The debuting Bodi Zafa is worth taking a shot with in the $50,000 King County Express over 5 1/2 furlongs at Emerald Downs on Sunday. Seven 2-year-old colts and geldings are scheduled to assemble Sunday afternoon for the first local stakes opportunity of the season for their division. The group includes a pair who have already won at least one race along with a trio of first-time starters. Trainer Tom Wenzel will send out Bodi Zafa, who was a $45,000 Keeneland sale purchase last September for owner George Todaro. Wenzel has won with four of his past six debuting 2-year-olds, including 3 of 5 for Todaro. In addition, the sire, dam, second dam, and grandsire of Bodi Zafa each won at first asking while the colt will be the first starter from his dam. That dam, Lightning Dove, was a comfortable wire-to-wire winner in maiden special weight company at Keeneland in her 2016 debut. Furthermore, the team of Wenzel and Todaro have won the past three renewals of the Gottstein Futurity, traditionally the 2-year-old championship event at Emerald Downs. Two of the favorites are homebreds owned by Margaret Root, who has Big Bowie in the barn of Frank Lucarelli and Vivacious Tribute, trained by Blaine Wright. Big Bowie got off to an early start in his initial campaign, taking a maiden race on April 11 at Turf Paradise. The gelding returned three weeks later to win the $60,000 Turf Paradise Open Spring Futurity. A son of Mr. Big, Big Bowie improved considerably in his second start and has been away for two months waiting for the local competition to catch up to his qualifications. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Chief among the competitors is Root’s other entrant, Vivacious Tribute, who is the only other to have won a race to date. The son of Tom’s Tribute was comfortably in front all the way when topping maidens at Emerald on June 9. Wright also will saddle Si That Tiger who, as the betting favorite, had a troubled start in the June 9 maiden event. Si That Tiger drew the rail and will once again be handled by Silvio Amador. Of his charges, Wright said, “Both are training forwardly. It’s a tough race and [we are] looking forward to this next start.” Others in Sunday’s small cast include He’s Not Talking, a debuting gelding trained by Bonne Jenne who has been working quite well. Da Smoke is from the barn of Anne Wisdom, and the gelding finished second behind Vivacious Tribute when they met June 9. Impassable is from the first crop of Longacres Mile winner Barkley and trained by Howard Belvoir, who also trained the sire. Da Smoke is a daughter of Da Burn, who won by 12 lengths at Emerald in her second career start. She in turn was a daughter of Firetrail, who won or placed in six Emerald stakes back in 2007-08. Sunday’s card gets under way at 1:30 p.m. Pacific. Hot weather is anticipated. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.