Classic Leah racing at career peak

Classic Leah is the one to catch and beat as she goes for her third straight win in the feature race at Emerald Downs Saturday. The six-furlong dash for fillies and mares that have started for a claiming price of $10,000 or less in 2021-22 drew six horses and goes as race 7 on an eight-race card that begins at 2:15 p.m. Pacific.

Classic Leah, trained by Vince Gibson throughout her 27-race career, has never been better. The only time the 6-year-old California-bred daughter of Sixthirteen previously won back-to-back races was when she won her 2-year-old debut in a $15,000 maiden-claimer June 24, 2018, and repeated almost 10 months later in a $15,000 claimer for nonwinners of two on April 20, 2019.

Leslie Mawing was aboard when Classic Leah won a $10,000 starter race with a $15,000 claiming option June 26 and when she romped by 4 1/2 lengths in a $10,000 starter race July 16. In both races, she held the lead at every call and the 67 Beyer Speed Figure she received in her July 16 race is a career best.

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There is other speed in the field, but Classic Leah looks quick enough to make the lead if she breaks alertly from post 5 with Mawing aboard. She has won from a stalking position in the past, so Mawing will have options if she does not get the jump on the other speed.

Lady O’Prado was a bit of a surprise when she paid $22.60 for her win in her second start this year in a $10,000 claiming race July 10. With Javier Matias riding for trainer Candi Cryderman, the 5-year-old daughter of Paddy O’Prado trailed the field early before finishing with a rush to win the six-furlong dash going away.

Prior to the strong performance, Lady O’Prado had not won sprinting in her 14 previous races and she was coming off a fourth-place finish in a $10,000 claimer in her first start of the year and first at Emerald June 25.

With plenty of potential speed in the field, Lady O’Prado could get the right kind of trip while possibly peaking in the third start of her form cycle.

She will break from post 4 with Matias up.

The Joe Toye-trained Le Tub is also coming off a victory in a $10,000 claiming race July 29.

With Juan Gutierrez aboard, Le Tub stalked Judicial from along the rail and when Judicial started to tire and drifted out turning for home, she took advantage of the situation and burst to the lead in the six-furlong race.

In her previous two outings, the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Bodemeister chased Classic Leah the whole way while finishing second June 26 and finished last to Classic Leah July 16.

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Le Tub will break from the outside post with Gutierrez retaining the mount.

Unlimiteddataplan will appreciate the class relief after finishing fourth in the $50,000 Washington State Legislator’s July 24.

Trained by Alan Bozell, she went into the race off a victory in an $8,000 claimer for nonwinners of three July 8.