Leading rider Ricky Frazier dominated the activities Thursday evening at Emerald Downs by riding five winners including Primadonna Pearl in the $12,600 Stanislaw Ashbaugh Purse for 3-year-old fillies.
The meet’s leading rider with 127 wins, Frazier returned to action with a flourish after sitting out last weekend with a sore knee. It was Frazier’s second five-win day of the meeting and the fourth of his career at Emerald Downs.
In the feature, Frazier and Primadonna Pearl took advantage of a fast early pace and rallied from last for a 1-½ length victory in 1 minute, 10 seconds for six furlongs. Trained by Vann Belvoir and owned by Jerry Maggard of Yakima, Primadonna Pearl paid $11.80, $6.40 and $4.
Gang Leader, with Troy Stillwell riding, finished second and paid $7.60 and $5, while Lotta Passion, Javier Matias riding, held on well to finish third and paid $11 to show. Le Weaver, the 3-2 betting favorite faded and finished seventh.
Frazier also won the first race on Xi Cephei ($7.20), the second aboard Delicato ($3.80), the fifth race on Spark’s Lake ($9) and sixth on Nancy Perkins ($5.80). He had a chance to equal the track record of six wins in a day shared by Kevin Radke and Seth Martinez, but Sunshine Shelli finished sixth in the eighth and final race.
Frazier’s other two mounts Thursday were a second on Newfound Gold in the third race and a fourth aboard Beautify in the fourth.
Frazier needs 30 wins in the final 19 days of the meet to equal his own mark of 157 wins set in 2007. He has won three of the last five riding titles, and he also ranks first in purses with $1,120,465 at the current meet.
Track notes:
• Panatela ($5.60) won the nightcap and became the first horse with five wins at the meeting. Troy Stilwell was the rider for owner K J Star Stable trainer Charles Essex. Panatela has won three times at the meet for trainer Tim McCanna and owner Dunn Bar Ranch, and twice for Essex and K J Star Stable.
• Assessment, Louder, No Flies On Doodle, Stormin Fast, Elusive Horizon, Yes Bay, Jasmine’s Melody, Vickys Fast Boy and So Whatabout all have four wins.
• Doris Harwood and McCanna both saddled a winner and Harwood leads McCanna 49-48 in the trainers’ race.
• Racing continues Friday with first post at 6 p.m.
