Peter Flies has recency edge but must avoid speed duel

Peter Flies appears the one to catch in Sunday’s statebred allowance feature over six furlongs at Emerald Downs. Trained by Charles Essex, Peter Flies carries a fitness edge over five foes who have collectively raced once since September 2023.

On Feb. 23, Peter Flies went wire to wire to win a $12,500 claiming race on Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields. The 4-year-old gelding has finished second in each of his three dirt tries, which have all come locally. In his May 11 meet debut, Peter Flies missed by a neck in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance, a race in which the top two finishers battled all the way up front.

Trainer Anne Wisdom figures to hold a strong hand as she sends out both Its Kraken Time and Owhatarush. The stablemates have each won on the pace, although neither needs the early lead to be competitive.

Its Kraken Time, a 4-year-old by Running Tap, was competitive for most of the 2023 Emerald season. The gelding won a maiden race on Aug. 5 and was second in allowance company before finishing third at long odds in the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.

“I am hopeful that he is even better this year than he was last year,” Wisdom said. “But I won’t know for sure until we run, and we may need a race, or he may surprise me and be a monster.”

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Its Kraken Time worked five furlongs in 59.40 on May 10. The drill “was very sharp because he worked in company,” Wisdom said. “He doesn’t really get very enthused when he works alone, so I gave him some company to see how fit he is.”

According to Wisdom, Owhatarush is “a beautiful animal [who] has a ton of talent. He just gets himself rather excited, so we need to channel that.”

Owhatarush worked a bullet five furlongs in 59 on May 16.

Also in the field is 6-year-old Naval Escort, who is trained by David Martinez and has campaigned exclusively at Emerald during his 23-start career. The gelding should relish the expected pace on Sunday and will finish strongly, just as he has off the shelf each of the past three seasons.

Chuckanut Bay and Mister Midas round out the group. Chuckanut Bay is trained by Jorge Rosales, while Mister Midas is in the barn of Candice Cryderman.

Mister Midas finished fifth in the May 11 allowance race in which Peter Flies ran second.

Chuckanut Bay will start for the first time since last June, when he won a $16,000 claiming race at Pleasanton.

With just nine career wins between them, the field features four runners who have won wire to wire and another who won after being just a head behind at one call and then in front at all others. Early speed is the order of the day.

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