rickersgettinangry completed the order of finish. Rickersgettinangry, Candy for Debbie’s stable mate, led to the head of the stretch, setting fractions of :23.82, :47.13 and 1:12.40, before giving way in the lane.
Mawing is the meet’s leading rider with 63 wins, and has ridden at least one winner on 12 straight programs. Friday marked his sixth three-win day to go with 11 days with two wins.
There were no tickets with five winners in the $0.50 Pick 5 and the carryover is $3,068 to Saturday.
NOTES: Jockey Javier Matias book-ended the card with victories on Move On Over ($3) in the opener and Escorted ($29.60) in the finale.
Howard Belvoir saddled two winners—Move On Over and Turntable Bay ($7.40) in the fifth—and opened a 28-25 lead on Tim McCanna atop the trainers’ standings.
The 7-year-old mare Sicy ($4.40) has finished first or second in 20 of 28 career starts following her latest victory in Friday’s fourth race. The California-bred was ridden by Pedro Terrero for trainer Neil Knapp.
Owners Karen and Mickey Taylor, soon to be enshrined into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame, won with first-time starter Outrageous Belle ($10.80) in the second race Friday night at Hollywood Park.
Live racing continues Saturday at 2:15 p.m. The $50,000 Boeing Handicap is race seven at 2 p.m. with Rewritten the 3-to-1-morning line favorite in the field of nine older fillies and mares.
