Party Pooper should win at short price in allowance feature
There is not much doubt that Party Pooper will be favored in a second-level allowance race that will serve as the featured race at Emerald Downs on Friday evening. After all, the 86 Beyer Speed Figure he received for finishing second to eight-time winner Scatdaddy Baby in a $25,000 open claimer June 26 stands out.
The question is: Do you really want to take a short price on a horse who has lost as the favorite six times in his 11-race career? In this case, the answer appears to be yes. If he comes close to repeating his last race, Party Pooper will win the one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up that drew eight horses.
Trained by Rigoberto Velasquez, Party Pooper was stretching out to a middle distance for the first time, and considering how well he ran, maybe this is what he really wants to do. Scatdaddy Baby is fast, and he controlled the race from start to finish. With Ronald Richard aboard, Party Pooper never looked like he was going to catch the winner but finished full of run and was well clear of Man of Stature, who was third.
There should be an honest and contested pace for Party Pooper to work with, and if he stays in the zone, he is going to be tough to handle with Richard retaining the mount.
The 76 Beyer that Raspberry Road received for his runner-up finish in a $25,000 conditional-claiming sprint July 3 is the second-best last-race figure in the field. Trained by Dan Markle, Raspberry Road’s last win came in a one-mile optional $40,000 claiming race a little more than a year ago, so he shouldn’t mind the added distance.
Race 6
KEY CONTENDERS
Party Pooper, by Desert Party
Last 3 Beyers: 86-72-81
◗ He is a half-brother to three route winners and could take a big step forward in his second try at a middle distance.
Raspberry Road, by Bellamy Road
Last 3 Beyers: 76-59-64
◗ He was rolling late in his latest sprint, and there should be an honest pace to set him up.
Honored Citizen, by Proud Citizen
Last 3 Beyers: 69-49-0
◗ Trained by Michael Puhich, this half-brother to Scatdaddy Baby came back with two sharp works following his romp in just his third start in a one-mile, $25,000 maiden-claiming race June 17.
Wando Cat, by Wando
Last 3 Beyers: 68-67-63
◗ The consistent 3-year-old trained by Frank Lucarelli rallied to win a one-mile optional $40,000 claiming race for his own age group June 20 and should get a similar trip while facing older horses for the first time.