Entries for all six Washington Cup XI races were drawn Thursday morning at the Quarter Chute Café, with Joe Withee and track announcer Robert Geller serving as emcees.
Stryker Phd and Jebrica, second and fourth in the Longacres Mile (G3), head a field of six older runners entered in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic at 1 1/16 miles, while defending champion Cielator faces Emerald Distaff winner E Z Kitty in the $50,000 Pegasus Training Center Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.
Jockey Chantal Sutherland-Kruse is named to ride horses in two Washington Cup races*both horses are owned by Sauci Belvoir and trained by Howard Belvoir*and will make her first Emerald Downs appearance Sunday.
The $50,000 Northwest Farms Stakes for 2-year-old fillies and the $50,000 Comcast SportsNet Stakes for 3-year-old fillies drew nine horses apiece.
The six Washington Cup races drew 42 total horses, and the Wa Cup races are carded as races four through nine on the 10-race card.
Although rain is forecast Friday, clear skies and temperatures in the high 70s are expected Sunday.
DEFENDING CHAMPION CIELATOR
HEADS TOUGH FIELD IN $50,000 PEGASUS
Coming off a dominant victory in the $65,000 Emerald Distaff, E Z Kitty has pretty much clinched honors as the track’s Top Older Filly or Mare, and is likely to be favored in this 1 1/16-mile test.
Cielator scored a powerful 5 ¾-length win in this race last year*running 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.50 and earning an 88 Beyer*and is back on the beam after a sharp six-furlong allowance win on August 25. She figures to be the second choice.
Stephanie Plum, however, is an intriguing wildcard. The 5-year-old daughter of Memo is a serious candidate for honors as the meet’s Top Claimer*compiling a 4-2-1 record in eight starts*and seems adaptable to virtually any pace scenario.
“At 2-years-old, I thought she’d be stakes horse,” trainer H.R. Pat Mullens said of Stephanie Plum. “She was training like a bomb in the mornings.
“She ended up with some issues in her 2-year-old year, then again in her 3-year-old year, so we just had to be patient. Now, we finally get to see what she’ll do against stakes’ company.”
Owned by Mullens, Swede Larson and Ed Zenker, Stephanie Plum is undefeated at 1 1/16 mile and won her only start on a wet track.
RACE 4 (3:21 p.m.): $50,000 Pegasus Training Center Stakes*
3YO & UP Fillies & Mares-1 1/16M
Post……..Horse…..Trainer…..Jockey
1-Cielator…..Junior Coffey….Ronald Richard
2-Whiskey Miner….Neil Knapp….David Lopez
3-E Z Kitty….Jeff Metz…..Anne Sanguinetti
4-Royal Moses…..Tim Harder…..Javier Matias
5-Stephanie Plum…..H.R. Pat Mullens…..Isaias Enriquez
MUSIC OF MY SOUL LOOKS TO EQUAL BROTHER’S FEAT
IN $50,000 JIM BEAM STAKES FOR 3-YEAR-OLDS
In the 11-year history of the event, only three horses have won more than one Washington Cup race*Ladyledue, Wasserman and Noosa Beach.
With a victory in the $50,000 Jim Beam Stakes for 3-year-olds, Music of My Soul can equal the feat of his older brother, Noosa Beach, who counted among his track record 11 stakes triumphs both the 2008 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes and 2010 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic.
A victory also would make Music of My Soul a top candidate for honors as the meet’s top 3-Year-Old Male. The four stakes in this division have produced four different winners*Finallygotabentley, Music of My Soul, Mike Man’s Gold and Worldventurer.
In the $65,000 Emerald Derby won by Worldventurer, Music of My Soul was used up in a pace duel, leading through fractions of :44 4/5 and 1:09 4/5, before finishing fourth in the 1 1/8-mile race.
“He came out of the (Emerald Derby) fine, just mad,” trainer Doris Harwood said. “He’s ready for this race and ready for a little revenge. I have a lot of confidence in him. I think he’s doing as well as I can get him.”
Sutherland-Kruse makes her Emerald Downs debut aboard He’s Not Bluffin, a Raise the Bluff gelding claimed for $25,000 last month.
“Washington Cup is a big day, and I hope Chantal can add to it,” said trainer Vann Belvoir, instrumental in bringing Sutherland-Kruse up from California. “She rides for me down here and always does a great job. Now that the Del Mar meeting has ended, she didn’t have any other commitments this weekend.”
In fact, Vann Belvoir and Sutherland-Kruse were a combined 2-for-6 at Del Mar with a whopping $7.60 ROI.
RACE 5 (3:48 p.m.): $50,000 Jim Beam Stakes*
3YO Colts & Geldings-1M
Post……..Horse…..Trainer…..Jockey
1-Somewhere With You…..David Martinez…..Juan Gutierrez
2-Belt…..Tom Wenzel…..Rocco Bowen
3-Music of My Soul…..Doris Harwood…..Isaias Enriquez
4-He’s Not Bluffin…..Howard Belvoir…..Chantal Sutherland-Kruse
5-So Legit…..Jim Penney….. Eliska Kubinova
6-Mike Man’s Gold…..David Martinez…..Javier Matias
HARWOOD DUO LOOMS TOUGH IN DRF DENNIS DODGE
Of Harwood’s 59 stakes victories at Emerald Downs, 24 have been by 2-year-olds, and she has a great chance to add to those totals in the $50,000 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
The speedy Del Rio Harbor, already a double stakes winner at the meet, heads a strong one-two punch from the Harwood stable. By Harbor the Gold-Bahati, Del Rio Harbor carries a three-race winning streak into the race, including victories in the six-furlong Emerald Express and 6 ½-furlong WTBOA Lads Stakes. Another victory Sunday and the chestnut gelding would virtually clinch honors as the meet’s Top 2-Year-Old Male.
Harwood’s other horse, Noosito, is no slouch either. By Harbor the Gold-Julia Rose, the dark bay colt is a full brother to Noosa Beach and Music of My Soul, and 1-1-0 in two starts. His maiden win at 5 ½ furlongs, one of the meet’s top efforts by a 2-year-old, was followed by a third to Del Rio Harbor in the WTBOA Lads.
Frank Lucarelli, who has a good chance to win a third straight Emerald Downs training title, appears to have the top threat for the Harwood pair. Mebossman, by Petionville-Peaceful Wings, is still a maiden but came in second to Del Rio Harbor in the WTBOA Lads.
“I think he wants to route, even though this is six furlongs,” Lucarelli said of Mebossman. “We put the blinkers on him this time. Not to show any more speed, but he’s been coming down the lane wanting to lay on horses, so I’m going to test them in here before the Gottstein.”
RACE 6 (4:15 p.m.): $50,000 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes*
2YO Colts & Geldings-6F
Post……..Horse…..Trainer…..Jockey
1-Noosito…..Doris Harwood…..Isaias Enriquez
2-Orito…..Jim Penney…..Anne Sanguinetti
3-Del Rio Harbor…..Doris Harwood…..Rocco Bowen
4-Twentyten…..David Martinez…..Javier Matias
5-City Shadows…..Jim Penney……Eliska Kubinova
6-Mebossman…..Frank Lucarelli……David Lopez
7-Stikine Slough…..Chris Stenslie…..Juan Gutierrez
UNBEATEN CHU AND YOU HEADS NORTHWEST FARMS
Undefeated in three starts with victories in the Angie C Stakes and Barbara Shinpoch Stakes to her credit, Chu and You looms a short price in the $50,000 Northwest Farms Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Trained by Robbie Baze for owners/breeders Mike and Amy Feuerborn, Chu and You has won her three starts by 5 ¾, 4 ¾ and 2 ½ lengths.
“She’s been training really well all year,” Baze said. “She’s been bouncing real happy since her last race. I’m looking forward to running her in this race.”
RACE 7 (4:41 p.m.): $50,000 Northwest Farms Stakes*
2YO Fillies-6F
Post……..Horse…..Trainer…..Jockey
1-Sanibel Harbor….Dan Markle…..Debbie Hoonan
2-See My Tail Lites…..Jim Penney…..Eliska Kubinova
3-Belladiva…..Junior Coffey…..Leonel Camacho-Flores
4-Da Burn…..Junior Coffey…..Ronald Richard
5-Sunpenny…..Frank Lucarelli…..David Lopez
6-Zafari Nation…..Larry Pierce…..Lorenzo Lopez
7-Hey Lil Missy…..Alan Bozell…..Rocco Bowen
8-Chu and You…..Robbie Baze…..Juan Gutierrez
9-Knight Club…..Doris Harwood……Isaias Enriquez
COMCAST SPORTSNET LOOKS LIKE WIDE OPEN RACE
The $50,000 Comcast SportsNet for 3-year-old fillies at one mile could be Washington Cup XI’s most puzzling race.
There are no stakes winners in the nine-horse field although Beautranda comes off a good fourth in the Washington Oaks and Madame Pele, runner-up in the 2012 Northwest Farms Stakes, returns to Emerald Downs following a string of good efforts in Northern California.
RACE 8 (5:07 p.m.): $50,000 Comcast SportsNet Stakes*3YO Fillies-1M
Post……..Horse…..Trainer…..Jockey
1-Holy Dazzle…..Jose Navarro…..Leonel Camacho-Flores
2-Hetty…..Jim Penney…..Eliska Kubinova
3-House of Hope…..Bill Tollett…..Mike Iammarino
4-Lumen Took It…..Chris Stenslie…..Javier Matias
5-Business Venture…..Howard Belvoir…..David Lopez
6-Premo Jewel…..Jim Penney…..Debbie Hoonan
7-Beautranda…..Blaine Wright…..Isaias Enriquez
8-Say Say…..Howard Belvoir…..Chantal Sutherland-Kruse
9-Madame Pele…..Jim Penney…..Juan Gutierrez
STRYKER PHD HEADS MUCKLESHOOT TRIBAL CLASSIC,
FACES JEBRICA IN WASHINGTON CUP XI FINALE
With Polish Dollar, Memphis Beach and I Keep Saying entered, Stryker Phd and Jebrica should get the honest pace needed to enhance their strong late kicks. And if either Stryker Phd or Jebrica prevail, chances are good the victor is named the meet’s Top Washington-bred.
In the case of Stryker Phd, the 4-year-old gelding by Bertrando-Strking Scholar has done just about everything but win a race*finishing second in all four stakes for older handicap horses including a gallant runner-up effort to Herbie D in the Longacres Mile.
Trainer Margo Lloyd sounds confident the gelding has retained his sharp edge out of The Mile.
“The No. 1 post-position probably won’t be that bad because he comes from out of it,” she said. “He’s been consistent and that’s all you can ask.”
Trainer Jim Penney sends out Jebrica, I Keep Saying and defending Muckleshoot Tribal Classic champion Kooky Saluki.
RACE 9 (5:34 p.m.): $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic*3YO & UP-1 1/16M
Post……..Horse…..Trainer…..Jockey
1-Stryker Phd….Margo Lloyd…..Debbie Hoonan
2-Memphis Beach…..Dan Markle……Leonel Camacho-Flores
3-Jebrica…..Jim Penney……Isaias Enriquez
4-I Keep Saying…..Jim Penney……Eliska Kubinova
5-Polish Dollar…..Robert Meeking…..Juan Gutierrez
6-Kooky Saluki…..Jim Penney……Javier Matias
NOTES: Weekly honors 20: Trainer-Rosie Simkins (2-2-0-0); Jockey-Juan Gutierrez (22-7-2-5); Owner-Coal Creek Farm (1-1-0-0); Groom-Hector Cardenas (Don Munger); Washington-bred: Southern Solution (John Parker & Candi Tollett breeder)*Until You earned a career-high 89 Beyer for his nose victory over Winning Machine in Sunday’s $30,000 allowance race. A 4-year-old Jazil gelding owned by Coal Creek Farm and trained by David Martinez, Until You ran one mile in 1:35.04 under Javier Matias*The first three horses to run back from the Longacres Mile have a win and two seconds*Until You, Winning Machine and Why Not Be Perfect, second as the even-money favorite Monday in the $35,000 Portland Meadows Mile*
