Straight Fire Making Waves in California

With just 26 named foals in his first crop, 'TDN Rising Star' Straight Fire (Dominus – Tricky Indy, by A.P. Indy) is reeling off some impressive statistics as his young stock are making waves in California.

Last year, the son of Dominus based at Legacy Ranch produced 10 winners from 13 runners with his first crop of 2-year-olds. So far in 2022, he has had six winners from 10 runners including dual stakes winner Straight Up G and also a pair of sophomores that swept the California-bred stakes on the Santa Anita Derby undercard earlier this month. Power Surge won the Evening Jewel S. and Smuggler's Run took the Echo Eddie S. while another son of Straight Fire, What in Blazes, finished third in the Echo Eddie.

Straight Fire's three stakes winners already this year rank the sire first among North American second-crop sires by stakes winners from named foals. Among the same group of sires, he also ranks first by stakes winners from runners at 30% and is second only to Gun Runner with his average earnings of over $50,000 per starter.

Bred by Spendthrift Farm, Straight Fire was a $250,000 yearling purchase by Solis and Litt Bloodstock at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton July Sale. He was sent to Eddie Woods and showed promise from the start.

“We thought he was special,” Jason Litt recalled. “The horse always had a great attitude. He loved to train and was easy to be around. When we got him to the track, he was tremendously fast and naturally precocious.”

As a juvenile, the colt broke his maiden second time out at Del Mar by 10 ½ lengths to earn his 'Rising Star' badge. He was then second to MGSW Klimt (Quality Road) in the GI Del Mar Futurity and ran third in the GI FrontRunner S. While he suffered a career-ending injury and was unable to return to the starting gate as a 3-year-old, his connections were so impressed by his juvenile campaign that they pursued a stallion career for their precocious bay.

Straight Fire began his stallion career at Legacy Ranch in 2018 for a group of shareholders that included Legacy Ranch, Jim Rome's Jungle Racing, LNJ Foxwoods, Kim and Kevin Nish's KMN Racing, Andrew Molasky, Rigney Racing, Equine Analysis and Solis/Litt Bloodstock. In his first two years at stud, the stallion was solely supported by his shareholders and bred a total of 66 mares.

This year will look quite different for the stallion. After the success of his juveniles, Straight Fire's stud fee was increased from $3,500 to $7,500, but he already has 60 mares on his book this year coming in from an array of outside breeders.

Straight Fire's first crop did not see the sales ring as they were yearlings in 2020 so the owners opted to race them themselves to avoid the uncertain market during COVID. From Straight Fire's second crop of 20 foals, five yearlings saw the sales ring last year to average nearly $50,000. This year he was represented by a 2-year-old colt that delivered the fastest one-furlong breeze of the Texas 2-Year-Old in Training Sale and later sold for $80,000.

Litt explained that when they first launched Straight Fire's stud career, their goal was to produce quality runners for the lucrative 2-year-olds races at Del Mar. Now that the first crop has surpassed shareholders' original expectations as 2-year-olds, Litt said he believes there could be more to come this year for the stallion as his first crop continues to develop and his second crop hits the racetrack.

Power Surge claims the 2022 Evening Jewel S. | Benoit

“His offspring are like him in that they have great minds, they love to train and they have tremendous natural speed,” he said. “If you watch their races, they instantly break on top naturally. It's one thing to get one good runner, but when there are five or six from a small crop that you're happy with, that's fun.”

Power Surge, winner of the Evening Jewel S., was part of the first crop that was sent to the racetrack rather than the sales ring. She was started by Susan Montanye of SBM Training, who broke several Straight Fire progeny for LNJ Foxwoods and their partners.

“She was very cool,” Montanye recalled. “She was very easy and always had a lot of game. That's how all of the Straight Fires have been for me.  Every time you ask them to do something, they always said yes and they are wanting to do more. They seem to be forward, early horses.”

The filly was sent to trainer Blaine Wright in California along with several other Straight Fire progeny.

“From early on we thought Power Surge was one of the best ones I had in my possession,” Wright recalled. “She was very precocious and has never done a thing wrong. I've pretty much had Straight Fire fillies up to this point, but the horse throws good bone and they're good-minded and tenacious.”

Power Surge broke her maiden at second asking as a juvenile last year. Since then, she has placed in all but one of her five career starts.

“As she has gotten more races into her, she has leveled out as a racehorse,” Wright explained. “Now she can turn it off pretty easy when you ask her in the morning and turn it back on when you want her to. She has ran well on synthetic, but she showed a different level on dirt in the stakes race. After watching her gallop out after that race, it looks like she might get up to a mile. She posted good fractions and did everything the right way.”

Power Surge will be the first horse of racing age by Straight Fire offered at auction when she sells as Hip 22 this week at the Fasig-Tipton April Digital Selected Sale, which closes Tuesday, April 26 at 2 p.m.  Litt explained that because the original intention was to sell Straight Fire's first crop, Power Surge's connections believe that now is the prime time to offer the filly after her stakes victory.

Wright believes the possibilities are endless with Power Surge for the remainder of her sophomore campaign and beyond.

“A filly like her, I think you could probably run her on any surface,” he said. “One thing you can't put into them is a racehorse, and she's got it.”

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Top Executive Named Emerald Downs’ Horse Of The Meeting

Top Executive, undefeated in three starts and the only horse to win three stakes races, was voted 2021 Emerald Downs Horse of the Meeting.

Trained by Blaine Wright and owned by John and Janene Maryanski and Gail and Gerald Schneider, Top Executive swept the 3-year-old colts and geldings division with victories in the Auburn Stakes, Irish Day Stakes and Muckleshoot Derby. The 3-year-old Street Boss gelding won at distances of 6 furlongs, 6 ½ furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, and topped the meet in earnings with $82,800.

In addition to Horse of the Meeting, Top Executive was honored as the meet's Top 3-Year-Old. Coastal Kid, whom Top Executive defeated in the Muckleshoot Derby, won Sunday's Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.

It marks the second Horse of the Meeting in three seasons for Wright, who also trained 2019 winner Anyportinastorm. Wright also nearly won a second straight Longacres Mile, saddling Seamist Racing's 5-year-old gelding Windribbon to a runner-up effort in the Longacres Mile (G3).

Papa's Golden Boy took honors as Top Older Horse, Top Sprinter and Top Washington-bred. Trained by Vince Gibson and owned by Gary Lusk, Deborah Lusk, Jeff Lusk, and Peyton Lusk, the 5-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding won three races including the Budweiser Stakes and Governor's Stakes and ran meet-fastest times at 5 ½ furlongs (1:02.11) and 6 ½ furlongs (1:14.50).

Daffodil Sweet won four races including the Washington State Legislators Stakes and was voted Top Older Filly or Mare. Trained by the retiring Chris Stenslie and owned by One Horse Will Do Corporation and Steve Shimizu, Daffodil Sweet was Top 3-Year-Old Filly of 2020 and is the only horse to win Emerald Downs titles in 2020 and 2021.

Nite and Day Stables and Joanne Todd's Bayakoas Image was a unanimous choice as Top 3-Year-Old Filly. A British Columbia-bred by Lent, Bayakoas Image was two for two with a 5 ¾-length victory in the Washington Oaks and a neck victory in the Washington Cup Filly & Mare Stakes. Kay Cooper, the meet's leading stakes trainer with five wins, trained Bayakoas Image at Emerald Downs.

A pair of Washington-breds took honors in the juvenile ranks, with Cobra Jet (Curlin to Mischief-Atta Gal Val) the Top-2-Year-Old Male and Koron (Nationhood-Muchas Coronas) Top 2-Year-Old Filly.

Owned by REV Racing, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trainer Frank Lucarelli, Cobra Jet compiled a 3-1-0 record in four starts including blowout victories in the King County Express and Washington Cup Juvenile Colt & Gelding.

Owned by Blue Ribbon Racing Ladies and trained by Cooper, Koron was 3 for 3 and swept the Barbara Shinpoch Stakes and Washington Cup Juvenile Fillies in convincing fashion.

Float On was voted Top Claimer, compiling a 4-1-2 record in eight starts while winning two races apiece for trainers Charles Essex and Candi Cryderman. A 3-year-old Bluegrass Cat gelding, Float On was one of six horses to win four races at the meet: Bella's Back, Daffodil Sweet, Float On, Judicial, Mean Sharon, Queen Breezy.

Alex Cruz won a second consecutive riding title, edging out Julien Couton 75-74 for the crown while Juan Gutierrez finished a close third with 72 wins. Cruz also won Top Riding Achievement for his amazing Aug. 19 triumph without irons aboard 2-year-old filly Akasi, and the Lindy Award for accomplishment and sportsmanship as voted by the Emerald Downs' jockeys.

Joe Toye won his first Emerald Downs' training title by a 29-26 margin over seven-time champion Frank Lucarelli. Toye, who has trained at Emerald Downs since the track opened in 1996, also was voted Top Training Achievement for his season-long excellence and 23.5 win percentage.

McKenna Anderson was the top apprentice rider with 12 victories, finishing the meet strongly after a 0 for 17 start.

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Background's dramatic victory with Rocco Bowen aboard in the $100,000 Longacres Mile (G3) was voted Race of the Meeting. Trained by Mike Puhich and owned by Bob and Molly Rondeau, the 4-year-old Khozan gelding tagged Windribbon in the final strides to capture the 86th running of the region's most famous race.

Trainers Bob Bean and Bonnie Jenne received the Martin Durkan Award for leadership, cooperation, and sportsmanship throughout the meeting. Bean was a popular new addition to the training roster and won with 8 of 81 starters and was accompanied during morning workouts by sidekick canine Brownie.

Harbor the Gold was the leading stallion for the eighth straight year and 11th in the last 12, siring 22 winners to edge Abraaj (21) and Coast Guard (20) for the title.

Cm Once Ina Bluemoon captured the meet's top event for Quarter Horses, scoring a $46.40 upset in the $48,994 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge Stakes.

Emerald Downs 2021 Season Honors
Horse of the Meeting: Top Executive
Top Washington-bred : Papa's Golden Boy
Top Older Horse: Papa's Golden Boy
Top Sprinter: Papa's Golden Boy
Top Older Filly or Mare: Daffodil Sweet
Top 3-Year-Old Male: Top Executive
Top 3-Year-Old Filly: Bayakoas Image
Top 2-Year-Old Male: Cobra Jet
Top 2-Year-Old Filly: Koron
Top Claimer: Float On
Race of Meeting: Longacres Mile
Leading Jockey Wins: Alex Cruz (75)
Leading Jockey Stakes Wins: Kevin Orozco (5)
Leading Trainer: Joe Toye (29)
Leading Trainer Stakes Wins: Kay Cooper (5)
Leading Owner: John Parker (19)
Leading Horse Wins: Bella's Back (4), Daffodil Sweet (4), Float On (4), Judicial (4), Mean Sharon (4), Queen Breezy (4)
Leading Horse Stakes Wins: Top Executive (3)
Leading QH Trainer Wins: Jose Rosales Gomez (2)
Top Riding Achievement: Alex Cruz wins without irons on Akasi
Top Training Achievement: Joe Toye 1st title
Leading Apprentice: McKenna Anderson (12)
Durkan Award: Robert Bean, Bonnie Jenne
Lindy Award: Alex Cruz
Jockeys Valet of the Year: Dan Brock
Leading Sire Wins: Harbor the Gold (22)

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Top Executive Completes Sweep Of Emerald Downs’ Sophomore Stakes

Top Executive outfought Coastal Kid in an epic stretch duel and notched a head victory Sunday in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby for 3-year-olds at Emerald Downs.

Ridden by Kevin Orozco at 123 lbs., Top Executive ran a mile and one-sixteenth in 1:42.25 and paid $5.80 as the betting favorite. With the victory, Top Executive completed a season sweep of the 3-year-old colts and geldings division at Emerald Downs, winning in order the Auburn Stakes at six furlongs, Irish Day Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs and Muckleshoot Derby at eight and a half furlongs.

A Kentucky-bred by Street Boss, Top Executive earned $27,500 to boost his career bankroll to $115,198. His overall record is 5-0-0 in eight starts including four stakes victories at Emerald Downs. Blaine Wright, now tied with Bud Klokstad for fourth all-time with 46 stakes wins at Emerald Downs, is the winning trainer.

Top Executive stalked Coastal Kid through fractions of :22.50, :45.58 and 1:09.53, swept to the lead into the lane and was fully extended to hold Coastal Kid at bay.

“(Top Executive) wanted to get to the lead and I had to kind of strangle him early,” Orozco said. “He was pulling me forward and I just let him go. It was a tough race, the other horse kept battling too.”

Coastal Kid, the 3 to 1 third choice ridden by Wayne Barnett at 123 lbs., did everything but win the race. Despite setting fast early fractions the son of Coast Guard was resilient through the lane, battling head and head with Top Executive every inch of the stretch run before settling for second.

Slew's Tiz Whiz, a 13 to 1 longshot ridden by Jose Zunino at 123 lbs., rallied late for third place, 1 ½ lengths behind Coastal Kid.

House of Lords finished fourth, followed by 5 to 2 second choice Bobby Brinkley, Naval Escort, Falsely Accused, Nationheart, Ididntseethatcomin and Kowboykabin.

John Loftus of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe presented the winning trophy to the owners in the winner's circle.

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Canadian shipper Bayakoas Image powered to the lead into the stretch and drew off for a 5 ¾-length victory in the $50,000 Washington Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.

Ridden by Alexander Marti at 121 lbs. Bayakoas Image covered the mile and one-sixteenth in 1:42.74 and paid $7.80 as the second choice in the wagering. Kay Cooper handled saddling chores at Emerald Downs for owners Brian O'Connell and Joanne Todd of Vancouver, British Columbia.

The winner stalked Curious Sensation through six furlongs in 1:11.99, took command a quarter mile from home and drew off to win with complete authority.

“When I asked her at the quarter-pole, she flew home,” Marti said. “She's such a good filly.”

A British Columbia-bred by Lent, Bayakoas Image won three of four starts this summer at Hastings Racecourse including a recent allowance victory at Sunday's Oaks distance. Her overall record is 4-2-0 from seven starts with earnings of $71,994 including $27,500 for Sunday's triumph.

Broad Approval, the 2 to 1 favorite ridden by Leslie Mawing at 121 lbs., rallied from eighth to take second place for trainer Sandi Gann and owner Glen Todd. A Daughter of Carpe Diem, Broad Approval finished runner-up to Bayakoas Image twice this summer at Hastings and most recently second to Blazingbellablu in the Kent Stakes at Emerald Downs.

Ms Lynn, a 16 to 1 outsider ridden by Julien Couton at 121 lbs, edged Blazingbellablu for third place.

Blazingbellablu, co-second choice at 5 to 2, had her three-race winning streak snapped while settling for fourth. Rounding out the order of finish were Our Lyla Grace, Curious Sensation and Stellaczar (dead heat for seventh), La Una, Aquinas, and Street Shadow.

Tempered Steel, dam of Bayakoas Image, was a triple stakes winner at Hastings Racecourse while Marti currently ranks third with 31 wins at the Vancouver track.

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‘An Unimaginible Thrill’: Background Proves Best In Longacres Mile

Background and jockey Rocco Bowen would not be denied victory in Sunday's $100,000 Longacres Mile (G3) at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash.

The 4-year-old gelding and three-time Emerald Downs riding champion combined forces for one final surge of energy and nailed Windribbon in the final jump for a head victory in the 86th renewal of the Northwest's premier horse race.

Background, the betting favorite, ran the mile in 1:36.67 and returned $6.60 for a $2 win ticket. Mike Puhich, winning his second Longacres Mile, is the trainer for owners Bob and Molly Rondeau of Normandy Park.

Bob Rondeau, best known as the longtime voice of University of Washington basketball and football, led the cheers in a raucous and emotional winner's circle ceremony.

“Unbelievable, I have no voice left at all,” Rondeau said. “(In mid-stretch) there's no way in the world he wins that race, but (Background) had the wherewithal to pull it off. This is an unimaginable thrill.”

Bowen, who won titles here in 2016, '17 and '18, resumed his riding career in the Midwest last year after missing some 18 months with injuries. Returning to Emerald Downs to win the track's biggest race had the 32-year-old native of Barbados in tears.

“I can't believe it. . .finally,” Bowen said. “I knew Background wasn't done, we fought together out there.”

A Florida-bred by Khozan, Background earned $55,000 to push his bankroll to $287,532. The chestnut gelding is 4-2-4 from 14 starts overall including three wins at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Windribbon, ridden by Kevin Orozco, nearly pulled off a 12 to 1 upset that would have given trainer Blaine Wright a second straight Mile victory. The 5-year-old gelding swept past Papa's Golden Boy and Anyportinastorm into the lane, opening a 2 ½-length lead past mid-stretch, and just failed to last. Owned by Seamist Racing, Windribbon earned $27,500.

Five Star General, the 5 to 2 morning line favorite ridden by Mario Gutierrez, edged Papa's Golden Boy in the final jump for third place. The 5-year-old full horse now has a second and a third in the last two Miles.

Papa's Golden Boy, bidding to sweep all three stakes for older horses at the meet, battled gamely to the wire and finished fourth.

Papa's Golden Boy, ridden by Julien Couton, and Anyportinastorm, ridden by Juan Gutierrez, dueled through fractions of :22.94, :45.73 and 1:09.73, with neither rider giving an inch. Windribbon, positioned just behind those two, made his move into the lane and appeared headed for the upset victory.

But Background, in sixth place early, made a sustained, grinding rally that finally bore fruit at the finish line.

Unmachable rallied from dead last to pick off fifth place, one length behind Papa's Golden Boy, while Anyportinastorm faded to sixth. Reelfoot, longest price on the board at 101 to 1, finished seventh while Hard to Deny, Muncey, Forest Fire and Sir Bregovic completed the order of finish.

The Rondeaus enjoyed a big day. In addition to Background winning the Mile, Compelling Smile, co-owned by Rondeau and Mark Dedomenico, finished second in the $50,000 Emerald Distaff.

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