Emerald Wrap-July 17 - Emerald Downs

My Untamed Heart stays undefeated with a dominant performance, winning by 8 1/4 lengths in Saturday's feature race.

AUBURN, Wash. (July 17, 2010) – My Untamed Heart made a spectacular return to action Saturday with a gate-to-wire 8 ¼ -length victory in the $12,100 feature race for 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs.

With Juan Gutierrez riding, My Untamed Heart ran six furlongs in 1:09 2/5 on a fast track and paid $8.80, $5 and $3.80. Vann Belvoir is the trainer for Rick and Barbara Ratcliff's Coal Creek Farm.

It was the first start in just over a year for My Untamed Heart, whose lone previous race was a two-length victory at 14-to-1 odds vs. maiden $12,500 claimers on July 3, 2009. In the interim, the Kentucky-bred filly was transferred to trainer Vann Belvoir, and Emerald Downs' leading trainer had her ready to roll Saturday.

Akina, ridden by Troy Stillwell, rallied from last to finish second and paid $4.80 and $3.60. It was two lengths back to Perfect Pie, with Gallyn Mitchell riding, in third place and a $4 show payoff.

Squeallin By, the betting favorite by a scant $57 over My Untamed Heart, finished fifth after pressing the pace to the head of the stretch. It was first loss for the Petersburg filly after three straight victories.

Gutierrez said the plan was to take My Untamed Heart off the pace, but the filly was too keen to rate.

“She broke really sharp and I let her go because she wanted to go, ” said Gutierrez, second in the jockeys' standings with 50 wins. “She's a nice filly.”

A homebred by Value Plus-One for You, My Untamed Heart earned $6,665 to boost her bankroll to $11,522.

Alittlebitfamous was scratched earlier in the day.

Trainer Dinos Apostolou is enjoying his finest season at Emerald Downs.

Trainer Dinos Apostolou continued his dream season with a four-length victory by Platinum Stiletto ($6.40) in the sixth race under Francisco Duran. Apostolou is 2-for-2 this week and 6-for-15 at the meeting….Apostolou co-owns Platinum Stiletto with Karla Holman and the affable John Logan…The triumph capped a riding triple for Duran, now tied with Mitchell for third in the jockeys' standings with 44 wins….Leading rider Ricky Frazier also rode three-winners—his fifth triple of the meet—and opened a 63-50 lead on second-place Gutierrez …Vann Belvoir saddled two winners and leads Frank Lucarelli 37-35 in the trainers' standings…Veteran rider Javier Matias recorded his second straight victory on long shot Clearpoint ($32) in the seventh race. Two of Matias' three wins at the meet are aboard the 5-year-old Tribunal mare…Live racing continues Sunday with first post at 2 p.m. The 10-race card features the $30,000 Strong Ruler Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings and the $30,000 Knights Choice Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

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