Old warriors tangle in deep field

With 30 wins between them, Take Charge Deputy and La Waun know where the wire is and figure to have a big say in the outcome of a $20,000 claimer, $25,000 for Washington-breds, that will serve as the feature Friday at Emerald Downs.

The six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up goes as race 6 on a seven-race card that begins at 7 p.m. Pacific.

The Jorge Rosales-trained Take Charge Deputy could end up favored. The 14-time winner dueled through honest fractions before settling for third in a first-level allowance race that carried a $40,000 claiming option on July 10. Slew’s Tiz Whiz, who blew by him in the stretch to win the six-furlong sprint, did the same to Papa’s Golden Boy in his victory last Sunday in the $50,000 Governor’s.

Take Charge Deputy went into the race off back-to-back front-running wins in $10,000 starter races on June 3 and June 17. However, the 7-year-old California-bred gelding by Take Charge Deputy does not need the lead in order to win.

In his two victories at Rillito Park this spring he came from last going 1 1/16 miles in the $20,000 John K. Goodman on March 26. He also trailed the field early going six furlongs in the $20,000 Pima County Classic on April 3. In his final two starts at Emerald in 2021, he came from a stalking position to win a conditioned allowance race with a $30,000 claiming option Aug. 29 and had a similar trip when he repeated in a $25,000 claimer Sept. 19.

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With that in mind, Alex Cruz may elect to let Take Charge Deputy sit just off Forever Gold and Frisco Frills after breaking from post 3.

La Waun, trained by Candi Cryderman, is coming off a victory over Makah Lane in a $15,000 claimer on July 10, and he is capable of stringing solid races together. He has never completed a hat trick in his 59-race career, but on four different occasions he did win back-to-back races.

Similar to Take Charge Deputy, the 16-time winner with $303,300 in earnings has speed but can stalk. A 7-year-old California-bred gelding by The Pamplemousse, La Waun will break from post 4 with Juan Gutierrez up.

Mixo looks like a serious threat for trainer Shelly Crow. The 8-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Abraaj is coming off a win in a $10,000 starter race on July 1, which came on the heels of a third-place finish in Take Charge Deputy’s June 17 victory.

He drew the outside post and could get the right kind of trip with Kevin Radke aboard.

Frisco Frills is a 4-year-old filly facing boys. However, the 78 Beyer Speed Figure she received for her victory over the multiple sprint-stakes winner Daffodil Sweet in a conditioned allowance race with a $50,000 claiming option on June 12 would put her in the mix.

The Cliff Balcom-trained daughter of Coast Guard may not have cared for the sloppy conditions when she finished fifth as the chalk in a first-level allowance race that carried a $30,000 claiming option July 3. She will have to deal with other speed, most notably the Howard Belvoir-trained Forever Gold who breaks from the inside post with Jennifer Whitaker up.