Mixo sheds blinkers for Sunday's sprint feature

Mixo could be the one in a first-level allowance race that will serve as the featured race Sunday at Emerald Downs. The 6 1/2-furlong dash with a $30,000 claiming option drew five well-matched horses, but there are a couple of reasons why Mixo has a good chance of emerging victorious.

It goes as the third race on a nine-race card that begins at 2 p.m. Pacific.

Trained by Sharon Ross, Mixo is coming off a fourth-place finish at the same level and distance on June 15. With Kevin Orozco aboard, he settled near the back of the pack while the favorite, Miner’s Heat, dueled with Cody’s Choice and Battle Point for a half-mile. He made his presence known in midstretch and finished well while losing by just a length.

The 5-year-old Washington-bred was wearing blinkers for the second race in a row. However, in all four of Mixo’s wins, his view was unobstructed, and the shades are coming off Sunday. He also came back with a bullet half-mile work June 28 and could be sitting on a peak performance in the third start of his form cycle.

Mixo is versatile, and given the shape of the race, he could get a nice trip stalking what figures to be an honest and possibly contested pace. He will break from post 4 under Orozco.

KEY CONTENDERS

Mixo, by Abraaj
Last 3 Beyers: 60-70-86

◗ He closed his 4-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish behind Hit the Beach in the $25,000 Pete Pedersen Overnight Stakes, and with an improved Beyer Speed Figure in his second start at the meet, he is trending in a positive direction.

The Press, by Harbor the Gold
Last 3 Beyers: 71-70-51

◗ The Howard Belvoir trainee was overlooked in the wagering when he paid $27 for his victory at this level going six furlongs in his first start of the year. He also received little respect when he just missed at 12-1 in the same race Mixo exits.

Cody’s Choice, by Raise the Bluff
Last 3 Beyers: 70-46-80

◗ Portland Meadows stakes winner forced the issue and held on well to finish a neck behind The Press in his last start. The Vince Gibson-trained 4-year-old should be the one they have to run down, and he could be gone if Paynes Prairie doesn’t find some of the speed he used to win three races at the 2018-19 Turf Paradise meet.

◗ He will break from the outside post with leading rider Gary Wales aboard for the first time.

Paynes Prairie, by Tale of Ekati
Last 3 Beyers: 62-72-81

◗ He was on a bit of a roll at Turf Paradise, with a 3-2-0 record from six starts, but didn’t fire in his first try over this surface. It didn’t help that the Paul Treasure-trained Florida-bred 6-year-old got squeezed back to last coming out of the starting gate, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in the mix early if he breaks alertly from post 2 with Anne Sanguinetti riding.