Entries for all six Washington Cup XII races were drawn Thursday morning at the Quarter Chute Café, with Joe Withee and track announcer Robert Geller serving as emcees.
The six races, worth an aggregate $300,000, feature two events apiece for 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and older horses. The 11-race card begins at 2 p.m., with the Washington Cup races slotted as races four through nine.
Three winners from a year ago*Noosito, Madame Pele and Chu You*are entered Sunday, with Noosito heading the $50,000 Chinook Pass for 3-year-old colts & geldings, Madame Pele entered in the Pegasus Training Center for older fillies and mares, and Chu and You entered in the Comcast SportsNet for 3-year-old fillies. They attempt to join E Z Kitty, Ladyledue, Noosa Beach and Wasserman as horses to win two- Washington Cup races.
Two-year-old sensation Trackattacker*undefeated in three starts by a combined 27 lengths*races in the $50,000 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes for 2-year-old colts & geldings.
Warm weather is expected for Washington Cup XII with clear skies and a high of 88 degrees.
NOOSITO MAKES CASE FOR TOP 3-YEAR-OLD,
LOOMS SHORT PRICE IN $50,000 CHINOOK PASS
Emerald Derby winner Mebossman was pointed to the Chinook Pass Stakes, but was sold privately and instead runs in next week’s B.C. Derby at Hastings Racecourse. That leaves the door open for Noosito, 2-1-1 in four stakes start at the meet including a heartbreaking third after a poor start in the Emerald Derby.
By Harbor the Gold-Julia Rose, Noosito figures to be a very short price while competing at equal weights (122 lbs) against three seemingly overmatched foes. As a bonus, Noosito also gets jockey Leslie Mawing, the meet’s leading rider in wins (85) and stakes wins (9).
Trainer Doris Harwood, however, said you never assume victory in horse racing.
“You never take a race for granted because there are two other horses in the race,” Harwood said, “Noosito may have been unlucky last time but that’s the way it goes.”
Harwood, tied with Jim Penney for most WA Cup wins at seven apiece, also sends out Trick Or Retreat in the Chinook Pass. Also by Harbor the Gold, Trick Or Retreat is improving and comes off an allowance win at 6 ½ furlongs.
“He’s just learning how to run, but he’s been training beautifully,” Harwood said. “I don’t think he’ll have an issue with the mile. I’m delighted with both horses coming up to the race.“
RACE 4 (3:36 p.m.): $50,000 Chinook Pass Stakes*3YO Colts & Geldings-1M
Post Horse Trainer Jockey
1 Hoody Jim Penney Isaias Enriquez
2 Noosito Doris Harwood Leslie Mawing
3 Trick or Retreat Doris Harwood David G. Lopez
4 Money Cat Monique Snowden Eliska Kubinova
FLASHY TRACKATTACKER IN DRF DENNIS DODGE
R.E.V. Racing’s Trackattacker wasted no time asserting dominance this season at Emerald Downs. The dark bay or brown gelding has blown his competition away with three victories by a combined 27 lengths, a ledger that includes a track record at 4 ½ furlongs and a stakes record in the Emerald Express.
Sunday, the son of Harbor the Gold-Eclatante will be odds-on vs. four other 2-year-old colts and geldings in the $50,000 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes at six furlongs.
“He’s been great so far,” trainer Frank Lucarelli said of Trackattacker. “We liked him from the beginning, but he was a little silly so we gelded him. Since then, he’s been nothing but professional. He’s been a real easy horse to train since then.”
In the WTBOA Lads Stakes last month, bridge-jumpers were out in force as Trackattacker accounted for $618,883 of an astronomical $635,485 show pool. Similar betting action could be in store Sunday, although Trackattacker could be compromised slightly by drawing the No. 1 post-position.
RACE 5 (4:07 p.m.): $50,000 Daily Racing Form Dennis Dodge Stakes*2YO Colts & Geldings-6F
Post Horse Trainer Jockey
1 Trackattacker Frank Lucarelli Leslie Mawing
2 Moby Roy Lumm Gallyn Mitchell
3 Private Boss Roy Lumm Javier Matias
4 Oscar’s America David Martinez Leonel Camacho-Flores
5 The Search Is Over David Martinez Juan Gutierrez
PENNEY DUO TOUGH IN PEGASUS TRAINING CENTER
Washington Hall of Fame trainer Jim Penney has made his mark in Washington Cup over the years. His seven wins are tied for first overall in the 12-year-old event-old event.
Sunday, Penney has an excellent chance to bag another victory when he sends out Madame Pele and Finding More in the $50,000 Pegasus Training Center Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.
The good news is Stopshoppingdebbie, Goin to the Window and Blueberry Smoothie are all Kentucky-breds, ineligible for Washington Cup. Between them, the Northwest Farms fillies earned $381,900 of a possible $430,000 the last two seasons, leaving only scraps for the rest of the division.
“It’s nice not to have to face (Stopshoppingdebbie),” Penney said at Thursday’s
breakfast draw. “Not only did you have to beat her, but she came with partners and you had to beat all three.”
Thus the coast is clear for Madame Pele, a multiple stakes winner who scored by 3 ½ lengths in the 2013 Comcast SportsNet Stakes. Her best outing in 2014 was a second to Stopshoppingdebbie in the Hastings Handicap, in which she finished ahead of both Goin to the Window and Blueberry Smoothie.
“She’s been training well for the race, and so has Finding More,” Penney said. “We were waiting for this race with her. I think both of them will run real decent.”
RACE 6 (4:38 p.m.): $50,000 Pegasus Training Center Stakes*
3YO & UP Fillies & Mares-1 1/16M
Post Horse Trainer Jockey
1 Castinette Dancer Mike Puhich Leslie Mawing
2 Madame Pele Jim Penney Juan Gutierrez
3 Finding More Jim Penney Eliska Kubinova
4 Stephanie Plum H.R. Pat Mullens Leonel Camacho-Flores
5 She’s Tops Rigoberto Velasque David G. Lopez
PIPPA BOU PEEP HEADS NORTHWEST FARMS STAKES
Pippa Bou Peep, winner of the $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes last month, drew the inside post-position for the $50,000 Northwest Farms Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs.
By Harbor the Gold, Pippa Bou Peep gave jockey Eliska Kubinova her first Emerald Downs stakes victory, edging Seeking the Light by a head in the 6 ½-furlong Shinpoch.
Trained by Charles Essex, Pippa Bou Peep has finished well in all five career races, compiling a 1-2-2 record with $45,357 in earnings for Essex and Dave & The Little Lady Stable.
RACE 7 (5:09 p.m.): $50,000 Northwest Farms Stakes*2YO Fillies-6F
Post Horse Trainer Jockey
1 Pippa Bou Peep Charles Essex Eliska Kubinova
2 Dr. Dr. Kate David Martinez Leonel Camacho-Flores
3 Boss Lori Robert Lawrence Leslie Mawing
4 Seattles Best Copy Mary Pirone Rocco Bowen
5 Fine Red Wine Bill Tollett Javier Matias
6 Dance With Effie Bill Tollett Juan Gutierrez
7 Raise the Magarita Greg Moore David G. Lopez
MYLAST SWEET PEA TOPS COMCAST SPORTSNET
The 3-year-old filly division has been a mixed bag this season at Emerald Downs. Four races produced four different winners and Lady Fifty Two, winner of the Washington Oaks, is ineligible for division honors since a horse must race twice to make the ballot.
Although she hasn’t won a stakes, Mylast Sweet Pea has been the meet’s steadiest 3-year-old filly. The daughter of Grindstone danced every dance, compiling two seconds, a third and a fourth in stakes, including a strong runner-up effort to Lady Fifty Two in the 1 1/8-mile Oaks. So a victory in the $50,000 Comcast SportsNet could clinch a division title for the Robbie Baze-trained filly, who has hit the board this year at odds of 50-1, 20-1 and 6-1.
Ironically, another Baze-trained filly could be the biggest hurdle for Mylast Sweet Pea. The speedster Chu and You comes off a sensational 9 ½-length victory in a $50,000 claiming race, running 6 ½ furlongs in 1:15.25 and earning a career-high 82 Beyer.
Last year’s champion 2-year-old filly, Chu and You was awesome in the 2013 Washington Cup while racing to a seven-length win in the Northwest Farms Stakes. By You and I, Chu and You has yet to win around two turns, but she did finish second to Find Your Spot in the one-mile Irish Day Handicap in June.
Sunpenny, fourth in the Washington Oaks, also is a contender. By Good Reward, she has a win and a third in two starts at one mile.
RACE 8 (5:39 p.m.): $50,000 Comcast SportsNet Stakes*3YO Fillies-1M
Post Horse Trainer Jockey
1 Chrissy’s Wedding Bob Meeking Javier Matias
2 Among the Stars Jeff Metz Leslie Mawing
3 Harborella H.R. Pat Mullens David G. Lopez
4 My Last SweetPea Robbie Baze Gallyn Mitchell
5 Sunpenny Frank Lucarelli Isaias Enriquez
6 See My Tail Lites Jim Penney Eliska Kubinova
7 Chu and You Robbie Baze Juan Gutierrez
EVENLY-MATCHED FIELD IN MUCKLESHOOT CLASSIC
As usual, the final Washington Cup event is the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles.
Longacres Mile champion Stryker Phd was nominated to the race, but won’t defend his title in the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic. The 5-yearold Bertrando gelding is scheduled to work Friday morning and could run in an allowance race before the end of the meet on September 28.
“Two weeks back (from The Mile) is just too quick,” assistant trainer Sharon Ross said. “He’s feeling great and doing great, and he could run again before the meet’s over.”
Without Stryker Phd, the Muckleshoot Tribal Classic appears wide open.
Dare Me Devil, a 6-year-old Devil On Ice gelding, is razor-sharp with three straight 6 ½ furlong wins in the upper claiming ranks, and did win over a route of ground here last year.
I Keep Saying set a world record at 6 ½ furlongs earlier in the meet, but is winless around two turns. Mike Man’s Gold has won three stakes at Emerald Downs and returns home after a pair of sprints at Del Mar.
Somewhere With You ran one of his best races in the Washington Cup last year while finishing second to He’s Not Bluffin in the Chinook Pass Stakes, and 8-year-old Ugottabcatty is a double winner at the meet.
RACE 9 (6:09 p.m.): $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic*3YO & UP-1 1/16M
Post Horse Trainer Jockey
1 Somewhere With You David Martinez Jose Zunino
2 Ugottabcatty Robbie Baze Leslie Mawing
3 Mike Man’s Gold David Martinez Javier Matias
4 I Keep Saying Jim Penney Juan Gutierrez
5 Dare Me Devil Rigoberto Velasquez David G. Lopez
NOTES: Weekly Honors #21: Trainer-Rigoberto Velasquez (5-4-0-0); Jockey-Natasha Coddington (first Emerald Downs win); Owner-Vic-Tory Stables IV (He’s All Heart, fourth win of meet); Groom-Les Shannon (trainer Alan Bozell); Washington-bred-Corporal Agarn (breeder Victor Bahna Jr.).
