Big Endeavor tepid choice in wide-open, 11-horse sprint
Big Endeavor looks as good as any in a race where a case can be made for or against most of the 11 horses entered in a first-level allowance that will serve as the feature race at Emerald Downs on Thursday.
There is a $30,000 claiming option available in the 6 1/2-furlong dash for 3-year-olds, which goes as the seventh on an eight-race card that gets underway at 6 p.m. Pacific.
Trained by Ken Person, Big Endeavor will appreciate the class relief after finishing third in the $50,000 Auburn on June 20. The California-bred son of Mr. Big was making his second start at Emerald following a third-place finish in a first-level allowance race that carried a $40,000 claiming option on May 26.
Big Endeavor was favored in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint on May 26, but his chances took a big hit when he broke a step slow and then was squeezed back to last.
Prior to coming to Emerald, he scored a narrow victory in a conditioned allowance race with a $15,000 claiming option at Turf Paradise on April 22. Taking advantage of the claiming option, Person claimed Big Endeavor for himself. Person now owns Big Endeavor with Mike Nyland and Eric Amerlan.
Big Endeavor drew post 4 with by leading rider Alex Cruz retaining the mount. On Saturday, Cruz extended his record of winning at least one race at Emerald to 41 consecutive days.
The Steve Bullock-trained Coastal Jazz is back with his own age group after finishing fifth in an allowance race for non-winners of two or Washington-bred non-winners of three for 3-year-olds and up on June 9.
In his previous start, his first this year, he took them all the way in the race Big Endeavor flopped as the chalk in on May 26.
A Washington-bred gelding by Coast Guard, Coastal Jazz may have bounced in his latest after running such a big race in his first start of the year.
With a bullet five-furlong move in a rapid 57.20 seconds on June 20, it appears Coastal Jazz is primed for a big effort Thursday. He will have other speed to deal with but he could be tough to reel in if he breaks on top with Ryan Barber picking up the mount from Julien Couton, who sticks with Gordon Anthony.
Gordon Anthony came from a stalking position to win a $25,000 claiming race for trainer Candy Cryderman on June 20. He was claimed out of the race by trainer Frank Lucarelli, who was acting on behalf of Mutiny Bay Backstretch LLC.
The claim can be viewed in a positive light because the past five years Lucarelli has a 24 percent strike rate with claimed horses running back the first time. He is 30 percent first off the claim at Emerald.
Nationheart was an impressive front-running winner of a maiden special weight race when he debuted for trainer Kay Cooper on May 27. He fits better here after finishing fifth in the Auburn.
Other speed could make Nationheart’s task difficult, but he has raced only twice, so it is possible he is capable of passing horses. If he can stalk, he could win what appears to be a wide-open event.