Keep Calm rallied under the hot-riding Leonel Camacho-Flores and notched a neck victory Thursday in the featured Ashbaugh Beal Purse for 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs.
Favored in the wagering by a scant $39, Keep Calm ran 5-½ furlongs in 1:05.54 on a fast track and paid $5.40, $2.80 and $2.20. Frank Lucarelli is the trainer for owners/breeders Jack & Ivor Jones.
Mariah’s Juke Box, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, took the lead past mid-stretch but was unable to hold off the winner in the final jumps before the wire. Mariah’s Juke Box paid $3 and $2.20.
Dee Loris, the second choice in the wagering with Juan Gutierrez riding, was a close third and paid $2.20. Lizzy Lass, Fiesty Lass and Portland completed the order of finish.
A Kentucky-bred by 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch, Keep Cal is unbeaten in two lifetime starts with earnings of $6,545. She won her July 31 debut by 5-¾ lengths despite a poor break and a wide trip. Thursday, she was fifth early before commencing a steady rally that nailed Mariah’s Juke Box in the shadow of the wire.
Camacho-Flores continues to pile up victories at Emerald Downs. The 27-year-old native of Zacatecas, Mexico rode two winners Thursday for his second straight day with multiple wins and his fourth in the last seven racing days. He ranks eighth overall with 25 wins.
The meet’s leading rider, Leslie Mawing, also rode two winners and holds an 89-75 edge over Juan Gutierrez in the Thoroughbred jockey standings.
Lucarelli led the trainers with two wins and trails Howard Belvoir by six wins, 43-37, atop the Thoroughbred trainer standings.
NOTES: Kingsport Syndicate #9’s Buddy Dave ($8.60) became the meet’s third five-time winner with a resounding come-from-behind victory over Chaching Pete and Highdleburg in Thursday’s sixth race. Also ridden by Camacho-Flores, Buddy Dave ran 5-½ furlongs in 1:03.87 and joined Untilifindyou and Touch of Elegance in the five-win club.
Jebrica earned the first triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure of the 2011 Emerald Downs meeting, a 100 for his 2-¾-length victory over Couldabenthewhisky in Sunday’s $65,000 Emerald Derby. A 3-year-old Washington-bred by Liberty Gold, Jebrica ran 1-1/8 miles in 1:48.17 on a fast track…Jockey Pedro Terrero was excused from his mounts as his wife delivered a healthy baby boy Tuesday.
Monarchos Cassie finished second in the Thursday opener and yielded a $2.10 show payoff to a minor bridge-jumper as the 5-year-old Monarchos mare accounted for $12,596 of a $14.110 show pool. K Lea Road ($5.80) earned the victory with Juan Gutierrez riding for trainer Jose Navarro…Sailing On By ($58) and apprentice Jake Samuels prevailed as the longest shot on the board in race four. The 6-year-old mare, owned and trained by Arturo Arboleda, had beaten one horse combined in her first three races…Live racing continues Friday with first post at 6:15 p.m.
