Harbor Outlaw could use newfound speed in Emerald allowance

The Bonnie Jenne-trained Harbor Outlaw is a puzzle that is hard to solve. If he runs as well as he did when he won an allowance race for nonwinners of two or nonwinners-of-three Washington-breds on June 12, he will be tough to beat in a similar race that is featured Sunday at Emerald Downs. The 6 1/2-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up drew six horses and goes as the sixth race on a seven-race card that begins at 2:15 p.m. Pacific.

Harbor Outlaw’s win seemed to come out of nowhere and accordingly he paid $25.20 for his 3 1/4-length victory over Tig in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint. The 75 Beyer Speed Figure he received was 24 points higher than his previous best, and he had shown absolutely no speed in his eight other starts, so it was a bit surprising to him sitting just off the lead when Tig posted a half-mile time of 44.37 seconds. Harbor Outlaw took over at the eighth pole and drew off to win decisively.

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It was not surprising to see the 4-year-old gelding by Harbor the Gold bounce when he came back to finish fifth in a similar race July 9. However, he did show good speed again, and the winner, Nine One One, ran away from not only him but also the rest of the field.

If Harbor Outlaw does show up with the same kind of early lick, he could get a nice trip sitting of the lone 3-year-old in the field, Smoken Shadow. How he will respond when asked the question in the stretch is anyone’s guess.

Harbor Outlaw will break from post 5 with Jake Samuels picking up the mount from Juan Gutierrez. Samuels is married to jockey Kassie Guglielmino, who was aboard for Harbor Outlaw’s emphatic win June 12. Guglielmino has been off since she broke her fibula in a spill June 24.

March On Linch rallied to finish second to Nine One One on July 9, and his connections were happy this race filled, otherwise the 4-year-old Washington-bred son of Linchpin would have been chasing Nine One One again in a first-level allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option Saturday.

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March On Linch is trending in the right direction for trainer Alan Bozell. He won a $15,000 claimer for nonwinners of two with a 53 Beyer on May 15, finished third at this level with a 57 Beyer on June 4, and got a 63 Beyer for his runner-up finish in his last start. He should be rolling late and could get up in time if Harbor Outlaw and Smoken Shadow get carried away early.

March On Linch will break from the outside post with Jose Zunino up.

Forty Smooches is a serious threat for trainer Kay Cooper. The 5-year-old gelding by Munnings finished 1 3/4 lengths behind March On Linch on July 9, but he dropped back after he was bumped by Nine One One soon after leaving the gate and the incident may have cost him the runner-up spot. It was just his second race this year, and he could be sitting on a peak performance in the third start of his form cycle. Forty Smooches went into the race off a victory in a $15,000 claimer for nonwinners of two on June 18.