Wright holds aces in Kent, Irish Day

Trainer Blaine Wright won four of the first six stakes races at Emerald Downs this year and there is an excellent chance the veteran trainer will add two more to his total Sunday when he will saddle heavy favorites in the $50,000 Kent for 3-year-old fillies and the $50,000 Irish Day for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

The 6 1/2-furlong races share the spotlight on a nine-race card that begins at 2:15 p.m. Pacific.

The Wright-trained Slack Tide was 4-5 when she won the $50,000 Seattle by four lengths on June 19, and a couple of races later Executive Chef won the $50,000 Auburn for Wright by the same margin. Executive Chef paid $10.20 for his easy victory.

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A similar scenario could unfold Sunday, when Slack Tide returns in the Kent and Executive Chef in the Irish Day. The Kent, which drew seven horses, goes as the sixth race. The Irish Day follows just over an hour later in race 8 with eight horses entered.

Slack Tide was between Kron and Unsolved Mystery while dueling through a half-mile in 44.50 seconds in the six-furlong Seattle. They were still duking it out at the eighth pole before Slack Tide took command under strong urging from Evin Roman.

The Kentucky-bred daughter of Shaman Ghost was coming off a 3 1/2-length victory running on Tapeta in a first-level allowance with a $50,000 claiming option April 22 at Golden Gate Fields and will be tough to beat if she stays in the zone.

She will break from post 4 in the Kent with Kevin Radke up.

With 50 stakes wins at Emerald, Wright is tied with the late Jim Penney for third on the all-time list. Penney’s daughter Kate Cooper is looking for an improved effort in the Kent from Koron, who was undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old last year before finishing fourth in the Seattle.

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A Washington-bred daughter of Nationhood, Koron may have needed her race in the Seattle and she was up against it breaking from the rail.

She came back with a sharp six-furlong work in 1:11.60 on July 9 and could be sitting on a big effort in her second start back.

Koron drew post 6, which will give Kevin Orozco options depending on how she breaks.

Executive Chef took advantage of a hotly contested pace in the Auburn, and considering his only previous win came going a mile on Tapeta at Golden Gate, he will not mind the slightly longer distance of the Irish Day.

The Virginia-bred son of Cairo Prince will break from post 7 with Orozco up.

The Cooper-trained A View From Above looks like the main threat. The Washington-bred son of Abraaj was making his first start of the year in the Auburn, and after dueling through honest fractions, he faded to finish seventh.

The WTBOA Lads winner, A View From Above could be dangerous if he shakes loose early with Leslie Mawing riding.

Little Casino, trained by Wright, might have something to say about that, though. The Kentucky-bred son of Orb was running on dirt for the first time when he finished fifth in the Auburn. However, he used his good speed to win a first-level allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option July 3 and the expectation is Radke will put him into the race soon after he breaks from the outside post.