FERNDALE >> Jockey Hugo Herrera doesn’t claim to be a card player, but the former Ferndale riding champ will be holding all the aces when the Humboldt County Fair closes its 119th race season with a stakes tripleheader.
Herrera, bidding for another belt buckle to go with his 2013 buckle — symbolic of Humboldt riding titles — will be aboard probable favorites in each stakes event as part of a stellar 11-race “Getaway Day’ program.
Post time for the first race is 2:07 p.m.
Herrera will pilot 2-1 choice Blues Blaster in the 62nd running of the $20,000 C.J. Hindley-Humboldt County Marathon Handicap at 1-5/8 miles. The Marathon will run traditionally as the last race on the last day with approximate post time at 7 p.m.
Earlier, Hugo could sweep the opening daily double, escorting 9-5 choice Ayers in the $7,000-added Ferndale Arabian Stakes at seven furlongs (first race), and handling Bar JF Red Ticket in the $7,000 Cream City Mule Handicap at 660 yards (second race).
“I really feel Hugo should win all three stakes races,” said his agent Rusty Greiner. “We are on the best runner in each race and just need a little luck. And a sweep would go a long ways toward Hugo capturing the jockey title here.”
Blues Blaster, a $7,000 yearling purchase who has gone on to earn $148,636, certainly packs sparkling credentials. The Bruce Dillenbeck-trained six-year-old, boasts a wire-to-wire victory earlier this summer in the Oak Tree Handicap at Pleasanton, along with a triumph against $62,500 claimers in February at Golden Gate Fields.
And it’s no secret that Dillenbeck plans to have Herrera put Blues Blaster on the lead leaving the starting gate.
‘This horse has amazing speed, but can also relax well,” said Dillenbeck, “and he has really taken to the track here training for this race. But it’s still one mile and five-eighths, which is always a question mark when you have not raced that far.”
Steel Blue, hero of the 2012 Humboldt Marathon, and the William E. Morey-trained pair of Crusher and Khun Nit, figures to offer the main arguments in the unique race where horses cross the finish line four times on this half-mile track.
Steel Blue, the nine-year-old trained by Jason Homer has found the “Fountain of Youth” on the Oregon fair circuit, winning three of his last four outings.
Crusher handled $10,000 claiming routers at Pleasanton, before finishing a credible second against $20,000 platers at Santa Rosa. Khun Nit has been equally sharp against lower-priced claimers with back-to-back route wins at Sacramento and Santa Rosa this summer.
Ayers romped to an 11 3/4-length score in last year’s Ferndale Arabian Stakes, and has retained his sharpness with back-to-back stakes victories this summer at Sacramento and Santa Rosa.
Bar JF Red Ticket has won 41 of 71 lifetime starts, as one of the all-time greats in mule racing. The legendary miss will face stablemate Bar JF Hot Ticket, who has won 52 races in 82 starts, and new sensation Sassy Jazzy, who has reeled off three straight wins for crafty trainer Bruce Towell.
After no fan picked a perfect Pick-Six ticket again Saturday, there will be a Pick-Six carryover of $6,680 up for grabs today.
Another $10,000 or more is expected to be wagered into the Pick-Six pool today, since it has to be paid out on the meet’s last day.
Trainer standings: Quinn Howey and Peggie Hanford, 33 points each; Salvador Naranjo, 29; Morris Parker, 23; Darlene Braden, 22; J Eric Kruljac, 20; Bruce Dillenbeck and Abel Borg, 19 apiece.
