E Z Star Maker returns after almost two years off

If E Z Star Maker comes back as well as she left, she could be a handful in a $25,000 claiming race for nonwinners of two that headlines a seven-race card Friday night at Emerald Downs.

That could be a lot to ask, considering this will be her first start since she romped by 7 1/2 lengths in a $25,000 maiden claimer on Aug. 7, 2016.

Given the uncertainty of how the 5-year-old Washington-bred daughter of He’s Tops will perform coming off the lengthy layoff, it would be hard to single her in the Jackpot Pick 7, which has a $21,354 carryover. Post time for the first race is 6:35 p.m. Pacific.

Trained by Howard Gibson, E Z Star Maker has been working as if she is ready for a big effort coming off the bench. She earned bullets in three of her last six works, and her five-furlong work in 57.80 seconds on June 8 stands out.

She proved she can fire fresh when she ran well in her debut, finishing second after getting off to a poor start in a $15,000 maiden claimer. She put it all together in her second start when she broke sharply, set fast fractions, and just kept rolling with Leonel Camacho-Flores riding.

Camacho-Flores also will be aboard when she breaks from post 2 Friday.

Fly Far Away will vie for favoritism with Colleen’s Diamond in the six-furlong dash for fillies and mares, which drew eight horses.

Trained by Blaine Wright, Fly Far Away won going 5 1/2 furlongs in a less restrictive $25,000 nonwinners-of-two claimer May 8 and followed it up with a third-place finish in a first-level allowance race with a $32,000 claiming option June 9. She lost by only a neck, and the runner-up, Jerre To Carrie, came back to upset a tough group of fillies and mares in a $40,000 optional claimer Sunday.

Fly Far Away can stalk, and there should be an honest pace for her to work with after she breaks from post 5 with Austin Solis riding.

Colleen’s Diamond, won an open $20,000 claiming race for trainer Charles Essex on June 3 prior to finishing third in a $25,000 conditional claimer June 22. She will be in the mix early from post 6 with leading rider Rocco Bowen aboard.

Couton explodes for six wins

Jockey Julien Couton was as hot as a firecracker when he rode six winners Tuesday night. The nine-race card preceded the annual fireworks extravaganza that as usual drew a robust crowd. He tied the record for wins on a card with Kevin Radke (2002) and Seth Martinez (2008).

Couton accomplished the feat despite breaking his toe in the final race Sunday.

“I managed the pain okay, and I rode for trainers who had their horses in the right spots,” Couton said. “It all came together.”

The longest-priced winner he rode to victory was Bye Bye Sal who paid $9.20 in the first race. He closed the card with an easy win aboard the 1-2 favorite Blackford.