Barkley being pointed to Governor's Stakes

Barkley, last year’s local 3-year-old champion trained by Howard Belvoir, is being pointed to the $50,000 Governor’s Stakes on May 21 at Emerald Downs.

Barkley has just one loss in his seven-race career, and it was a narrow one, losing by a head to Opportunistic in the Emerald Derby.

Belvoir is pleased with the way the chestnut colt by Munnings is training this spring. Barkley earned a bullet for his six-furlong move in 1:11.80 on April 1, and last Saturday, he worked five furlongs in a minute flat.

“He’s doing great,” Belvoir said. “That was a strong six-furlong work for him, and depending on what day is better, he’ll work again this weekend. There is an allowance race for him on April 22, but I am not sure if it will fill or not.”

The extremely wet winter in the Pacific Northwest has made it tough for trainers to get their horses ready for the meet that opened last weekend. Only seven races were carded for opening day; there are just seven races this Saturday.

The best race on the card is a maiden special weight race for 3-year-old fillies in which it might be worth taking a stab on Always Enuff, who is debuting for trainer Tim McCanna.

“It’s been tough to get races to go,” Belvoir said. “I entered over 30 horses, but so far, only four have got to run.”

Belvoir would like to keep Barkley at Emerald, but if he can’t get a prep into him prior to the Governor’s, he could end up shipping him to Hastings for the $50,000 Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural.

The 6 1/2-furlong Inaugural headlines the opening-day card April 23. Hastings was originally scheduled to open this Sunday, but due to the poor weather conditions, management and horsemen agreed to push the meet back a week.

“We’ll see,” Belvoir said. “All I know is that he is doing well right now, and it would be nice to get a race into him before the Governor’s.”

The main goal for Barkley is the premier race in the Pacific Northwest, the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile on Aug. 13.

Belvoir is also gearing up So Lucky for his seasonal debut. So Lucky was sensational as a 2-year-old, using his substantial speed to win four races, including three stakes. He went into the $75,000 Gottstein Futurity off a nine-length laugher in the $50,000 Washington Cup 2-year-old race. Sent off at 1-9, he set a fast pace but tired late to finish a distant second behind the filly Blazinbeauty in the 1 1/16-mile Gottstein.

So Lucky likely will be heavily favored to win the six-furlong, $50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-olds on May 14.

“We know he’s fast, and hopefully we can get him to rate this year,” Belvoir said. “He’s ready to go.”