Lake Piru sails to victory in feature | Emerald Downs

For the Reporter

Lake Piru continued her impressive season Friday with a 3 3/4-length victory over Five Alarm Charm in the $10,500 Washington Management Company Purse for 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Anne Sanguinetti, Lake Piru ran 5½ furlongs in 1:04.35 on a fast track, and paid $4.40, $2.60 and $2.40. Jeff Metz – en route to a second straight title – is the winning trainer for owner Paul K. Girdner.

Five Alarm Charm, an 11-to-1 long shot ridden by Javier Matias, rallied inside to snatch second place and paid $4.80 and $5.

Tricky Person, ridden by Juan Gutierrez, held third and paid $3.80 to show. Zafari Nation, Sometimes a Lady and Ms. Parker completed the order of finish.

Lake Piru, a California-bred daughter of Salt Lake, has fared well since arriving here in July, compiling a 2-0-1 record in four starts including a 14-to-1 upset on August 16. Her overall record, including stints in California, Arizona and Idaho, is 5-0-2 in 12 starts with earnings of $35,052.

The 47-year-old Metz, meanwhile, has pretty much sewn up a second straight Emerald Downs’ training title. With two wins Friday, Metz leads Frank Lucarelli 48-38 with only eight days left in the meet.

Notes

Fighting City Hall ($17.40) led gate-to-wire in Friday’s seventh race as the 11-year-old gelding became the oldest winner at the meet. A California-bred by Smart Strike, Fighting City Hall won his career debut at Santa Anita on Jan. 15, 2006. … Seven different jockeys won races including leading rider Leslie Mawing, who won race four on Shoer Hugh ($6.80) for his 92nd win of the meet. … Rocco Bowen, second with 64 wins, also had a win Friday aboard Mz Dyno ($4.40) in race five. … Live racing continues Saturday with an eight-race card at 2:15 p.m.