AUBURN, Washington – Leader Rocco Bowen continued his march towards a third straight Emerald Downs title with a double at the Pacific northwest here Saturday.
Riding on the eight-race card, the 29-year-old captured race one with Jake’s a Poppin before taking race three with favourite Go Martha Go.
He leads the standings with 54 wins, 18 clear of the second placed Kevin Orozco, with Julien Couton one back in third on 35.
Bowen, the first Barbadian to win a riding title in the United States, opened his account with 2-1 chance Jake’s a Poppin, making all the running to beat the three-year-olds and upward in a 5-1/2 furlong sprint.
He sprinted the three-year-old chestnut gelding clear by nearly three lengths at the halfway stage and closed strongly to reach the wire 2-3/4 lengths clear.
Bowen’s second win over five furlongs was a virtual carbon copy, combining with brown filly Go Martha Go in a gate-to-wire effort to dismiss the two-year-old maiden fillies.
He posted a decent 22.54 seconds for the quarter to outrun Lil Bit a Munnie and drew off so strongly on the stretch that he had no challengers.
The Emerald Downs seasons runs from April 22 to September 23. (CMC)
