Highdleburg continued his amazing season with a 1 ¾-length victory over Chickasaw Purse in the feature race Friday before a packed house on Fireworks Spectacular night at Emerald Downs.
With Kevin Krigger riding his fourth winner of the night, Highdleburg ran six furlongs in 1 minute, 9 3/5 seconds on a fast track and paid $7.60, $4.20 and $2.80. Larry Wolf—10-for-30 at the meeting—is the trainer for Victor “The Predictor” Cozzetti’s Vic-Tory Stables VII.
It was Highdleburg’s third feature-race victory this season, and marks the first two-race winning streak for the 4-year-old gelding.
Chickasaw Park, ridden by Ricky Frazier, shook his recent doldrums with a strong late rally for second place and paid $5.40 and $3.20. The 8-year-old gelding has won 11 races and $180,173 at Emerald Downs.
Maltese Tiger, the 7-to-5 betting favorite ridden by Anne Von Rosen, finished third and paid $2.40. Amante Mio, Musical Trick, Proud Nicholas and Hired Hand
Highdleburg, same as in his victory June 18, did it the hard way. He dueled with Proud Nicholas through fractions of :21 3/5 and :44 3/5, kicked clear by three lengths into the lane, and held off Chickasaw Park and Maltese Tiger.
“I was a little worried when they went 21 and change, but I could see that Kevin had a lot of horse left,” said Wolf, who has won with six of his last 10 starters.
Highdleburg is 3-for-5 in 2010, 5-for-13 overall and has earnings of $28,005. The 4-year-old Petersburg gelding needed four tries to break his maiden last year, but has won five of his last 10 starts—four in gate-to-wire fashion.
Krigger has ridden six winners this week and has 16 victories since arriving in late May. He actually rode five winners Friday, but fourth-race winner Prisoner was disqualified and placed second for causing interference on the turn. Newaukum Creek ($51.20) and Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo were promoted from second to first place.
Krigger’s other winners were: Gentleman Lawyer ($15.60) in the second race, Storm the Court ($6.40) in the fourth and Irish Harmony ($17.20) in the ninth.
News and Notes
• Upperline ($6.60), co-owned by Emerald Downs Vice-President Jack Hodge, easily won Saturday’s $100,000 Arlington Oaks (GIII) for 3-year-olds fillies at Arlington Park.
• Hodge won another race 15 minutes later—this one at Emerald Downs—as first-time starter Wings of Pegasus ($6.80) stormed home to defeat a promising field of 2-year-old fillies in :58 2/5 for five furlongs.
• Howard Belvoir saddled two double-digit winners—Rooftop ($22.60) in the fifth and Irish Harmony ($17.20) in the ninth.
• Bijou Barrister had his seven-race winning streak while finishing second to Gentleman Lawyer ($15.60) in the second race at Emerald Downs. Bijou Barrister had won three straight at Emerald after winning four straight this spring at Portland Meadows .
• Elusive Schemes, fourth in the June 25 Iowa Sprint Handicap, breezed five furlongs in 1:04 4/5 on a track listed muddy Saturday morning.
• Live racing continues Sunday with a nine-race holiday program at 2 p.m. The $50,000 King County Handicap for fillies and mares is race six with Gadget Queen the 9-to-5 morning line favorite.
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