FAVORITES SCORE IN SANDY DOWNS FINALS

Leading Trainer Bret Vickery Saddles Derby and Futurity Winners

They crowned the two and three year old stars at Sandy Downs last Saturday night and local favorites Lajolla Famosa and Wayward Wings didn’t disappoint in the track’s top stakes races of the season on closing night.  A record crowd with standing room only was on hand to celebrate as the race season’s leading trainer, Bret Vickery conditioned both winners.  And rounding out the Leader board standings were Jim Hanson leading TB trainer,  Paul Greene leading QH jockey, and Tyson Lusk leading TB jockey.  The leading owners at the meet ended in a three-way tie between Dan & Connie Moon, Moving On, and Donna King.

Gary and Jeralyn Messenger’s Lajolla Famosa won the $24,415 Hadtobenuts Derby in a track record 19.317 seconds for the 400 yards stake.   The winner broke second and then quickly took the lead for an easy two length margin.  With the meet’s top jockey Paul Greene aboard, the three year old won for the 7^th time in 13 starts.  Lajolla Famosa is an Idaho bred by Streakin Lajolla out of Go For Fame paid $2.80 to win.

Vickery scored again in the $32,695 Hawthorne Futurity for two year olds with Wayward Wings winning a duel by a neck over Rgr Jungle Jock covering the 350 yards in 17.468 seconds.  The filly is owned and bred by Dan Moon whose celebrated stallion Hadtobenuts not only was the named sponsor of the Derby, but also the sire of Wayward Wings.  Wayward Wings returned $4.60 to win.

Paul Greene led all jockeys with 17 winner’s circle appearances during the meet from 60 mounts.  Tyson Luck was second with 14 victories.  Vickery trained 20 first place finishers over the 12-day season.

Sandy Downs operators Jim and Melissa Bernard had plenty to cheer for also as the meet came to an end.  Their horse Hawk the Jewels set a track record Friday night for 250 yards in a speedy 13.123 seconds.  They also have two top qualifiers for the Idaho Cup Futurity Finals at Les Bois Park to be run on August 13^th;  Idaho Bred Half Brothers sired by Snowbound TB,  I’ve Been Special Too, an embryo transfer out of I’ve Been Around, and Properly’s Snowbound out of Properly were foaled a day apart and have remained neck and neck at the finish line all race season long.  August 13^th will determine top dog for the summer and a one two top placing would be a climatic end to a very successful season for the team of IdaRacing at Sandy Downs.

“We want to thank our loyal fans , our great sponsors, our vendors, the horsemen and jockeys, and especially our incredible team at IdaRacing for contributing to a most successful season,” said Melissa Bernard, general manager of Sandy Downs racing.  “Despite tough economic times and a struggling equine industry, the horsemen and fans continue to come together to see Idaho racing take giant steps forward  and embrace new technology,” added Bernard.

Sandy Downs introduced live racing online via the Idaho based Idabet.com, a nationwide betting service for horse racing.  Fans could watch and wager on the action at Idaho’s race tracks this year –  in never been done before fashion – via live video streaming to a national platform.  And for the first time in the area, Off Track Betting was available in the beautiful new Turf Club at the Fort Hall Casino.  And history was made when racing from Les Bois Park in Boise was not only beamed to the fans at Sandy Downs to watch and wager, but live online with video on Idabet.com.

“When you look around the country and see many racing markets in trouble, it’s gratifying to see the efforts of our legislators and racing industry working together in Idaho to forge a bright future,” said Jim Bernard, president of Intermountain Racing and Entertainment, parent company of Sandy Downs Racing.

Though live racing is over for this year, fans can get nonstop action at Idabet.com which features more than 350 racetracks worldwide.  The Turf Club at the Fort Hall Casino offers horses and greyhounds seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., and efforts will continue year round to add the video streaming of small track venues across the country to the menu online at IdaBet.com.

For more information, please call or email the following:

IdaRacing at Sandy Downs; 208-745-8433 or visit IdaRacing.com;  IdaBet.com; 877-782-9994 to open an account or click on IdaBet.com for more information; The Turf Club at Fort Hall Casino; 208-237-8774 x 3041 or go to IdaRacing.