Stenslie has the goods in pair of stakes preps

Owner-trainer Chris Stenslie is looking forward to Saturday when she will be running Daffodil Sweet, Spittin Image, and Hard to Deny in a couple of open allowance races at Emerald Downs. The one-mile races will serve as preps for the Grade 3, $100,000 Longacres Mile and $50,000 Distaff for fillies and mares, both on Aug. 15.

Daffodil Sweet will be a short price in the fillies and mares version. It goes as race 7 on an eight-race card that begins at 6:40 p.m. Pacific.

Stenslie is not sure if Spittin Image and Hard to Deny are good enough to run in the Mile. She is hoping to find out more about them in the third race, which drew a field of five older geldings.

Daffodil Sweet usually goes right to the front, but she sat just off the speed when she won the 6 1/2-furlong Washington Legislators on July 11. The 4-year-old California-bred filly by Ministers Wild Cat went into the race off a last-place finish after a horrible start in the $50,000 Hastings on June 17 at Emerald. It was Daffodil Sweet’s first loss sprinting.

“She is doing great,” Stenslie said. “She gets a little wound up with five weeks between races. This will help settle her down heading into the Distaff.”

In her only route attempt, she finished second after setting the pace in the 1 1/16-mile Washington Oaks last year.

Daffodil Sweet could be the one they have to run down Saturday, or she may sit just off Pyscho Sister, who will be making her first start since she won the $53,200 Miss America on Dec. 8, 2018, at Golden Gate Fields.

An Ari Herbertson-trained 8-year-old, Pyscho Sister is a seven-time winner on turf and Tapeta, but has just a couple of third-place finishes from five starts on dirt.

Stenslie is hoping Hard to Deny and Spittin Image do not burn each other out in the third race.

Hard to Deny is coming off front-running victory going a mile in an allowance race for nonwinners of two or Washington-bred nonwinners of three on July 8.

Spitting Image is going for the hat trick following wins going six furlongs at the same level June 9 and June 24. In his only route attempt, he finished second in a one-mile first-level allowance race with a $30,000 claiming option as a 3-year-old last year.

“They both like to be in front, so hopefully one can lay of the other,” Stenslie said. “When we started training this year, I thought Spittin Image had moved up a notch. Maybe he’ll be like O B.”

Stenslie was referring to Spittin Image’s full-brother, O B Harbor, who improved dramatically as a 4-year-old with four straight wins before finishing third as the favorite in the 2016 Mile for Stenslie.

The Jack McCartney-trained Unmachable, second to Papa’s Golden Boy in the $50,000 Governors on July 11, figures to benefit the most if Hard to Deny and Spittin Image get carried away early.