Quarter Horse stakes kick off Thursday card

Quarter Horses take center stage at Emerald Downs on Thursday, with the first three races of the 11-race card stakes races for them.

Leading the charge is the $20,000 Emerald Downs Distaff Challenge, which goes as race 1 at 5 p.m. Pacific.

:: Start earning weekly cashback on your wagering today. Click to learn more.

Cm Once Ina Bluemoon has been installed as the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the 870-yard dash. Trained by Nick Lowe, Cm Once Ina Bluemoon is perfect in two starts at Emerald. The last time she ran at the Auburn, Wash., oval she romped in the Distaff Challenge on Aug. 25, 2019. She is a sharp horse right now with back-to-back wins going 600 yards at Grants Pass on June 24 and July 7.

Cm Once Ina Bluemoon will break from post 2 with Jose Figueroa riding. Figueroa rode Cm Once Ina Bluemoon in both of her races at Grants Pass.

Hes a Bugin looks like the main threat. Trained by Jose Rosales, Hes a Bugin has won half of his eight starts going 870 yards and was favored over Cm Once Ina Bluemoon when he finished second going 610 yards at Prineville in his last start. The bad news is the race was over a year ago on July 13, 2019.

Second up is the $30,000 John Deere Emerald Downs. Cm Dillingham Advice looks like the one to beat in the 350-yard dash for 2-year-olds. Also trained by Lowe, he was an easy winner going 350 yards at Grants Pass on June 17 in his only start.

Cm Dillingham Advice will break from post 2 in the eight-horse field with Luis Gonzalez riding.

Lowe also will saddle likely favorite Cm Boom Shakalaka in the $40,000 Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge for 3-year-olds and up in the third race. Cm Boom Shakalaka will break from the outside post in the nine-horse field with Gonzalez aboard.

With Gonzalez riding, Cm Boom Shakalaka won his last two starts, both at Grants Pass. Last year, he finished third as the favorite in the 440-yard Challenge.

Kool Odds will try to defend his title in the Challenge. Trained by Mark Hanson, he has not won since he edged For Sweet Jess in the Challenge.

Owners’ Prestige looks like the one they will have to catch and beat in the featured Thoroughbred race on Thursday.

The 6 1/2-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up running for a top claiming price of $12,500 drew nine horses and goes as the 10th race with an approximate post time of 9:18 p.m.

Trained by Blaine Wright, Owners’ Prestige set wicked interior fractions en route to a 2 1/4-length victory in a $12,500 claimer for nonwinners of three on July 29.

He is the speed of the speed and could be gone if he breaks on top from post 8 with Gary Wales retaining the mount.

There is other speed, though, and if an all-out duel develops it could set up nicely for Omache Kid. Trained by Tena Birdwell, Omache Kid can stalk and is coming off a narrow loss to Mirror Image at the same level and distance Aug. 5.