Gold N Glitter towers over rivals in Barbara Shinpoch Stakes

Gold N Glitter was a dominant debut winner and will look to keep shining Sunday when she starts as a strong favorite in the $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch at Emerald Downs.

The race for 2-year-old fillies shares a card with the $50,000 WTBOA Lads for 2-year-old colts and geldings. Both stakes are over 6 1/2 furlongs.

Gold N Glitter made short work of her rivals in her only start, cruising by 9 1/2 lengths in a $25,000 maiden-claiming sprint at Emerald Downs. The race was run over 4 1/2 furlongs July 11, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 61 that Gold N Glitter earned is the best career number in the nine-horse Shinpoch by 30 points.

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“She ran a really nice race,” said Frank Lucarelli, who trains Gold N Glitter. “She didn’t break as sharp as she could, but she got right up in there. She’s a pretty good filly.”

Lucarelli said he ran Gold N Glitter in a maiden-claiming race after a few maiden special weight races for her did not fill.

The added distance of Sunday’s race would seem to suit Gold N Glitter, a daughter of the Seeking the Gold stallion Harbor the Gold.

“The day she won she could have went a mile the way she was kicking around there,” Lucarelli said. “Hopefully, she’ll be fine.”

Gold N Glitter will break from post 3 under regular rider Javier Matias. She’s a candidate to wire the field, but has shown in her training she can adapt if the pace scenario warrants it, said Lucarelli.

“I don’t think sitting off the pace would bother her if there’s a couple of fillies that just want to go crazy out there,” he said. “She’s a pretty smart filly. Javier knows her well. He’ll have confidence in her however things [unfold].”

Lucarelli could also have the favorite in the WTBOA Lads in Cobra Jet. He won both of his races by a combined margin of 20 1/4 lengths. The victories both came at Emerald Downs, in a maiden special weight June 30 and the King County Express Stakes in his last start July 18.

“He’s a pretty good horse,” said Lucarelli. “He’s got a great mind, which probably is what makes him a pretty good horse.”

Cobra Jet will break from post 6 in the field of seven under regular rider Juan Gutierrez.

“He can do whatever you want,” said Lucarelli. “Juan’s got a lot of confidence in our horse. We’ll see how the race sets up, let him settle wherever he settles. He’s certainly got plenty of speed if we need it.”

Cobra Jet’s chief rivals include impressive debut winners Check the Gear, A View From Above, and Decimate.

“It looks like a very good race,” Lucarelli said. “There’s several nice horses in there.”