Emerald Downs: Filly Diamond Dollars has priceless win

Three weeks ago, it would have been hard to envision what took place Sunday afternoon at Emerald Downs.

Diamond Dollars, who was entered in a $12,500 maiden claiming race on April 29, beat the best 3-year-old fillies at Emerald Downs by 10 lengths in Sunday's $41,492 Federal Way Handicap.

That claiming race on April 29 never happened because of a power outage in Auburn that day. Diamond Dollars trainer Bill Tollett wondered if there might have been some divine intervention.

"I don't know if anyone would have claimed her," Tollett said, "but they might have. The Good Lord smiled upon us and turned the lights out so we wouldn't lose this filly."

Instead, Diamond Dollars won a $25,000 claiming race for non-winners on May 5 in the fastest time ever for a filly or mare at Emerald Downs for 6 furlongs (1 minute, 8-1/5 seconds) and proved that was no fluke Sunday, covering 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15-3/5.<252>Tollett wasn't the only one who had reason to be thankful. Gallyn Mitchell picked up the mount on Diamond Dollars when Kate Repp was injured in a fall during Saturday's fourth race.

Mitchell, who got his 50th stakes win at Emerald Downs, said Tollett told him before the race to "let her be, let her run."

"She did it easy," Mitchell said.

Tollett said Mitchell had a perfect ride, moving immediately to the front, responding when challenged at the top of the stretch and crossing the finish line 10 lengths ahead of The Case Queen.

Diamond Dollars, daughter of Stravinsky out of Money Tree, paid $8.40 for the win, $6.20 for place and $4.20 to show. The Case Queen returned $11.40 and $6.20, and the show horse, Devons Smokin, paid $2.80.

Tollett said they were disappointed when they found out Repp could not ride.

"Kate has done real well for us," Tollett said. "She's a little trier."

He said he knew Repp was unhappy while at the hospital on Saturday when two of her assigned mounts came in for victories. It's doubtful what happened Sunday made Repp feel any better.

"It's hard," Repp said last night, "but that's the way this game is. You just hope you can come back next week."

Repp said she exercised a couple of horses yesterday morning to see if she could ride and decided she was not 100 percent because of soreness in her back and neck.

This was the first stakes win for Ron Whited, a Bellevue general contractor and thoroughbred owner for about eight months. He got Diamond Dollars about two months ago in New Mexico on a $12,500 claim after stable manager Jerry Miller called the horse to his and Tollett's attention.

Notes

• When Julio Felix brought the 17-1 longshot He's Cool across the finish line first in Sunday's third race, he gave trainer Tim McCanna his 500th win at Emerald Downs, the first conditioner to reach that milestone.

• Mitchell won on two of the horses Repp was supposed to ride Sunday and had three winners overall.