Sippin Fire aims for record book in $100,000 Getaway Day

For the Reporter

Sippin Fire heads a field of eight 3-year-olds entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Getaway Day Stakes, the headliner on the 11-race closing day extravaganza co-featuring the $50,000 Gottstein Futurity and two overnight stakes.

With a victory in Sunday’s 1 1/16-mile Getaway, Sippin Fire would place the exclamation point on an already extraordinary 2018 campaign. Trained by Steve Bullock for How We Roll #4, Sippin Fire aims to tie Noosa Beach’s single-season record of five stakes wins set in 2010, and surpass Flying Notes’ single-season earnings record by a 3-year-old of $154,415 set in 2002.

David Israel, one of six members of How We Roll #4, said Bullock foresaw talent very early with Sippin Fire.

“Steve called (Sippin Fire) him Champ from the beginning, and he said the horse would make $100,000,” Israel said. “I don’t think he’s been too surprised.”

A Washington-bred by Harbor the Gold, Sippin Fire has reeled off stakes wins at four different distances, earned more than $108,000, and made a strong bid for Horse of the Meeting. He drew the No. 2 post Sunday with regular rider Rocco Bowen taking the mount at 124 pounds.

Sippin Fire has worked once since his 3¼-length victory in the Washington Cup, five furlongs in a bullet :59 4/5 last week, and Bullock said his gelding is ready to roll.

“He’s a smart horse out of a family of runners,” Bullock said. “He’s a pleaser, he does whatever you ask him to do.”

Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, Bullock said Sippin Fire will get the winter off before tackling older runners in 2019.

“He’s going to get a break, and hopefully be a (Longacres) Mile horse next year,” Bullock said.

In addition to Sippin Fire, Bullock and How We Roll #4 also have the stakes-winning filly Northwest Factor in Sunday’s $50,000 Gottstein Futurity. How We Roll #4 enters closing week first in owners’ earnings with $156,675.

3-year-olds single-season earnings

Flying Notes (2002), $154,415

Jumron Won (2001), $148,600

Mulcahy (2007), $135,059

Barkley (2016), $110,775

Sippin Fire (2018), $108,150

Gallon (2008), $105,775

Makors Mark (2000), $102,605

The field for the 1st running of the $100,000 Getaway Stakes: 1-Boundary Bay, Javier Matias, 122 lbs; 2-Sippin Fire, Rocco Bowen, 124; 3-Not Yet, Leslie Mawing, 122; 4-Yulong Warrior, Evin Roman, 124; 5-Hey Sequoia, Eswan Flores, 122; 6-Canadian Game, Mario Gutierrez, 122; 7-Elliott Bay, Jennifer Whitaker, 122; 8-Weekend Wizard, Rico Walcott, 124.

Weekend Wizard in line for $10,000 bonus

With a top three finish Sunday, Weekend Wizard earns a $10,000 bonus for finishing first, second or third in all three legs of the 2018 Northwest Triple, composed of the Muckelshoot Derby, B.C. Derby and Getaway Stakes.

Owned by Riversedge Racing Stables (Norman Castiglione, Okotoks, Alberta), Weekend Wizard ran sensational races while finishing second to Sippin Fire in the Muckleshoot Derby and second to Sky Promise in the B.C. Derby. A 3-year-old B.C.-bred by Rosberg, Weekend Wizard is 4-3-1 in 11 career starts with earnings of $119,700.

A $100,000 bonus is offered to any horse sweeping the Muckleshoot Derby, B.C. Derby and Getaway Stakes, but after winning the Muckleshoot Derby the connections of Sippin Fire chose to remain home and run in the Washington Cup Sophomore Colts & Geldings Stakes.

Also

• Leslie Mawing, No. 4 all-time with 744 wins at Emerald Downs, rides all three days closing weekend including mounts on Not Yet in the Getaway Stakes and Emily’s Gold in the Gottstein Futurity. Mawing finished eighth with 27 wins at the Canterbury Park meeting that concluded Sunday.

• Mario Gutierrez, two-time winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Longacres Mile, returns to Emerald Downs to ride Canadian Game in the Getaway Stakes and the filly Forty Six Carats in the Gottstein Futurity.

• Evin Roman, victorious on Gold Rush Dancer in the 2017 Longacres Mile, rides Yulong Warrior in the Getaway and Palladium in the Gottstein for trainer Doug O’Neill.

• Northlands Park riding champ Rico Walcott has the mount on Weekend Wizard in the Getaway Stakes.

• The closing day weather forecast is promising; mostly sunny with a high of 67 degrees.

Full gate for $50,000 Gottstein Futurity

Also Sunday, 2-year-olds race 1 1/16 miles in the 81st renewal of the $50,000 Gottstein Futurity.

A full field of 12 – led by Washington Cup Juvenile Colts & Geldings winner Fuzzy Dolphin – is entered in the meet’s only route stakes for juveniles.

Three fillies – Slingshot Mistress, Northwest Factor and Forty Six Carats – are entered in this year’s renewal. Fillies traditionally have fared well in the race, amassing 13 wins including three at Emerald Downs, most recently Blazinbeauty in 2016.

Trainer Doug O’Neill, who entered Yulong Warrior in the Getaway Stakes, ships in Palladium for the Gottstein. A Kentucky-bred by Graydar, Palladium comes off a second in a 5½-furlong optional claimer at Del Mar.

The field for the 81st running of the $50,000 Joe Gottstein Futurity: 1-Slingshot Mistress, Jose Zunino, 117 pounds; 2-Ally On Fire, David G. Lopez, 120; 3-Emily’s Gold, Leslie Mawing, 120; 4-Palladium, Evin Roman, 120; 5-Fuzzy Dolphin, Kevin Orozco, 120; 6-Mr. Frank, Javier Matias, 120; 7-Time ‘n Time Again, Julien Couton, 120; 8-Northwest Factor, Gary Wales, 117; 9-Forty Six Carats, Mario Gutierrez, 117; 10-Hardy Chisel, Leonel Camacho-Flores, 120; 11-Reno Roy, Rocco Bowen 120; 12-Frolic and Detour, Eswan Flores, 120.

$0.50 all stakes Pick 4 Sunday

In addition to the Getaway Day Stakes and Gottstein Futurity, Sunday’s 11-race card also features the $25,000 Pete Pedersen Overnight Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs, and $25,000 Fan Appreciation Day Overnight Stakes for older fillies and mares at one mile.

A special all-stakes $0.50 Pick 4 will be offered with past performances appearing nationwide in the Daily Racing Form. The $0.50 Pick 4, encompassing Races 5 thru 8, drew a combined 43 entries including three also-eligibles.

Race 5 (4:07 p.m.): $25,000 Fan Appreciation Day Overnight Stakes

Race 6 (4:38 p.m.): $25,000 Pete Pedersen Overnight Stakes

Race 7 (5:09 p.m.): $100,000 Getaway Day Stakes

Race 8 (5:39 p.m.): $50,000 Gottstein Futurity

Notes

Saturday’s $17,200 feature is the final event of the WHBPA & WTBOA Horsemen Helping Horsemen Distance Series for 3-year-olds and up which have started in both previous races. The 1½-mile race – the first at Emerald Downs since 2007 – drew a field of seven: Atypique, Royal Tale, Deputy’s Command, Tiz Jolie, Private Boss, The Gold Monkey and Cold Hard Luck.