Emerald Downs: Polish Dollar, Camp Granada in a rematch

AUBURN, Wash. – Polish Dollar and Camp Granada, the top two finishers in a fast allowance race May 12, will meet again Saturday in the feature race at Emerald Downs. A $22,575 no-conditions allowance for older horses at 6 1/2 furlongs, the feature is the eighth race on a nine-race program beginning at 2 p.m. Pacific.

Polish Dollar has written a remarkable career story to date, rising from the lower-level claiming ranks to be a consistent force against allowance runners. A 7-year-old by the Danzig sire Polish Gift, Polish Dollar has won 12 of 31 starts for owner Sharon Radke, with victories in two of his three starts in 2013. In the first one, he rallied from just off the pace to take a first-level allowance, running six furlongs in 1:08.09. In the second, the Bob Meeking-trained Polish Dollar came home strongly to collar Camp Granada in the final 100 yards in 1:08.70.

Polish Dollar’s brief winning streak ended June 1, when he finished a close third behind multiple stakes winner Makors Finale in a six-furlong allowance. Polish Dollar lugged out briefly at the top of the stretch, losing valuable momentum, before getting straightened away and finishing with a rush. He will have a new pilot Saturday, as Juan Gutierrez, who began the week with a 41-40 lead over Isaias Enriquez in the jockey standings, steps in for Cassie Papineau. Polish Dollar will break from the outside post in a six-horse field.

Camp Granada, a homebred for Ron Crockett, president of Emerald Downs, has hinted at brilliance during a star-crossed career that, midway through his 5-year-old season, has yielded just five starts. Camp Granada rose to prominence as a 3-year-old with a laughing victory in a maiden race at Emerald Downs, but subsequent injuries sent him to the sideline for more than 21 months, and he was found wanting in the late stages of his comeback, when Polish Dollar zipped past him for the victory. But Camp Granada returned with a vengeance, winning his next start by nearly eight lengths, and after getting the first five furlongs in 55.93 seconds, he was geared down to finish six furlongs in 1:08.35.

Camp Granada will start from the inside post position under regular rider David Lopez and is likely to make an early bid for the lead.

Forin Sea, a speedy 3-year-old who worked four furlongs from the starting gate in 45 seconds last Sunday, will start from post 2, with Theresmyeverything, another speedy front-runner, in gate 4. The pace could be fierce, with Polish Dollar in close pursuit.