My Friend Emma to show the way in Oak Tree Sprint

Racing tactics look simple for the $50,000 Oak Tree Sprint on the Oak Tree at Pleasanton Fourth of July card. The super-sharp My Friend Emma will gun it out of the gate, and it could be hard for his four rivals to catch the lone speedster in the six-furlong race.

Jockey Ricardo Gonzalez knows he just has to sit quietly on My Friend Emma, who has won three of his last four starts and gave a bang-up effort when setting the pace and running second in the Grade 3 All American at one mile at Golden Gate Fields on May 28. He won the five-furlong Albany on turf there in his most recent start June 9.

“We get along really nice,” said Gonzalez. “I just keep my hands down and let him go.

“He just has natural speed, whether you’re going a mile or five-eighths. He’s really fast and showed he could go a route. I want to see him go down the hill at Santa Anita, hopefully.”

Tribal Storm and Annie’s Candy, both trained by Ari Herbertson for his father, Scott, could be the biggest threats to My Friend Emma.

Tribal Storm won last year’s $100,000 Harris Farms and this year’s Lost in the Fog under Irving Orozco, who rides him again Wednesday.

Despite his late-running style, Tribal Storm has won at five furlongs on turf and is coming off a troubled second in the second division of the Albany. Orozco said he’s his favorite mount.

“He loves running at horses,” said Orozco. “He doesn’t like to be rushed up early. You have to leave him alone. He’s very patient himself.”

Annie’s Candy won going wire to wire in a sprint at Northlands Park in Canada last year, and he was a nonthreatening second to My Friend Emma in the Albany.

The X factor will be Run Away, who meets older horses for the first time. He hasn’t been a factor in two starts as a 3-year-old this year, but he won three $100,000 sprint stakes last year.

Oak Tree Sprint, Race 8

Key contenders

My Friend Emma, by Tannersmyman
Last 3 Beyers: 94-98-91

◗ He gets a good draw in the middle of a small field.

Tribal Storm, by Papa Clem
Last 3 Beyers: 84-88-78

◗ His lack of early foot poses a problem here, and he will need racing luck.

Annie’s Candy, by Twirling Candy
Last 3 Beyers: 84-76-75

◗ He should be sitting closest early to My Friend Emma. He turned in a bullet work for this race.