Grand Palais has recency edge in sprint feature

Grand Palais and Party Pooper stand out in a $20,000 claiming race that will be featured at Emerald Downs on Saturday. The six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up drew seven horses and goes as race 7 on an eight-race card that begins at 2 p.m. Pacific.

Grand Palais, trained by Blaine Wright, could have a slight edge with three races behind him this year. In his last start at Emerald, a $25,000 optional-claiming race April 16, he was part of a three-horse duel and then was game enough to hold off next-out winner Togrammashouswego to win by a nose. Togrammashousewego rallied from last in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint.

In three starts at Emerald, Grand Palais has won twice and was the runner-up to Awesome Indian in a first-level allowance race June 20. His only other win came in his second start at Woodbine in 2015.

He drew post 4, with Javier Gutierrez retaining the mount.

Party Pooper will be making his first start of the year for trainer Rigoberto Velasquez. He hasn’t raced since he won a key $25,000 optional-claiming sprint Sept. 10. In his previous start, he won a one-mile, $25,000 claiming race Aug. 27. The honest 5-year-old has been part of the trifecta in 14 of his 15 starts. The exception was a fifth-place finish in his third start as a 2-year-old in the $48,000 Birdcatcher at Northlands Park.

He drew post 3, with Leonel Camacho-Flores riding.

KEY CONTENDERS

Grand Palais, by Grand Slam
Last 3 Beyers: 80-47-80

◗ Wright, who is winning races at a 48 percent clip at the meet, has given Grand Palais plenty of time to recover from a race in which he ran his eyeballs out every step of the way.

◗ His 47.80-second work Monday is a good sign that he’s ready for another strong performance.

Party Pooper, by Desert Party
Last 3 Beyers: 87-83-79

◗ He just never runs a bad race and may have tipped his hand when he worked five furlongs in 59 seconds flat last Sunday.

Eddington’s Star, by Eddington
Last 3 Beyers: 78-42-60

◗ He probably wants more distance, but he is coming off a sharp win for Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg in a 1 1/16-mile, $7,500 claiming race at Oaklawn Park on April 14.

◗ He will be making his first start for trainer Michael Puhich, who over the past five years at Emerald has a 29 percent strike rate with new shooters. Puhich is off to a hot start at the meet, with six of his 15 starters winning.