Bella Mia stretching out in Irish Day Stakes

Bella Mia will try to carry her substantial speed around two turns when she goes a middle distance for the first time in the $50,000 Irish Day Stakes at Emerald Downs on Sunday. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies drew seven horses and goes as race 6 on a nine-race program that begins at 2 p.m. Pacific.

Also of interest is the return of Daz Lin Dawn to the Pacific Northwest in race 8. The 2017 horse of the year in British Columbia, Daz Lin Dawn was trained by Nancy Betts when she won all of the stakes races for 3-year-old fillies at Hastings last year. In her first start this year, and her first for trainer Blaine Wright, she finished fifth in an open allowance race at Golden Gate Fields while trying turf for the first time.

Daz Lin Dawn looks like the one to beat in a one-mile conditional allowance race, which carries a $40,000 claiming option.

Wright also trains Bella Mia, the top 2-year-old filly in Washington last year. After finishing second to Ima Happy Cat in the $50,000 Seattle Stakes in her initial start of 2018, she was an impressive winner of the $50,000 Kent on June 10.

Wright was originally of the opinion that Bella Mia would have a hard time getting the distance of the Irish Day. He changed his mind after watching her win the 6 1/2-furlong Kent.

“The way she finished in the Kent and has trained since makes me think she’ll be fine going a distance of ground,” he said.

Bella Mia’s 437 Tomlinson Figure suggests the daughter of Harbor the Gold won’t have any trouble getting a middle distance. She will break from post 4, with Julien Couton retaining the mount.

Wright’s other horses in the race, Downwind and Assemble, should be rolling late.

The new face in town, Princessof the Nyl, is the only entrant with a win going around two turns. Racing for the late Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg, she won a one-mile maiden special weight race at Oaklawn Park on March 16. In her last start, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Pioneerof the Nile finished fourth going 1 1/16 miles in a first-level allowance race at Churchill Downs on June 8. The 77 Beyer Speed Figure she received is the best in this field.

Princessof the Nyl arrived at trainer Mike Puhich’s barn last week. He said that at first he wasn’t sure about running her in the Irish Day, but he changed his mind after seeing how well she has settled into her new accommodations. She will break from post 3 under Kevin Orozco.

Ima Happy Cat, trained by Dan Markle, will have a big say in the outcome of the race. She came from a stalking position to beat Bella Mia in the Seattle but dueled through wicked fractions before failing to keep up in the Kent. Leading rider Rocco Bowen seems to be between a rock and a hard place in deciding on how to ride her Sunday.