Stryker Phd goes for third Muckleshoot Tribal Classic win

Favorites figure to dominate most of the six $50,000 stakes for horses bred or sired in Washington or British Columbia that make up the bulk of the 10-race Washington Cup Day card at Emerald Downs on Sunday.

Foremost is Stryker Phd, who will try to win a record third Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.

The first race goes at 2:25 p.m. Pacific. Stryker Phd will try to make history in the 1 1/16-mile Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 5:45.

Stryker Phd is trained by Larry Ross, who, along with his wife and assistant, Sharon, was recently voted into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame. In a ceremony at Emerald that begins at 1:45, they will be officially inducted into the Hall.

Stryker Phd, who undoubtedly will be joining the Ross family in the Hall of Fame when his career is over, paid $2.40 when he won the Classic last year. He probably won’t be as short a price on Sunday. He went into the 2015 Classic with seven straight stakes wins at Emerald, and he had just won the Grade 3 Longacres Mile for the second year in a row. His last win came in the 2015 Classic, though, and he is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Mile on Aug. 14.

Larry Ross is happy with how he is coming into the race.

“He came out of the Mile in great shape, and he has been training really well,” Ross said. “We probably would have worked him this weekend, so we may as well run him.”

“It is a great honor to be going into the Hall of Fame,” Sharon Ross said. “It would be even better with a stakes win.”

Stryker Phd drew the outside post in the seven-horse field, with Leslie Mawing retaining the mount. As usual, Stryker Phd will drop back early and make a big run late.

Absolutely Cool, trained by Tom Wenzel, may have the best chance of upsetting Stryker Phd. The multiple stakes winner can fire fresh and will be making his first start since he finished sixth in the $50,000 Budweiser on June 16. Adding to his appeal is the DRF Formulator Fact that over the past five years, Wenzel has a 31 percent strike rate with horses coming back between 61 and 180 days.

Absolutely Cool will also have the services of leading rider Rocco Bowen.

The first stakes on the card is for 2-year-old colts and geldings, and So Lucky is going to be a prohibitive favorite in the six-furlong dash that drew six horses.

Trained by Howard Belvoir, So Lucky won his first three races by a combined 12 3/4 lengths, and he really hasn’t been pushed by Bowen.

In typical fashion, he opened up a clear lead early and cruised home to win the $45,000 WTBOA Lads by 5 1/4 lengths Aug. 7.

“He’s doing great,” Belvoir said. “I don’t know how he’ll react when he gets tested. Hopefully, he’ll just run faster. We’re lucky to have him.”

He drew post 5, with Bowen retaining the mount.

Bowen will also ride Risque’s Legacy, who will be a short price to win the 2-year-old filly race. Trained by Wenzel, Risque’s Legacy was a nine-length winner in her debut in a maiden special weight race Aug. 13. The 72 Beyer Speed Figure is 24 points higher than the next-best figure earned by her six opponents.

Trainer Frank Lucarelli likes the way Mach One Rules is coming into the 3-year-old race that drew nine horses.

Mach One Rules was undefeated as a 2-year-old, and he ran well but lost his first three starts this year to Barkley in the Auburn, Coca-Cola, and Seattle Slew by a head, a neck, and a head. He is coming off a fourth-place finish in the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby on July 31.

Following his narrow loss in the Auburn, Lucarelli took the blinkers off Mach One Rules. They are going back on for Sunday’s race.

“He is training like a horse that is ready to roll,” Lucarelli said. “Hopefully, he runs like one.”

Mach One Rules drew the outside post in the one-mile race. If he breaks well with usual rider Leslie Mawing riding, he should get a nice trip stalking Huya.

Ethan’s Baby, trained by Blaine Wright, might be questionable going a 1 1/16 miles, but she has a big class edge in the filly-and-mare race.

My Heart Goes On and Copy Begone look like the main players in the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by David Martinez, My Heart Goes On is the only stakes winner in the 11-horse field.

Copy Begone has won five of her six starts at the meet for trainer Steve Bullock.