Copy Begone streaks into starter spot

Copy Begone will be a short price when she goes for her fourth straight win in a $3,500 starter race at Emerald Downs on Saturday. The six-furlong dash drew seven horses and headlines an eight-race card that begins at 5 p.m. Pacific.

The 5-year-old mare is on a roll with four wins and a runner-up finish in her last five starts. Her first win in the streak came on turf in a $4,000 starter race for trainer Frank Lucarelli at Golden Gate Fields on May 6, and the horse that beat her there in her next start, Brite Echo, reeled off back-to-back wins at Santa Rosa and Sacramento.

Returning to trainer Neill Knapp, Copy Begone has been perfect at Emerald this year. With Kevin Orozco aboard, she rallied to win a $3,500 starter race going six furlongs on June 24. Gary Wales was riding when she sat just off the speed in her win over Briana Jean at the same level going 6 1/2 furlongs on July 13. Wales was also aboard for her easy 2 3/4-length victory in a $12,500 claimer on July 27.

Copy Begone drew the rail, and with Wales retaining the mount she should get a nice trip stalking what figures to be a fast and contested pace.

KEY CONTENDERS

Copy Begone, by Demon Warlock
Last 3 Beyers: 67-63-58

◗ Her recent Beyer Speed Figures stand out, the shape of the race should work for her, and it is hard not to like a horse that has won half of her 20 races at Emerald and is 14-6-0 from 35 lifetime starts.

Merveilleuse, by Tiz Wonderful
Last 3 Beyers: 59-58-46

◗ With 11 wins, the 8-year-old Kentucky-bred knows where the wire is. A deep closer, she is trending in the right direction for trainer Pablo De Jesus, and with plenty of potential speed in the field, the race could set up nicely for her.

Briana Jean, by Lucky Pulpit
Last 3 Beyers: 56-50-60

◗ The Jeff Metz-trained 5-year-old couldn’t fend off Copy Begone in her last two starts, but she is the speed of the speed and could take them a long way under Rocco Bowen if she gets the jump on Coast Is Clear.

Zanab, by Kitalpha
Last 3 Beyers: 55-59-60

◗ She was on a roll with four wins in five starts before she finished third to Copy Begone on July 13 after going wide on the turn.

◗ The 7-year-old Montana-bred has been freshened by trainer Larry Ross, and with a sharp half-mile work on Aug. 3, she could be sitting on a big race here.

◗ She also does her best running late, and there will be speed coming back to her.