Cooper loaded in all three closing-day stakes at Emerald
Trainer Kay Cooper will try to close out the 2021 meet in style with serious chances in two of the three closing-day stakes at Emerald Downs on Sunday. The 11-race card begins at 2:30 p.m. Pacific.
The Cooper-trained Stay Fantastic will vie for favoritism with Unmachable in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic. Bayakoas Image will be heavily favored to win the Washington Cup Filly and Mare with Rea Mea an interesting possibility in the 1 1/16-mile race. Cooper also has longshot Ghostfinder entered in the $75,000 Gottstein Futurity.
The 1 1/16-mile Tribal Classic is first up in race 7 with the Filly and Mare and Gottstein making up the second and third legs of the all-stakes pick three.
Stay Fantastic was the top older horse at Hastings in 2020 but is looking for his first win this year. The 5-year-old British Columbia-bred son of Stay Thirsty is better going a middle distance, and this year stretched out just once in four starts for trainer Christine Ammann – he finished third in an open allowance race July 13.
Stay Fantastic will be making his first start away from Hastings and his first for Cooper.
“He shipped well and was strong when he trained over the track Thursday,” said Cooper.
Stay Fantastic will break from post 5 with Alex Marti up. He has tactical speed and figures go get a nice trip from a forward position.
Unmachable will be rolling late and will find this field easier than the horses he faced when he finished fifth in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile in his last start on Aug. 15.
The Jack McCarthy-trained son of Macho Uno is looking for his first win since he won the Muckleshoot last year. He should show some speed and could get up in time with Javier Matias riding.
Cooper is pleased with how Bayakoas Image has trained since she was an impressive winner of the $50,000 Washington Oaks in her first start at Emerald on Aug. 29.
“She’s doing great and really couldn’t have trained better,” she said.
Bayakoas Image came from a stalking position in the Oaks and should get a similar trip Sunday with Marti retaining the mount.
Rea Mea, who will make her first start for Cooper, has speed. She used it to complete a hat trick when stretched out in her first route attempt in a $16,000 claimer at Hastings on Aug. 30. She is owned and was bred by her former trainer, Ammann.
Ammann’s assistant Edgar Mendoza was aboard when Rea Mea galloped at Emerald on Thursday.
“Edgar was all smiles and was sweating quite a bit when he came back to the barn,” said Cooper.
All of the nine 2-year-olds entered in the Gottstein will be going around two turns for the first time.
The Jorge Rosales-trained maiden, Diamond Willow, will likely be favored off his runner-up finish in the $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile.
Diamond Willow will be up against five horses trained by Emerald’s all-time leading trainer, Frank Lucarelli.
The best of the group so far is debut winner Boss Nine, but Danny Zuko has the pedigree for the assignment and might be worth a stab at what should be a generous price.