Maiden Cape Blossom rates a pretty good shot Saturday, when she meets winners in a field of $25,000 claimers over six furlongs at Emerald Downs. The feature race on the penultimate day of the 2024 season will match seven fillies and one mare in a race restricted to those who have never won two races. Shopping for a spot to race on closing weekend can be tricky, and it is partly for that reason that David Martinez trainee Cape Blossom will face winners. Having never before raced under claiming conditions, Cape Blossom just happens to boast the top last-out Beyer Speed Figure among the group. Couple that with the fact that the daughter of Atta Boy Roy has been slow away from the gate in each prior start and her potential is easy to recognize. Leading rider Alex Cruz retains the mount aboard the Oak Crest Farm LLC colorbearer. Martinez said, “The race is going to be a challenge because of the conditions for entry,” with regard to Cape Blossom’s status as a maiden facing winners. The conditioner added that he does sense his filly is getting better at the gate. Cape Blossom and the other late-runners in Saturday’s contest will be vulnerable to loose speed. The pace players may include comebacker Starry Beach, Valley Echo, Secret Hottie, and Bumping River. Secret Hottie is a Bonnie Jenne trainee who won a maiden race three starts ago on July 7 before flashing her speed and nearly lasting all the way at Saturday’s level in her next start. Now a veteran of 12 career starts, the 4-year-old has shown considerable early foot in almost every one of them. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Jose Navarro-trained Bumping River won a maiden race on the front end at the $15,000 claiming level Aug. 17. Valley Echo was recently claimed by Joe Toye when returning from more than two months on the sidelines. The daughter of Parker’s Storm Cat earlier won a $25,000 maiden-claiming race in wire-to-wire fashion. Starry Beach is returning from a year away for trainer Alexis Silva-Martinez. The filly wired a field of four at the $25,000 maiden level on July 7, 2023. Others set to go Saturday are Pop Chart, trained by Elodio Madrigal; Unbridled Scholar, trained by Blaine Wright; and Veronica’s Delight, trained by Tom Wenzel. Veronica’s Delight won for the only time in her career debut in September 2023. Most recently, she has faced stakes competition without having much impact. It should be noted that Cape Blossom earned her top last-out Beyer just two weeks ago when third in a maiden special weight on Sept. 1. If two or more of the others contest the early pace, Cape Blossom has every right to be right there at the finish. Saturday’s first post is 1:30 p.m. Pacific. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.