My Heart Awakens equipped to handle Gottstein Futurity distance

The 72-day Emerald Downs meet wraps up Sunday with an 11-race card featuring the $65,000 Gottstein Futurity. Post time for the first race is 2 p.m. Pacific.

The 1 1/16-mile Gottstein drew eight 2-year-olds, including the fillies Diamond R and Frisky Bear. Frisky Bear is trained by Frank Lucarelli, who won the Gottstein last year with another filly, Blazinbeauty. It was the 13th time a filly won the Gottstein.

The girls are eligible for a $25,000 bonus if they win the Gottstein and the $100,000 Fantasy on Sept. 30 at Hastings. The boys are eligible for the same bonus in the $100,000 Ascot on Oct. 1 at Hastings.

All the horses in the field will be trying a middle distance for the first time, and My Heart Awakens looks like the one to beat.

Trained by David Martinez, he is undefeated in two starts and overcame adversity to win an open allowance race Sept. 3 at Emerald. Breaking from the inside post with Javier Matias aboard, he ducked in sharply at the start and trailed the field early. He started to move into contention on the turn, but steadied at the five-sixteenths pole. Moving with authority along the rail, he took control of the six-furlong race in midstretch and was pulling away at the wire.

His half-sister My Heart Goes On is a route stakes winner, and she finished second in the Gottstein for Martinez in 2015. Both horses are homebreds owned by Coal Creek Farm.

Martinez likes the way My Heart Awakens worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Sept. 13.

“He galloped out seven furlongs very strong,” he said. “He’s still learning, and hopefully he will break a little better Sunday. He certainly acts like he won’t have any trouble going the extra distance.”

My Heart Awakens drew post 4 with Matias riding again.

KEY CONTENDERS

My Heart Awakens, by Alternation

Beyers: 55-49

◗ His breeding suggests he won’t have any trouble handling a middle distance, and he was very impressive the way he overcame a poor start to win his second start.

◗ If he does break well, he should get a nice trip sitting off what figures to be an honest and contested pace.

Elliot Bay, by Harbor the Gold

Last 3 Beyers: 59-65-40

◗ The only stakes winner in the field, he is coming off a runner-up finish in the $50,000 Washington Cup race for juvenile colts and geldings Aug. 27.

◗ He has the highest Tomlinson in the field for the distance, a 415, and his last two works suggest trainer Howard Belvoir has him primed for a big effort.

Frisky Bear, by Nationhood

Beyers: 55-45

◗ After drifting out at the top of the stretch, she straightened herself out and rallied to finish a close second behind heavily favored Bella Mia in the Washington Cup juvenile filly race. She finished over seven lengths clear of the third-place finisher.

◗ The past five years, Lucarelli has a 20 percent strike rate and $2.86 ROI with 2-year-olds going a mile or longer the first time. Blazinbeauty paid $14 when she won the Gottstein last year.