Si That Tiger heads a full field in the $50,000 Gottstein Futurity as the curtain falls on the 2024 Emerald Downs racing season. An overflow cast of 15 2-year-olds were originally entered, of which 12 drew posts for the traditional closing-day fixture, now run over one mile and 70 yards. Each of the starters will be attempting to race around two turns for the first time. Trainer Blaine Wright will saddle a pair in the Gottstein Futurity, including probable favorite Si That Tiger along with recent maiden winner Checkered Flag. Last raced on Aug. 4, when he won the WTBOA Lads Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs, Si That Tiger has been put through a series of four stamina-building workouts. “The distance is a big question for all the horses in the race,” Wright said. “Everyone is in the same boat. All we can do is hope we’ve got them prepared to run one mile and 70 yards.” Several factors favor Si That Tiger on Sunday. Chief among them are his last two Beyer Speed Figures of 67 and 71. Nobody else in Sunday’s field has topped 59 to date. In addition, the son of Smiling Tiger is out of the same mare as Longacres Mile winner Slew’s Tiz Whiz, who will be a prohibitive favorite in the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic, the previous race on the card. Trainer Justin Evans will send a trio in search of Gottstein Futurity glory. They include last-out maiden winners Colonel Ludlow and Border Vigil along with filly A Thousand Miles, third in the WTBOA Lassies Stakes on Aug. 3. Impassable is from the barn of Howard Belvoir, and, although still a maiden, he boasts the highest Beyer Speed Figure earned by any entrant other than the expected favorite. Two other stakes winners in the Gottstein Futurity field are He’s Not Talking and Big Bowie. The latter won the Turf Paradise Open Spring Futurity on May 4 for trainer Frank Lucarelli before finishing third in a trio of Emerald stakes this summer. He’s Not Talking is a Bonnie Jenne trainee who was the narrow winner of the Washington Cup Juvenile Colts and Geldings on Aug. 25. Drawing the rail on Sunday is Candy Caballo, who was a narrow maiden winner on Aug. 11 for owner George Todaro and trainer Tom Wenzel. The same owner-trainer combination has won each of the last three runnings of Sunday’s race. Candy Caballo was bumped hard, crowded, and checked at the start to lose two lengths early in his last race, according to Emerald’s popular “Race Notes.” A fourth consecutive Gottstein Futurity for the connections is not beyond reach. Three other last-out maiden winners round out the group. They include Thirsty Vision, trained by Jorge Rosales; Nijinsky Halo, trained by W.L. McDaniel; and the filly Shesayshello, trained by Tena Birdwell. ◗ Sunday racing gets under way at 1:30 p.m. Pacific with the first of 11 races to wrap up the season. Besides the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic, the Washington Cup Filly and Mare Stakes also will be featured. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.