Dutton tries to pick up where he left off in Auburn Stakes
Trainer Howard Belvoir is confident but a bit nervous when it comes to Dutton making his first start as a 3-year-old in the $50,000 Auburn at Emerald Downs on Sunday. The six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds drew six horses, but all eyes will be on Dutton, who will try to remain undefeated following three brilliant races as a 2-year-old.
The Auburn goes as race 6, with the $50,000 Seattle for 3-year-old fillies sharing the spotlight in race 8. Both races are part of the pick six. The jackpot wager begins on the fourth race with a $59,435 carryover. Post time for the first of nine races is 2:30 p.m. Pacific.
:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures
“I am always nervous when a good 2-year-old makes the transition to 3,” said Belvoir. “I am also pretty confident because he has been training great.”
Dutton was impressive winning his debut in the $36,000 WTBOA Lads by nine lengths Aug. 27 and showed it was no fluke when he romped by 14 lengths in a first-level allowance race for statebreds on Sept. 18.
The Washington-bred gelding by Noosito was not as impressive, but he did get the job done when he won the $75,000 Gottstein Futurity going a mile and a sixteenth by 2 1/4 lengths.
Belvoir likes the way Dutton has developed over the winter.
“He really hasn’t grown much taller, but he’s put on some bulk, and he’s matured some,” he said. “I think he could be one of the best horses I’ve ever trained. Jennifer says he’s the fastest horse she’s ever been on.”
Belvoir was referring to jockey Jennifer Whiter, who rode Dutton in all of his races and will be aboard when he breaks from post 2 in the Auburn.
Big Duke will be making his first start at Emerald. Trained by Sergio Ledezma, the California-bred colt by Phantom Wildcat is a five-time winner on Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields. He finished second in one of his two races on dirt.
He came from a stalking position to win a first-level allowance race with a $50,000 claiming option on May 29 and there will be speed coming back to him in the Auburn. Big Duke will break from post 3 with Julien Couton riding
The $50,000 Seattle drew 10 horses with the Blaine Wright-trained Gayles Evening the one to beat.
Gayles Evening is a four-time winner from seven starts, has the best Beyer Speed Figures in the field, and is coming off back-to-back front-running wins in first-level allowance races at Golden Gate.
If Gayles Evening can run as well on dirt as she has on Tapeta, she will be tough to beat. She will break from the outside post with Santos Rivera riding.
If Gayles Evening does not handle the transition to dirt, the Wright-trained La Una, who is perfect in two starts at Emerald, could pick up the pieces.
In both races, La Una broke a step slow but finished full of run to win going away.
Hastings
Trainer Keith Pedersen is pleased how Be Quick came out of his victory in an open allowance race for 3-year-olds at Hastings on Monday and is looking forward to stretching him out for the first time in a mile and a sixteenth allowance race on July 6.
A Kentucky-bred son of Bodemeister, Be Quick is undefeated in four starts, all sprints at Hastings, and Pedersen is planning on using his next race as the first major step toward the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Century Mile on Sept. 11. With a lack of purse money at Hastings this year, open allowance races with $30,000 purses substitute for stakes races. The biggest loss to the stakes program is the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby.
In all three of his wins this year, Be Quick dueled for the lead before winning decisively. Pederson thinks he is not the kind of horse that needs the lead, and he is confident he will be able to handle at least a middle distance. Antonio Reyes was aboard for all three wins.
“We put him behind horses when we trained him in the spring and he didn’t have a problem with it,” said Pedersen. “He just has natural speed, and he breaks so well that he finds himself on the lead. He trains like he will go long, so I don’t think it will be a problem when he stretches out.”
If all goes well, Pedersen plans to run Be Quick in a mile and an eighth open allowance race for 3-year-olds at Century Mile on Aug. 22 prior to seeing if he can handle the mile and a quarter distance of the Canadian Derby.
◗ Monday’s seven-race card features a couple of 3 1/2-furlong maiden races for 2-year-olds. Both appear to be wide open.
Post time for the first race on the card is 5 p.m.
Adding interest to the program is a $56,334 carryover in the pick five. The jackpot wager begins in the third race.
◗ Stevie’s Song looks like the one to beat in an $8,000 conditioned claimer for fillies and mares that will serve as the feature race Tuesday.