Penn National: Prominent trainers Guerrero, Sheppard have contenders in stakes doubleheader

Golddigger’s Boy and Luckifee, both riding three-race winning streaks, and Royal Clash, who romped by more than eight lengths against similar competition the last time he visited Penn National Race Course, meet for the first time in the Docent, one of two $75,000, 1 1/16-mile stakes restricted to Pennsylvania-breds on Tuesday night’s card.

The Docent is the fifth race on the card and has a field of eight horses.

Golddigger’s Boy, from the high-percentage barn of Ramon Preciado, won the restricted Lyman Handicap going seven furlongs at Parx two months ago and will be stretching out around two turns after winning a third-level optional $40,000 claimer going 6 1/2 furlongs at Parx. His last three two-turn races have produced a pair of wins and a second by a neck.

Royal Clash dominated last fall’s 1 1/16-mile Nepal at Penn National in his first start off a $16,000 claim. He is 4 for 10 lifetime at Penn National and has proved to be a great acquisition for Juan Carlos Guerrero, who is well on his way to winning his second straight leading trainer title at Parx. In five starts for Guerrero, the 7-year-old Royal Clash has collected 3 wins and a second.

Luckifee has won three in a row against open company in high-priced optional claimers at Charles Town and Laurel Park. A 6-year-old based in Maryland with trainer Rodney Jenkins, Luckifee has not faced statebreds since finishing third in the 2009 Nepal at Penn National.

* Based on her high-profile connections, Emerald Beech, switching surfaces after winning a one-mile, first-level allowance on the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs, may rate a slight edge among an evenly matched group of 10 female turf runners in the Lyphard (race 3).

A 5-year-old mare who has been facing open company throughout her 12-race career, Emerald Beech is owned by George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stable and trained by Hall of Famer Jonathan Sheppard, who combined to win two local turf stakes, the 2010 Russian Rhythm and the 2007 Betty’s Hat.

My Marigold, first or second in 7 of 9 starts on Penn National’s turf, and Ask Me Anything, who has been off since October but missed by three-quarters of a length returning from a similar layoff in a turf route last year, also merit respect.