West Seattle Boy eyes No. 16

AUBURN, Wash. - A competitive field of 10 older horses was entered for Friday's feature race at Emerald Downs, a $20,000 claimer at one mile. Racing begins at 6 p.m. and the feature is the seventh race on an eight-race card.

While the past performances reveal no clear favorite, West Seattle Boy, Jamaica Bound and Emancipated figure to attract a lot of support in the wagering. Random Memo, a front-running winner for $12,500 in his most recent outing, will appeal to some as the clear speed in the race. And Red Redding, a two-time winner at the meeting, will have his share of backers.

West Seattle Boy, a 10-year-old gelding, will be a sentimental favorite for some as he tries to join Market Master and Bob Stories as the most prolific winners in Emerald Downs history. West Seattle Boy has won 15 times at Emerald, most of them for owners Lisa Baze and Jerry Carmody, who claimed him for $5,000 in 2004. Trainer Rigoberto Velasquez has named Jose Zunino to ride West Seattle Boy, who finished third in a $25,000 claimer at Friday's distance in his last start.

Jamaica Bound, who is trained by Jim Penney and will be ridden by Gallyn Mitchell, gets his preferred distance after regressing in his last start, when he finished fifth, more than 10 lengths behind the winner, in a $25,000 optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs. Jamaica Bound won two one-mile races in Northern California last winter, one on the turf and one on Golden Gate's synthetic surface.

Emancipated is another who relishes a mile; he won the restricted Trooper Seven Stakes at the distance last September. Dropping after an even effort in a $32,000 optional claimer in his last start, Emancipated picks up leading rider Ricky Frazier for trainer Robbie Baze.

Random Memo, an 8-year-old stakes winner trained by Howard Belvoir, led throughout in his most recent outing. He owns the top last-race Beyer Speed Figure and five wins at Friday's distance. Seth Martinez has the mount.

The race could unfold with Random Memo on the lead, Emancipated and Jamaica Bound in stalking positions, and West Seattle Boy and Red Redding taking aim from the back.

Red Redding won a one-mile maiden allowance race at Santa Anita in 2008 in his first race around two turns. Joe Crispin has the call for trainer Charles Essex.