Mach One Rules back after only two weeks in Muckleshoot Classic

Trainer Frank Lucarelli isn’t thrilled about bringing Mach One Rules back in just two weeks after the horse ran his eyeballs out to finish second in the Grade 3, $200,000 Longacres Mile on Aug. 13. However, the trainer was pleased with how Mach One Rules came out of the Mile – and he’s also a good handicapper.

So Lucarelli entered Mach One Rules in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic at Emerald Downs on Sunday.

“We thought he would look pretty good in there,” he said.

That he does. The 4-year-old son of Harbor the Gold will be a short price to win his third stakes this year and sixth overall in the 1 1/16-mile race, which drew five horses. The Classic headlines an 11-race Washington Cup Day card that includes four $50,000 stakes for horses bred or sired in Washington or British Columbia, and two $50,000 juvenile stakes races restricted to Washington-bred or -sired horses.

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Because of his back-to-back wins in the $50,000 Budweiser Stakes and $50,000 Mt. Rainier, Mach One Rules was sent off as the favorite in the Mile. He had a wide trip, though, and was no match for Gold Rush Dancer, who took over the race on the stretch turn and cruised to the wire in the Pacific Northwest’s premier race.

“No excuses,” Lucarelli said. “He had a clean trip and the winner was just too good. We looked at races in California for Mach One Rules, but decided to stay home. We know he likes this track and we’ll give him a good break after he runs Sunday.”

Mach One Rules, who lost the Washington Cup 3-year-old race by a neck to The Press last year, will break from post 4 with Isaias Enriquez riding.

The Press and Dedicated to You, who finished a nose behind Mach One Rules in the Mile, are part of the five-horse field. The main threat could come from Mike Man’s Gold, though.

Trained by Joe Toye, the 7-year-old Mike Man’s Gold is on a tear right now with four straight wins, all after setting quick fractions with leading rider Rocco Bowen aboard. His latest victory was in a $40,000 optional-claiming race Aug. 5.

A four-time stakes winner, Mike Man’s Gold earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure when he won the 2014 Classic. He will break from post 2 with Bowen again riding.

One of the shortest prices on the day will be Citizen Kitty, who is an absolute standout in the Washington Cup Filly and Mare Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile race drew six horses.

Trained by Jeff Metz, Citizen Kitty is coming off a 1 1/2-length victory over Washington Oaks winner Little Dancer going 1 1/8 miles in the $65,000 Emerald Distaff on Aug. 13.

“Obviously we would like to give her more time between races, but she came out of the Distaff good and we want to support the program here,” Metz said.

She will break from post 3 with Julien Couton aboard.

Bella Mia, trained by Blaine Wright, will be odds-on to win the Washington Cup Juvenile Filly Stakes. The six-furlong dash kicks off the stakes festival in race 4.

Next up is the Juvenile Colts and Geldings Stakes, and contention runs deep in the six-furlong sprint. Sippin Fire finished an unlucky second to Elliott Bay in the $45,000 WTBOA Lads on Aug. 6, and he could turn the tables with a clean trip.

Retreat Yourself and Gazing look like the main players in the one-mile Sophomore Filly Stakes.

Six-time winner Keller’s Gold is one of many possibilities in the one-mile Sophomore Colts and Geldings Stakes.