Calex brings nose for wire to Saturday feature

Stakes winners understandably get all the glory, but horses like Calex, who will be trying to win for the 14th time when he runs in Saturday’s feature at Emerald Downs, also deserve to be recognized for what they have accomplished. After all, it can be a hard grind for a claiming horse, and not many end up with double-digit wins.

Calex gives it his best just about every time, and he looks like the one to beat in a $10,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up, which drew seven horses. The one-mile race headlines a nine-race card that begins with a Quarter Horse allowance dash at 2 p.m. Pacific.

Calex began his 41-race career with a loss at Gulfstream Park in 2014, then went to Turf Paradise where he easily won a $30,000 optional maiden claimer. He won four races in Phoenix before being claimed by trainer Joe Baze, who brought him to the Pacific Northwest, where he has been based since 2016. Since then, he’s won six times at Emerald and also won three races at the 2017-18 Portland Meadows meet. Two of his wins at Portland were for Baze, who reclaimed him for $2,500 on Oct. 20.

Calex dueled through honest fractions before settling for second in a race similar to Saturday’s in his first start at the meet May 12. He was coming off a third-place finish in a $2,500 starter race Jan. 30 at Portland.

The 6-year-old Ontario-bred is capable of stalking the pace. With plenty of potential speed in the field, jockey Kevin Orozco should be able to ease Calex into a stalking position after he breaks from the inside post.

That is exactly what Orozco did when Calex won for the 13th time, in a $6,250 claiming race Jan. 9 at Portland Meadows.

KEY CONTENDERS

Calex, by Harlington

Last 3 Beyers: 69-59-60

◗ He knows where the wire is and could find it with the right kind of trip in his second start following a layoff.

Awesome Return, by Decarchy

Last 3 Beyers: 74-54-59

◗ Trained by Candi Tollett, the 7-year-old California-bred was an easy front-running winner of a one-mile $5,000 claiming race May 13. The 74 Beyer Speed Figure he received for his 8 1/4-length romp is the best last-race figure in the field.

◗ He also is versatile, as evidenced by the way he rallied to win a one-mile $8,000 claiming race on turf Feb. 12 at Turf Paradise.

Archie Graham, by Grazen

Last 3 Beyers: 66-62-60

◗ The Larry Ross-trained 6-year-old came from off the pace to just miss in a $6,250 conditional claimer March 16 at Golden Gate Fields and should appreciate the shape of the race.