Stryker Phd to defend title in Muckleshoot Tribal Classic

Stryker Phd came out of his fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile on Aug. 14 in excellent shape and will make his next start in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic at Emerald Downs on Sunday. The Classic headlines the Xpressbet Washington Cup card, which is made up of six $50,000 stakes restricted to horses bred or sired in Washington or British Columbia. A total of 65 horses were nominated.

The two-time Longacres Mile winner won the Classic in 2013 and 2015 for trainer Larry Ross. His win in the 2013 Classic began a streak of eight straight stakes wins at Emerald.

“He’s doing really well,” said Ross’s wife and assistant, Sharon Ross. “It has taken him a while to get back to his usual self, but I think he’s there now. We’ll see how it all goes, and if he is still doing well, we might bring him back to go for a third Mile next year.”

So Lucky will be a short price to win the stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings. Trained by Howard Belvoir, the son of Coast Guard is undefeated in three starts and really hasn’t been tested. In his most recent start Aug. 14, leading rider Rocco Bowen had him well in hand when he won the $45,000 WTBOA Lads by 5 1/4 lengths.

Mach One Rules will appreciate the easier company he will face in the stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings. He is coming off a fourth-place finish in the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby for trainer Frank Lucarelli on July 31.

Mach One Rules was undefeated as a 2-year-old, and prior to the Derby, he was the runner-up to Barkley in three straight stakes this year. His margins of defeat in the Auburn, Coca-Cola, and Seattle Slew were a head, a neck, and a head.

My Heart Goes On heads the list of 16 horses nominated to the stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Trained by David Martinez, she is the only stakes winner among the horses nominated and is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Washington Oaks on July 24.

◗ Winninginfashion figures to be favored in Friday’s featured race. The one-mile, $10,000 claiming race for fillies and mares goes as race 5 on the seven-race card that begins at 6:30 p.m. Pacific.

Trained by Dan Markle, Winninginfashion won back-to-back one-mile, $8,000 claiming races before losing by a head to the stakes winner Ronda Rocks while going 1 1/16 miles in a $15,000 claiming race Aug. 12.