Smokemonthecliff should appreciate added distance

Smokemonthecliff is the one to beat in Friday’s $15,000 claiming feature at six furlongs. The Scott Tubbs trainee was the runner-up in his most recent start on May 19, a 5 1/2-furlong race from which four of Friday’s contenders return.

Smokemonthecliff’s last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 60 has been topped just once by any of her six opponents. The May 19 race, a $25,000 conditioned claimer, was the first start at Emerald Downs by the 4-year-old daughter of Smokem, who should benefit from the added half-furlong on Friday. Smokemonthecliff, who races for Alex Ortega Jr. and Vincent Ortega, closed from fifth to be beaten 2 1/2 lengths on May 19.

Chief among the opposition is Hot Lava Cake, a Justin Evans trainee who forced the early pace before backing up to finish fourth, beaten 11 3/4 lengths, in the May 19 race. Hot Lava Cake was sent away at 7-2 and raced nearest the dominant front-running winner, Stay Sassy. The race was Hot Lava Cake’s initial try over the Emerald strip.

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A daughter of Hit It a Bomb, Hot Lava Cake won an unproductive maiden race in good time April 17 at Turf Paradise. In that contest the top three finishers were one-two-three at every call. Eight runners have returned since the April 17 race, with none finishing in the top three in their next start.

Hot Lava Cake has put forth deceptively strong performances in both starts against winners since the maiden score. She dueled hard from the inside before retreating to be fifth, beaten five lengths, on April 29 at Turf Paradise prior to shipping to Emerald.

“We were really disappointed in her last two races,” Evans said. “She fired so big her first race for us.

“She’s trained well going into this race and [we] hope the class drop will help.”

Another prime candidate is Yogya, trained by Tom Wenzel. A daughter of Palace Malice, Yogya was making her yearly debut when third, beaten 5 3/4 lengths, on May 19.

Yogya showed potential in winning a maiden special weight in June 2023 before finishing a strong second in allowance company a couple of weeks later. The filly is expected to improve in her second start of the year.

Four others are scheduled to face the starter, including Ask Alice, a Frank Lucarelli trainee who won her career debut in July 2022. The daughter of Nationhood is from a mare whose offspring have typically shown immediate brilliance. Ask Alice surely needed her May 19 race, which was her first start in 21 months.

Parker’s Fifteen, She’s a Kraken, and Seeyamia are 3-year-olds who will be meeting their elders. Parker’s Fifteen is trained by Jose Navarro, while She’s a Kraken is trained by Kay Cooper and Seeyamia is another from the barn of Lucarelli.

Sharing billing with the Thoroughbred racing this weekend are the annual Indian relay races at Emerald. Three Indian relay races are scheduled on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

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