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Jockey Juan Gutierrez Becomes All-Time Leading Rider At Emerald Downs

Juan Gutierrez made riding history Wednesday afternoon at Emerald Downs, supplanting Gallyn Mitchell as the track's all-time leading rider.

With a 1¼-length victory on Stay in Grace in the featured $17,000 Muckleshoot Casino Purse, Gutierrez moved one ahead of Mitchell—1,420 to 1,419—to become No. 1 all-time at Emerald Downs. He had tied Mitchell's mark with a victory aboard Mike Operator earlier on the card.

“You know, I was excited the last eighth of a mile when I was pretty sure we would get there,” Gutierrez said in the winner's circle after the victory on Stay in Grace. “This is a great record because it has taken a long time to get there.”

Gutierrez, 51, notched his first Emerald Downs' win April 29, 2000 and has been a mainstay here ever since. He recorded 15 consecutive top-five finishes in the riders' standings during one stretch, including a riding title in 2012 with 117 wins. He also ranks No. 1 in track earnings with over $15 million and No. 3 in stakes victories with 68, including three wins in the Longacres Mile. He ranks second at the current meet with 47 victories through Wednesday.

A 2018 inductee into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame, Gutierrez has 2,031 overall wins, hitting the 2,000 mark aboard Semi Sweet in July.

Gutierrez will be honored with a winner's circle ceremony before Thursday's first race.

Mitchell, the leading rider at Emerald Downs since 2002, retired four years ago and now resides in southern California.

Stay in Grace, a 5-year-old Oregon-bred mare by Understatement, has three wins in her last four starts and improved to 10 for 22 lifetime with earnings of $78,347. Rigoberto Velasquez is the trainer for owners Jerry Carmody and John Sneesby.

In Wednesday's victory, Stay in Grace ($3.20) gained command into the turn and held off B C Z Middleton in the drive, running six furlongs in 1:09.79

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Anothertwistafate Dominates Grade 3 Longacres Mile

Anothertwistafate made a triumphant return to action Thursday evening at Emerald Downs, returning from a 16-month layoff and powering to a 4½-length victory over Five Star General in the 85th running of the $100,000 Longacres Mile (G3).

Ridden by Juan Gutierrez at 118 lbs, Anothertwistafate ran the mile in 1:34.10 and paid $4.40, $2.80 and $2.60 as the betting favorite. Blaine Wright is the winning trainer for owner Peter Redekop of Vancouver, B.C.

It is the first Mile victory for Wright and Redekop—runner-up the last two years with Alert Bay and Anyportinastorm—and third Mile victory for Gutierrez, who swept both stakes Thursday and is just 13 wins from tying Gallyn Mitchell's all-time track record of 1,419 wins.

Stalking early fractions of :22.71, :45.21 and 1:08.74 set by Papa's Golden Boy, Anothertwistafate took command three deep into the stretch and drew off to win with total authority. It was the colt's first start since a 10th in the 2019 Preakness and capped a superb training job by Wright, 46, who brought Anothertwistafate into the race off a series of works at Golden Gate Fields.

“The first thing is to congratulate Mr. Peter Redekop and my entire crew here and at Golden Gate,” Wright said. “A Lot of people have asked me if this is the best horse I've trained, and he's been hot and cold with some health issues, but he's a very nice horse.”

Wright also praised Gutierrez who previously won the Mile on No Giveaway in 2005 and The Great Face in 2007.

“The race worked out just the way we scripted it this morning, Juan (Gutierrez) did a great job.” Wright said. “When we couldn't bring our rider (to Emerald Downs) there was no hesitation to ride Juan. He rode his 2,000th winner this year and is a great speed rider on this track. He fit this horse perfectly.”

A Kentucky-bred by Scat Daddy, Anothertwistafate earned $55,000 to push his career bankroll to $358,505. His overall mark is 4-2-0 in eight starts, including a victory in the El Camino Real Derby and seconds last year in the Sunland Derby and Keeneland's Lexington Stakes.

Canadian shipper Five Star General, ridden by two-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Mario Gutierrez at 122 lbs, finished a clear second and paid $3.20 and $2.60 as second choice in the wagering. The runner-up is owned and trained by Glen Todd, giving Vancouver owners the top two finishers in the 2020 Mile.

The Press, a 46 to 1 long shot ridden by Jennifer Whitaker at 114 lbs, rallied for third and paid $4.60 to show. Whitaker won the 2008 Mile on Wasserman and remains the only woman rider ever to win the race.

Elliott Bay, winner of the Mt. Rainier Stakes last month, rallied from last to finish fourth and was followed by Papa's Golden Boy, Makah Lane, La Waun, Hollywood Heat and Take Charge Deputy.

Eddie Martinez, rider of Elliott Bay, claimed foul against The Press, alleging interference into the backstretch, but the stewards made no change in the order of finish.

He's the Reason, 5 to 1 third choice on the morning line and stablemate of Five Star General, was scratched earlier in the day.

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‘Emotional Moment’: Washington Hall Of Fame Jockey Gutierrez Records 2,000th Victory

Washington Hall of Fame Jockey Juan Gutierrez recorded the 2000th win of his riding career Thursday at Emerald Downs, rallying Semi Sweet from last for a $15.60 upset in the opener.

In fact, Gutierrez swept the first three races on the 11-race card and was choked up in a post-race interview with Joe Withee.

“I feel really good, and it's an emotional moment for me,” he said. “Getting 2,000 wins is great, I always try to be consistent. You can't do something like this without the help of the owners, trainers, grooms and everybody else on the backstretch.”

A 50-year-old native of Jalisco, Mexico, Gutierrez has 1,388 wins at Emerald Downs and is only 31 wins away from equaling Gallyn Mitchell's all-time track record 1,419 wins.

A study in consistency, Gutierrez notched his first Emerald Downs' win April 28, 2000, and during one stretch recorded 13 straight top five finishes in the standings. He captured the 2012 riding title with 117 wins and twice won the Grade 3 Longacres Mile, including a record $122 upset on No Giveaway in 2005.

The 2,000th victory came via a picture-perfect rail-skimming ride, as Semi Sweet overhauled 7 to 5 favorite Gazing past midstretch and drew off by 3 ½ lengths. Gutierrez followed up with victories on Mr. Takahashi ($6.20) and Daffodil Sweet ($3.20) in races two and three, piloting the latter to an easy triumph in the $18,500 allowance feature for fillies and mares.

A 3-year-old Ministers Wild Cat filly, Daffodil Sweet has been awesome in her two starts, scoring by 8 ¾ and 7 ¾ lengths for trainer Chris Stenslie and owners One Horse Will Do Corporation and Steve Shimizu. Thursday, she covered six furlongs in 1:10.62 and powered through the stretch for the victory.

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Jockey Juan Gutierrez Bags Four Winners On Opening Day Card At Emerald Downs

Juan Gutierrez was in mid-season form as Emerald Downs launched its 25th season of live racing Wednesday.

Taking aim at Gallyn Mitchell's all-time track record for most wins, Gutierrez rode four winners on the 10-race card capped by a five-length victory on a razor-sharp Makah Lane in the featured $13,600 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up.

Gutierrez, 50, is a 2018 Washington Racing Hall of Fame inductee and appears poised to notch another major milestone in 2020. With four victories Wednesday, Gutierrez boosted his Emerald Downs' win total to 1,377, and is just 42 wins away from Mitchell's mark of 1,419.

Gutierrez scored a natural hat trick with wins aboard Vroysky ($7.20), Benny the Jet ($45) and Freestone ($4.80) in races two, three and four, and finished off the four-bagger aboard Makah Lane ($7.60) in the ninth.

Winner of last year's Washington Cup Sophomore Stakes, Makah Lane tipped his hand as an up and comer in the older horse ranks. Stalking This Great Nation and Wine At Nine through fractions of :22 1/5 and :45.08, Makah Lane advanced three deep into the stretch, powered to the lead a furlong from the wire and won with total authority.

A four-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Atta Boy Roy, Makah Lane has won three of his last five starts and boasts an overall mark of 3-1-0 in seven starts with earnings of $51,143. Bonnie Jenne is trainer and co-owner with husband Wally Jenne and Doug and Nancy McPhee.

Mutuel handle on the 10-race card totaled $1,636,000.

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