Prime Engine showed up with his A-Game Sunday at Emerald Downs.
Racing with blinkers for the first time, Prime Engine overtook Betrbegone into the stretch and romped to a sixth-length victory in the $65,000 Emerald Downs Derby for 3-year-old colts and gelding.
Ridden by Joe Steiner at 122 pounds, Prime Engine ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.54 and paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.60. Mike Puhich is the winning trainer for owner Dr. Mark Dedomenico of Redmond.
Prime Engine’s winning time was .57 seconds faster than Belle Hill’s time in Saturday’s Washington Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. He also is only the third betting favorite and the first since Gallon in 2008 to win the Emerald Downs Derby.
Betrbegone, ridden by Leonel Camacho-Flores at 122 pounds, held second and paid $3.80 and $3.40. Winner of last month’s Seattle Slew Handicap, Betrbegone led through fractions of :23.11, :46.51 and 1:10.22, and led into the last turn before yielding command to Prime Engine.
Percy Fawcett, ridden by Gallyn Mitchell at 122 pounds, rallied from last to finish third and paid $4.40.
Thetrailerguy, Raspberry Road, Fire the Trainer, Senna and Dedicated to You completed the order of finish.
After tough runner-up finishes in the Coca Cola and Seattle Slew Handicaps, Puhich added blinkers and changed jockeys to Steiner. Things worked to perfection as Prime Engine stalked Betrbegone before pouncing.
“I was really looking forward to riding this horse,” Steiner said. “I finally got the opportunity, and he’s wonderful.
“I was playing the race as it came up,” Steiner added. “If I had been on the lead easy myself, I would’ve done that. If he were content sitting off a horse like he did today, that’d was fine too. He has so much talent and class.”
A Kentucky-bred colt by Northern Afleet-Gravy Train’s Song , Prime Engine is 3-2-0 in seven career starts with earnings of $110,961 including $35,750 for Sunday’s victory. Both Emerald Downs stakes wins were the top events in his division – the Emerald Downs Derby and the 2014 Gottstein Futurity for 2-year-olds.
-staff reports
