Tracy Jr. Locks Up 2-Year-Old Crown

Trainer Ray Tracy Jr. reached back and got something extra Saturday afternoon at Playfair Race Course.

Although Tracy withdrew Invest In Festin, the expected favorite in the 50th running of the Spokane Futurity, he still had Red Silver Hope in the field, and she dashed wire-to-wire to lock up the 2-year-old championship for the Spokane horse racing season.

Red Silver Hope shook off a pair of challenges at the head of the stretch and drew off to win by five lengths.

She completed 1 mile through the mud in 1:43-3/5. Chirrup finished steadily to place second, a head in front of Order Up Molly.

The field was reduced to five starters when Invest In Festin, as well as his top rival among the colts and geldings, Toughy’s Gold, scratched.

Both reportedly came out of the Juvenile His Stakes, in which Invest In Festin beat Toughy’s Gold by two lengths, with physical problems that failed to clear up by Saturday.

In their absence, jockey Darrell Brinkerhoff had Red Silver Hope, which had been expected to battle Toughy’s Gold for the lead, in front before the field had gone 100 yards.

Included $30,000 added, the Futurity grossed $35,000. Red Silver Hope, which failed to reach her $6,000 reserve at the 1994 All West Yearling Sale, earned $17,340 for owners Grace Thompson Schmitt and James T. Schmitt of Corvallis, Mont. The bay filly also banked $5,000 as the consolation award-winner in the Playfair Challenge Series.

Tracy saddled his third stakes-winner of the meet. He and Brinkerhoff, who had three wins for the day, also won Saturday’s third race with Delighted Paul.

The double gave Tracy 18 training victories for the season and strengthened his grip on second place in the standings.

Post time today will be 1:30 p.m.

, DataTimes MEMO: Cut in Spokane edition.