Gold Rush Dancer stretches out in Gottstein Futurity
AUBURN, Wash. – Gold Rush Dancer, a sprinter seeking to carry his abundant speed around two turns, headlines Sunday’s $65,000 Gottstein Futurity on closing day at Emerald Downs.
A victory by Gold Rush Dancer in the meeting’s richest race for 2-year-olds would come as sweet relief for veteran trainer Bill Tollett, who hasn’t won an added-money event at Emerald Downs in nearly a decade. Gold Rush Dancer, whom Tollett trains for owner and breeder John Parker, towers over the other six entrants on paper, having earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 70 for his runner-up effort in the six-furlong Captain Condo Stakes on Sept. 13. In a down year for 2-year-olds in the Pacific Northwest, those credentials are likely to make him a heavy favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Gottstein.
The field includes a couple of fillies and two maidens, and only one horse in the group has raced beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, so Gold Rush Dancer isn’t the only one being asked to show some stamina to go with his quick turn of foot. He does have some history on his side: Favorites have won 14 of the 19 editions of the Gottstein Futurity at Emerald Downs.
The fillies My Heart Goes On and Cape Grace profile as contenders, and fillies have done quite well in the Gottstein in recent years. Smarty Deb ran roughshod over males in 2007, and Talk to My Lawyer was a convincing winner in 2011. My Heart Goes On closed with a rush in her last start after setting the pace in previous outings. With Gold Rush Dancer in the field and likely to make a beeline for the lead, her ability to rate behind horses could come in handy.
KEY CONTENDERS
Gold Rush Dancer (Last 3 Beyers: 70-62-63)
◗ He’s been on the fast track since his debut July 4, when he was bet down to 9-5 and won easily, and his jockey, Julien Couton, has been red-hot of late. But like a few others in the Gottstein field, Gold Rush Dancer boasts dubious route credentials.
Cape Grace (Beyers: 53-44)
◗ Cape Grace is by Abraaj, a son of Carson City who has three crops of racing age. His 20 foals to race have combined for 32 victories, including stakes wins by Fear of the Cat (at Hastings) and Invested Prospect, an unbeaten 2-year-old filly. But Abraaj was a sprinter, and Cape Grace’s dam never raced beyond 5 1/2 furlongs.
Packy’s Out (Last 3 Beyers: 52-52-35)
◗ While he’s still a maiden after five starts, Packy’s Out, by Curlin, is likely to enjoy the trip. He’s the only horse in the field to have competed around two turns, finishing third in a one-mile maiden race Sept. 12. If the pacesetters hit the brakes, he could spring an upset for trainer Tom Wenzel and Emerald Downs founder Ron Crockett.
My Heart Goes On (Last 3 Beyers: 53-32-52)
◗ My Heart Goes On won her first two starts, including the six-furlong Angie C. Stakes in July, and was a close third in the restricted Northwest Farms Stakes on Sept. 13. Can she get the distance? She’s by Albertus Maximus, who captured the 1 1/8-mile Donn Handicap in addition to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, but My Heart Goes On’s dam, the speedy My Untamed Heart, ran out of gas at the top of the lane in her only route attempt.