McPhee opts for allowance with talented duo
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Having owned and trained last year’s top sophomore colt at Emerald Downs, the Muckleshoot Derby winner He’s Not Talking, 78-year-old Doug McPhee knows a thing or two about how to handle a 3-year-old campaign.
So when it came time to determine whether impressive debut winner Somekindaoutlaw or juvenile stakes participant Coastal Journey should have competed in last Sunday’s six-furlong Auburn Stakes, McPhee opted to instead run both this Sunday in a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds with a $25,000 purse and $40,000 claiming option.
“Right now, we’re thinking we might as well take advantage of our conditions so we know what we’ve got,” said Nancy McPhee, Doug’s wife.
The McPhees have eight horses in their Emerald stable, each of which they own. The star is He’s Not Talking, who has finished second and first in a pair of sprints to start his 4-year-old campaign. He should relish going longer later this summer, having won the Muckleshoot Derby at 1 1/16 miles.
“The next race will be the Governor’s at six and a half [furlongs],” said Nancy. “We’re out of conditions.”
“We are looking forward to stretching him out,” added Doug. “We think a mile is his best distance.”
As for the youngsters running this Sunday, Somekindaoutlaw looked like a seasoned pro in his May 25 debut at 5 1/2 furlongs, stalking in second until deep stretch. There, despite lugging out, he blasted by pacesetter Silicon Native to win by two lengths, galloping out strongly past the wire and earning a 59 Beyer Speed Figure. Sunday’s race will go a long way toward determining whether he’ll warrant a shot in the $50,000 Seattle Slew Stakes, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds on July 19.
“He’s only run the one time, so we really don’t know what we have yet,” cautioned Nancy.
Doug, however, couldn’t help but glimpse into the future, saying, “He’ll be a little fitter the next time, going around two turns.”
Coastal Journey won his five-furlong career debut on Aug. 9 before faltering in the Sept. 7 Gottstein Futurity, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 2-year-olds. He started his 3-year-old campaign on May 30 a well-beaten fourth under the same conditions as Sunday and still has something to prove should he seek a return to stakes company.
“It was his first out and he was in against some very nice 3-year-olds,” said Nancy McPhee. “We haven’t given up on him, obviously.”
Among the other four horses in race 7 Sunday, Glorious Run (60) and Now Cato (65) boast the best last-out Beyers in the field, with Now Cato wheeling back just a week after finishing a decent sixth in the aforementioned Auburn Stakes.
First post Sunday, which will feature corgi races that will air later this summer on ESPN2, is 1:50 p.m. Pacific.
◗ Betting handle for the 10-race card that included the first four stakes of the year on June 21, was up 10 percent to $2,498,375 compared to the same card last year on June 22, when the total handle was $2,268,892. The increase came despite field size for this year’s first Super Stakes Sunday shrinking from an average of 8.1 horses to 7.6 per race, according to track officials.
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