Wright has the might in Auburn Stakes

It should not surprise anyone that trainer Blaine Wright has a firm grip on the $50,000 Auburn Stakes on Sunday at Emerald Downs. After all, when it comes to stakes races Wright has been the dominant trainer at Emerald since 2017. During that period, he has 21 stakes wins, which, according to stats from Daily Racing Form, is 14 more than his closest pursuer, Steve Bullock.

Wright trains three of the nine horses entered in the Auburn, which is the first stakes for 3-year-olds at the meet. The six-furlong dash goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that is scheduled for 2 p.m. Pacific.

The Wright-trained Baja Sur figures to be a short price. He romped in his two starts as a juvenile and makes his first start at 3.

Baja Sur was never threatened while winning a maiden special weight race by 5 1/4 lengths on June 17 at Emerald and then dominated the $45,000 King County Express by 10 1/2 lengths July 15.

Baja Sur has the breeding to be a decent horse. He is out of the stakes-winning mare Premo Copy. His half-sister, Castinette Dancer, is a three-time stakes winner, and she placed in eight other stakes, including the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks at Hastings. Half-brother Seattle’s Best won the $50,000 Northwest Farms as a juvenile at Emerald.

Baja Sur will break from post 5 with Franklin Ceballos riding him for the first time.

KEY CONTENDERS

Baja Sur, by Smiling for Tiger

Beyers: 70-60

◗ His bullet six-furlong work in 1:12.40 on May 12 suggests Wright has him ready to take up from where he left off.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: The past five years at Emerald, Wright has a 29 percent strike rate and $2.03 return on investment with horses running in non-graded stakes races.

Perfect Dude, by Majesticperfection

Last 3 Beyers: 76-53-42

◗ He is out of a two-time stakes winner who won 10 races overall, and he was impressive when he won a maiden special weight race in his first start at Emerald and first for Wright.

◗ The 76 Beyer Speed Figure he received is the best in the field, and he could take a big step forward in his second start this year and just third overall. He made his first two starts at Del Mar and Santa Anita for trainer Peter Miller.

◗ Sueno won Perfect Dude’s debut, and he repeated in the $75,000 Gold Rush at Golden Gate and then placed in four straight graded races, the latest a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland.

Runningwscissors, by Congaree

Last 3 Beyers: 75-67-65

◗ He is the only three-time winner in the field, and the versatile New York-bred colt is going for the hat trick. Acting on behalf of Tim Bankers, trainer Manuel Ortiz claimed him out of a front-running win in a $20,000 claimer on Feb. 8 at Santa Anita. In his first start for his new connections, he rallied to win a first-level allowance race with a $10,000 claiming option on April 14 at Turf Paradise.