Coastal Jazz is clearly the horse to beat in Sunday’s allowance feature over 6 1/2 furlongs at Emerald Downs. The Justin Evans trainee won by 4 1/2 lengths at the $25,000 claiming level over six furlongs on July 14 in his last start. Prior to that, the son of Coast Guard shared pacesetting duties through torrid splits before fading slightly when going a mile and 70 yards on June 29. Coastal Jazz, owned by Rockingham Ranch, drew the rail and five others passed the entry box for the Sunday headliner. Evans will also send out Cool Papa G for the same owners. Cool Papa G has “been very frustrating getting away so slow that he can’t overcome it,” according to Evans. “He’s been standing and schooling in the gate a lot.” Cool Papa G lost at least a length at the start in each of three prior races at Emerald Downs. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. “Both horses have had great energy in their training,” said Evans. “You just hope the right horses show up on Sunday.” Coastal Kid drops out of the stakes ranks and right into contention. The Alexis Silva-Martinez trainee has won a pair of sprints over fast tracks in 2024 and may be right at home in Sunday’s field. Executive Chef is another with credentials. In his most recent start he battled on a contested pace and stuck around to finish second, a half-length back of the winner, while the pair who battled him early both plummeted toward the back of the field. The Blaine Wright-trained Executive Chef has raced only twice in 2024 and is a former Emerald stakes winner, having won the Auburn in 2022. Langston Road, among those who battled early with Executive Chef on June 30, surrendered on the turn, eventually finishing 10 3/4 lengths back. The Dan Markle charge will try again with Leslie Mawing named to ride. Smiling Goodbye, a Debbie Peery trainee, is another with just two starts in 2024 behind him. The gelding stalked just behind Executive Chef and then found considerable traffic trouble into the turn before finishing with interest on June 30. Also on the Sunday schedule are a pair of Quarter Horse trials for the Aug. 18 finals as well as a mixed-breed contest over 870 yards. A number of 2-year-olds from Oregon and Idaho are entered for the two Quarter Horse trials with the certain headliner to be Secretarysbestcard, who won the recent Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass on July 4. She earned $33,200. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.