Anyportinastorm enters Budweiser Stakes in top form

Anyportinastorm is a half-length away from a five-race winning streak.

A 5-year-old, Anyportinastorm has won his last two starts, which came in sprint stakes at Golden Gate Fields and Emerald Downs, and will be favored in Sunday’s $50,000 Budweiser Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Emerald Downs. Trainer Blaine Wright considers the Budweiser Stakes a prep for Emerald’s leading race, the Grade 3 Longacres Mile on Aug. 11.

“That’s six weeks from this race,” Wright said on Friday. “We’ll probably train him up to it.”

Anyportinastorm, owned by Peter Redekop, won the Governor’s Stakes at six furlongs at Emerald Downs at 1-5 on June 2, drawing away in the stretch by 3 1/2 lengths to beat stablemate Oh Marvelous Me. The Budweiser Stakes drew a field of seven, including Oh Marvelous Me and Grinder Sparksaglo, who was third in the Governor’s Stakes.

The Budweiser Stakes will be the Emerald Downs debut of El Huerfano, a 7-year-old gelding claimed for $62,500 at Santa Anita on May 24, when he won a one-mile optional claimer. A stakes winner in Sacramento in 2015, El Huerfano is now trained by Chris Stenslie.

KEY CONTENDERS

Anyportinastorm, by City Zip
Last 3 Beyers: 91-94-92

Anyportinastorm began the season with a third-place finish, beaten a half-length, in the Bill Thomas Memorial Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Sunland Park on March 24. Last November, Anyportinastorm ended a four-race campaign with his first stakes win in the Zia Park Sprint in New Mexico.

Anyportinastorm has won 6 of 12 starts and earned $214,625. He has never had more than four starts in a year.

“He was accident prone for a while,” Wright said. “It was never soundness with him. Horses find trouble to get into here and there – things that drive trainers crazy.”

Wright said that earlier in his career Anyportinastorm was sidelined when he fell after a commotion when a loose horse ran past him in training. On another occasion, Anyportinastorm “clipped his stifle when he came out of the gate” and needed treatment, Wright said.

Anyportinastorm tends to run near the front and appears the quickest in the Budweiser field. The Longacres Mile distance may be another matter.

“I think he’ll get a mile,” Wright said. “I don’t know how much further he’ll go than that.”

El Huerfano, by Tannersmyman
Last 3 Beyers: 95-96-93

El Huerfano won an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on April 27 prior to the win on May 24. This will be El Huerfano’s first start in a sprint since a second in an optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita last October.