Local divisional champ Appeal Factor faces tough cast off bench in Seattle Stakes

This season’s stakes activity at Emerald Downs begins Saturday when the $50,000 Seattle Stakes will bring out last year’s local divisional champion Appeal Factor to face eight other 3-year-old fillies over six furlongs.

The David Martinez trainee went 2 for 2 during her juvenile campaign, scoring a pair of impressive stakes wins and honors as the top juvenile filly at Emerald Downs. Silvio Amador retains the mount aboard Appeal Factor.

The Oak Crest Farm LLC homebred has worked steadily and without missing a beat for her sophomore debut. On May 30, Appeal Factor breezed six furlongs in 1:09.80, one of the fastest six-furlong workouts ever by a filly or mare at Emerald Downs. Additionally, the move was one of just four at Emerald in the 2020s faster than 1:10.

“I’m not surprised by the work,” Martinez said. “She wants to gallop hard and wants to work hard. After the last two works she feels fit and ready for Saturday.”

Heading the opposition is another Martinez-trained charge, Paynt Ya Later, who was a recent allowance winner at Emerald. For the effort, she earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest figure of anyone in Saturday’s field.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

Special Diva, winner of last year’s Washington Cup Juvenile Filly Stakes, was just behind Paynt Ya Later in the May 11 allowance. She drew the outside post in the Seattle Stakes’ nine-horse field.

Vince Gibson trains Special Diva, who is the only runner in the field who faced Appeal Factor last year. In the WTBOA Lassies Stakes, Special Diva was sent away at 30-1 and checked in seventh, beaten 14 1/2 lengths by Appeal Factor.

Another possibility is Arctic Breeze, a filly by Arrogate who sold for $375,000 in April 2023. The Blaine Wright trainee took a maiden race by 9 1/4 lengths on Jan. 20 before winning an allowance event at Golden Gate Fields on March 3. Karlo Lopez has the call to ride Arctic Breeze.

Rocky Bay Rae is a Frank Lucarelli trainee who took an allowance race by a length at Turf Paradise on April 18. Isaias Enriquez will have the call aboard the daughter of Giacomo.

Others in the field include Grease Missle, trained by Miguel Hernandez; I’m Telling Mom, trained by Joe Toye; Victoria’s Charge, trained by Alan Bozell, and Signora Vittoria, trained by Tim McCanna.

Handicappers won’t have it easy, as they must try to measure the progress of Appeal Factor since she earned Beyer Speed Figures of 44 and 39 during her brief 2023 campaign that was over by mid-August.

“It’s a very tough race that’s coming but I think she’s ready,” Martinez said.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.