Several members of the local handicapping fraternity along with Emerald Downs’ personnel were polled for selections for the 137th Kentucky Derby. If their consensus is right, Arch Arch Arch will be wearing a garland of roses Saturday in Louisville.
Emerald Downs Racing Secretary Brett Anderson: No. 18 Uncle Mo. I picked him because I like the name.
Victor “The Predictor” Cozzetti: No. 15 Midnight Interlude. I’ve been keeping track of him ever since his first race. He should be able to get a good stalking trip.
Emerald Downs President Ron Crockett: No. 1 Arch Arch Arch. In the system that I use he rated the highest with a seven. The #1 post doesn’t bother me. I also like Midnight Interlude, who rated second highest with a six.
Seattle Times Handicapper Gary Dougherty: No. 14 Shackleford. The key is to find an early pacesetter and a couple of big-time closers to finish in the top four.
Track Announcer Robert Geller: No. 11 Master of Hounds. I think trainer Aiden O’ Brian will have this horse ready to roll. Plus he has a great jockey and a good draw.
Emerald Downs Vice President Jack Hodge: Prior to the post draw, I liked Arch Arch Arch, Nehro, Mucho Macho Man and Dialed In. I’m going to box Animal Kingdom, Soldat, Santiva, and Master of Hounds in the superfecta, because they all faced my horse (Willcox Inn) in previous races.
Emerald Downs Linemaker Rob Rao: No. 1 Arch Arch Arch. I don’t like the post at all, but I think he’s been the most consistent horse this spring. He’s been working well over the track, and he’ll appreciate the 1-¼ miles.
Former Seattle Times Turf Writer Dick Rockne: No. 8 Dialed In. I really haven’t taken a good look at it yet, so I’ll take the morning-line favorite.
Daily Racing Form Handicapper Nick Rousso: No. 14 Shackleford. I love the way he raced in the Florida Derby. He’s a sharp horse, and he doesn’t need the lead.
Former Seattle Post-Intelligencer Handicapper Al Smallman: No. 8 Dialed In. From everything that I’ve heard and read about in newspapers, he is the one to beat.
Director of Publicity Joe Withee: No. 19 Nehro. He will be running late, just as he did in huge efforts in Louisiana and Arkansas. My longshot angle is the classy-bred Brilliant Speed, another late runner.
COULDABENTHEWHISKY RETURNS SATURDAY AT HASTINGS GOTTSTEIN WINNER FACES STERN TEST ON BULLRING
Emerald Downs’ Top Juvenile of 2010 makes his 3-year-old debut Saturday as Couldabenthewhisky ships north for the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province at Hastings Racecourse.
Nine 3-year-olds will race 6-½ furlongs in the Jim Coleman, with Couldabenthewhisky and Gallyn Mitchell breaking from the No. 5 post-position. The field includes five stakes winners—Tlaquepaque, Couldabenthewhisky, Inhisglory, Bond James Bond and Jump Up and Kissme—with post time 4:50 p.m.
Wally Jenne, husband of trainer and co-owner Bonnie Jenne, planned to van Couldabenthewhisky to Vancouver on Thursday, and the Harbor the Gold colt was scheduled to gallop over the bullring Friday morning.
Bonnie Jenne said first preference was to stay home, but an allowance Sunday failed to fill, and thus the trip to Canada became necessary. The local sophomore division begins with the $50,000 Auburn Handicap on Memorial Day, and Jenne said she wants to get a race into her star 3-year-old.
Saturday’s race, however, came up tough as nails. Jump Up and Kissme and Tlaquepaque were both stakes-winning 2-year-olds last year at Hastings, while Bond James Bond dominated in Alberta with three stakes wins at Northlands Park. Inhisglory, meanwhile, has already won a stakes in 2011, capturing the $50,000 Turfway Park Prevue on Jan. 8. And The Great Caper, although not a stakes winner, figures to attract attention based on 86 and 81 Beyers his last two starts at Santa Anita and Turf Paradise.
“I don’t know those horses very well, but I do know there aren’t any easy stakes races,” Bonnie Jenne said. “We just need to get a race into (Couldabenthewhisky).”
By Harbor the Gold-Bahati, Couldabenthewhisky compiled a 4-0-1 record in six starts with earnings of $91,602 for Longshot Racing, Friendship Stabkes and Craig and Stan Fredrickson. The gelding won at distances from 4-½ furlongs to a mile and a sixteenth, but the Coleman will mark his first appearance away from Emerald Downs while testing his maneuverability around the tighter five-eighths oval.
“(Couldabenthewhisky) is probably going to handle it better than me,” Jenne said. “He’s more mellow than I am.”
Even with Couldabenthewhisky away, Jenne has a busy weekend at Emerald Downs with two horses entered both Saturday and Sunday.
EMERALD DOWNS VP: UPPERLINE READY FOR DISTAFF TURF MILE
Upperline, owned in part by Emerald Downs Vice President Jack Hodge, will attempt to win her third straight stakes Saturday in the $200,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2) for older fillies and mares.
Second in her 2011 debut, the 4-year-old filly by Maria’s Mon has improved steadily with each race this year. Following a one-length score in the Allen Lacombe Memorial on Feb. 26, Upperline romped by four lengths in the Bayou Handicap in March and received a career best 102 Beyer Speed Figure.
“She could not be training any better,” Hodge said. “She’s just a big, beautiful filly.”
As the third choice (tied) on the morning line at 9-2, Upperline will break from the #2 post under Fair Grounds riding champ Rosie Napravnik. Post time is approximately 11:59 a.m
GATES OPEN EARLY FRIDAY & SATURDAY
Special operation schedules will be in effect this weekend at Emerald Downs. On Friday, Kentucky Oaks Day, the first race from Churchill Downs is 7:30 a.m. with advance wagering available at the Quarter Chute Cafe beginning at 7 a.m. Emerald Downs’ main building open at 8:30.
The Kentucky Oaks is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. with special $1 minimum daily double offered on the Kentucky Oaks/Kentucky Derby. There also is a $.50 minimum pick 3 featuring the Kentucky Oaks-Woodford Reserve-Kentucky Derby.
Advance wagering will be offered all day Friday for the entire Kentucky Derby card.
Saturday, Kentucky Derby Day, the first race from Churchill is 7:30 a.m. with gates opening at 7 a.m.
The Kentucky Derby is race 11 at 3:24 pm.
NOTES: Week 3 Honors—Jockey-Leslie Mawing (7-for-19); Trainer-Neil Knapp (2-for-4); Owner-Luigi Di Pietro (Hayjax & Lady Frangelica both win); Groom-Calixto Rodriguez (Margo Lloyd)…Ricky Frazier visited Emerald Downs and the Quarter Chute Café Thursday morning and said he hopes to be able to ride the final six weeks of the 2011 meeting.
The five-time leading rider at Emerald Downs appeared fit and was in good spirits as he exchanged greetings with horsemen. Frazier, 46, has been sidelined since October when he sustained a severe concussion in a fluke riding accident at Fresno, but said he’s confident he’ll be able to resume his career.
Tequila Gold, 4-for-4 at Emerald Downs last year, makes his 2011 debut for trainer Charles Essex in Sunday’s eighth race, an $11,900 allowance/optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up…In Sunday’s ninth, Olympic Lights and Rescue Plan both aim for their second straight wins in a $20,000 claimer at 5-½ furlongs with a $13,800 pot…
Cliff’s Secret’s one-length victory over My Untamed Heart in last Friday’s third race was off the charts. The 5-year-old Jim Penney-trained mare received a meet-high 89 Beyer Speed Figure and is 4-for-4 in sprints at Emerald Downs.
Bogachiel, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Bonnie Jenne, got a 79 Beyer for his neck victory over Hollywood Harbor in Sunday’s $18,900 co-feature at 5 ½ furlongs.
Trainer Chris Stenslie enjoyed a big weekend at Emerald Downs. She sent out Dream Sweeper ($35) for a 1 ½-length victory in Sunday’s $21,000 allowance feature for older fillies and mares, and she also brought Hollywood Harbor off a year layoff to finish a good second in his long-awaited comeback. Dream Sweeper, making his first start in over six months and first for Stenslie, ran 5-½ furlongs in 1:03.19 and earned a 77 Beyer. Stenslie also won with a come backer.
Doris Harwood needs four wins to become only the sixth trainer to win 400 races at Emerald Downs. She needs seven wins to overtake Bud Klokstad in fifth place all-time at EmD. Klokstad, who has 402 wins at Emerald Downs, now trains full-time in Northern California.
Jockey Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo needs one victory to tie Amir Cedeno for 12th place all-time with 317 wins at Emerald Downs.
You Me and Ema B earned a 71 Beyer for her victory Saturday in an $18,000 allowance for non-winners of two races lifetime, and trainer Margo Lloyd said the undefeated You and I mare would be nominated to the $50,000 Hastings Handicap on Sunday, May 15. Nominations for the Hastings, the first of 29 stakes this season at Emerald Downs, close Saturday.
Washington-bred Slew the Man, winner of the 2010 Chinook Pass Stakes at Emerald Downs, finished second Thursday in a $59,800 allowance/optional claimer at Churchill Downs…Rich Debut, scratched from tomorrow’s sixth race at Emerald Downs, remains tied with Penn National-based Rapid Redux for most wins in North America this year at eight apiece.
9-year-old Spaghetti Mouse, earner of $847,904 at Hastings Racecourse, makes his 2011 debut Sunday in a $26,000 allowance race at 6-½ furlongs on the bullring. Almost Time, fourth in last year’s Longacres Mile (G3), is entered in the same race.
Meant to Be Mia, a 3-year-old War Chant filly owned by John & Janene Maryasnki, debuts Friday in a $28,000 maiden special weight at Golden Gate Fields for trainer Blaine Wright.
The Maryanskis and Wright also have the promising Washington-bred colt Rocky’s Quest entered in a $28,000 maiden special weight Saturday at Golden Gate. The gray son of Rockport Harbor overcame a troubled trip to finish third in his 2011 debut last month.
The same Saturday GG race also features the unveiling of the Tim McCanna-trained Ivanho, a $26,500 Broken Vow gelding owned by Don Hopwood and Duane Hopp.
Flying Jack, the 2011 meet’s first winner, is entered in Sunday’s first race. The 3-year-old colt looks to become the third double-winner this season (Joaquin Home and Untilifindyou).
