Runnin Out of Days lives up to billing in King County Stakes

Wagering on debuting 2-year-olds breaking from the rail can be a risky proposition. Many babies get nervous standing in the gate while the rest of the field is being loaded. They can be intimidated, with horses on their outside and the rail inside. Also, if they break a step slowly, they are stuck behind horses with nowhere to go.

None of the above bothered Runnin Out of Days when he debuted in the $50,000 King County Stakes on Sunday at Emerald Downs. He actually broke outward from the inside post and bumped into Nashville Skyline. Runnin Out of Days recovered quickly, though, and soon after was on his way to an impressive 10 1/4-length romp in the 5 1/2-furlong race.

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“I was not too worried about the post position,” said his trainer, Blaine Wright. “From the day we put the saddle on him he bowed his neck and acted like a good horse. He has been good in the gate, and nothing seems to bother him. He came over and acted like a professional.”

Juan Gutierrez was aboard.

“He was in the starting gate for a long time, but it did not bother him,” Gutierrez said. “He’s a nice horse.”

Wright is happy with how Runnin Out of Days appears to have come out of the race but is waiting to see how he trains before making any plans for his next start.

“He looks pretty good, but he has not gone back to the track yet,” he said Wednesday. “We’ll give him another day off and go from there.”

The obvious next race for the Washington-bred son of Abraaj is the $50,000 WTBOA Lads on Aug. 7 at Emerald.

“We have a month to get him there, but we are going to let him tell us when he’s ready to run,” said Wright, who owns Runnin Out of Days with Abel Pulver and Shawn Sudo. “If he’s not perfect, we’ll just wait on him.”

Wright was not surprised by Runnin Out of Days’s impressive performance.

“We knew he was one of our better 2-year-olds and he showed it,” he said. “We’re pretty excited about him. Not sure who was behind him, though.

Runnin Out of Days received a 62 Beyer Speed Figure for his victory.

Miss Dynamic was given a 53 for her front-running victory in the $60,000 Angie C for 2-year-olds fillies, which was held a couple of races earlier.

The Washington-bred daughter of Miss Dynamic also broke from the inside post and, similar to her debut eight days earlier on July 2, she appeared to be shot from a cannon leaving the starting gate with Gutierrez riding.

It was the first stakes win for trainer Rigoberto Velasquez.

Miss Dynamic will likely make her next start in the $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch, also on Aug. 7 at Emerald.

◗ The James Gilmour-trained Jedi Knight will be among the favorites in a $3,500 starter race that will serve as Friday’s feature. The one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up goes as race 6 on a seven-race card that begins at 7 p.m. Pacific.