BUDWEISER HANDICAP
17th RUNNING, JUNE 17, 2012
ONE-MILE IN 1:34.44 :24.06 :47.83 1:10.83 1:22.37
JOCKEY JAVIER MATIAS, WINNING MACHINE, WINNER: “My horse broke sharp from the gate, but I could see (Rainier Ice) going to the front. I asked my horse to just sit back, and he relaxed for me. I had to use him a little early because I knew the leader would be tough. I looked back at the three-eighths pole and saw that nobody was closing. I thought I rode my horse perfect. You can do anything with this horse. You can send him to the front or take him back.”
JOCKEY GALLYN MITCHELL, RAINIER ICE, SECOND: “My horse ducked out of the gate, but he got back on his feet right away and recovered nicely. At the eighth-pole, I thought we were in trouble. I was riding my horse pretty hard, and I could see Javier (Matias) was riding his horse hard but not as hard. My horse kept digging in and digging in. Next time the result might be a different story.”
NOTES: Winning Machine (29-9-7-3-$417,778; @ EmD 26-8-6-3-$244,553)…Winning Machine has four stakes wins at Emerald Downs, the 27th horse to accomplish the feat…Fleur De Lis Stables has four stakes wins at Emerald Downs…Javier Matias has two stakes wins this season and 14 all-time at EmD…Frank Lucarelli has two stakes wins at the meet and ranks No. 4 all-time with 29 stakes wins at Emerald Downs…Fourth-place finisher Jebrica was a very narrow betting favorite over Winning Machine ($13,368-$13,198)…Noosa Beach flipped in the starting gate and was a late scratch. The 3-to-5 betting favorite at the time of the incident, Noosa Beach appeared to walk off OK. His status will be updated in the Emerald Downs nightly wrap story.
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