Holy Tutta Bella has speed to control pace

Holy Tutta Bella is the horse to catch in Saturday’s six-furlong feature race at Emerald Downs. The $10,000 claiming event drew an initial field of seven, but Big Mama Thornton was entered back on Sunday and is expected to be scratched.

Holy Tutta Bella has proved to be an astute claim by trainer Justin Evans, who co-owns the mare with Rockingham Ranch. Evans took the mare from a race at Turf Paradise on April 25 for $6,250. The daughter of Tizdejavu returned quick dividends when picking up the winner’s share of $9,405 in a starter-allowance event on May 12 at Emerald Downs.

Reflecting on his sense of Holy Tutta Bella prior to the claim, Evans said, “I always thought a lot of her, and her races were always very competitive in Arizona. We freshened her up on her training and she seems to really like our program.”

Saturday’s race seems to be an ideal spot for Holy Tutta Bella, who appears to be the best speed in a small field. Having already paid her freight, she can be spotted confidently and this $10,000 claiming event is a snug fit.

“You’re always happy when they can give you a fast return,” Evans said. “That’s the name of the claiming game.”

Heading the opposition Saturday is Tiz a Tiger, a Jorge Rosales trainee who drew the rail. She was a winner here at this level on May 11. The 5-year-old daughter of Smiling Tiger owns the best recent Beyer Speed Figure in the field but may be compromised by the limited pace competition Holy Tutta Bella faces.

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A wild card in the field is Lucinda Rella, a mare trained by Ryland Harwood who hasn’t raced since October at Grants Pass. The daughter of Understatement has shown early speed more often than not but it is uncertain whether she is fast enough to soften up Holy Tutta Bella early while not compromising her own chances.

Others expected to start include Laker Jet, who finished fourth in a key race at Turf Paradise on April 8. She is one of five next-out winners from that event.

Laker Jet, an 8-year-old trained by Robert Bean, has been a regular at Emerald the past three seasons but hasn’t visited the local winner’s circle since July 2021.

The other pair entered are Oreo’s Dream and Ms Flashy Harbor. Oreo’s Dream is an Anne Wisdom trainee who will make her first start since August. She will race without blinkers for the first time since 2021.

Ms Flashy Harbor is a last-out claim by trainer Alexis Silva-Martinez for new owner Jane Catherine Maller. The 4-year-old finished a close third behind Tiz a Tiger on May 11 and was a front-running winner at Emerald Downs in May of 2023.

First post at Emerald Downs on Saturday is 1:30 p.m. Pacific. Mild weather is anticipated for Memorial Day weekend.

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