No throwouts in claiming sprint
A case could be made for any of the six horses running in a $20,000 claiming race, $25,000 for Washington-breds, that will serve as the featured event at Emerald Downs on Thursday. The 6 1/2-furlong dash for fillies and mares goes as race 7 on an eight-race card that begins at 6 p.m. Pacific.
Beginning from the rail, Stay in Grace is looking to repeat following her 5 3/4-length romp in a $10,000 starter race with a $15,000 claiming option on July 18. She could be tough to reel in with Julien Couton riding for trainer Rigoberto Velasquez.
Lady Campbell, who breaks from post 2, also took them all the way in a $10,000 starter with a $15,000 claiming option June 20 before finishing third in a $25,000 conditioned claimer July 11 for trainer Tom Wenzel The 5-year-old daughter of Dialed In could be dangerous if she can get the jump on Stay in Grace.
Red Noon Rising, trained by Joe Toye, rallied to win a $20,000 claimer in her first start at Emerald on June 2. In her last two races, she just missed to Lady Campbell on June 21 and finished third as the chalk in the same race Staying Grace exits.
She could pick up the pieces if Stay in Grace and Lady Campbell get carried away in front of her. She will break from post 3 with leading rider Alex Crux aboard.
Lucky Long Legs will break from post 4 with Alex Anya riding. The 4-year-old daughter of Lucky Pulpit won a $12,500 claimer for nonwinners-of-two at Los Alamitos on July 3 and was claimed out of the race by trainer Debbie Peery, who the past five years has a 38-percent strike rate and $2.05 ROI first off the claim.
Please Me, post 5, is trending in the right direction with a win in a $12,500 claimer for nonwinners-of-three on July 15 for trainer Candy Cryderman.
Completing the field is Fortune’s Freude, who did not fire in either of her two starts this year, the latest a fifth-place finish in the race Lady Campbell exits.
However, the 6-year-old mare by Freud owns the top Beyer Speed Figure in the field, which she earned for a win going a mile in a $10,000 starter race with a $15,000 claiming option last year. She could be sitting on a peak performance in the third start of her form cycle. Fortune’s Freude is trained by Kay Cooper.
Adding to the puzzle is that the track surface changed and produced significantly slower times last week.