No longer under the radar, Koala Beach will attempt to capture his second straight stakes race Sunday in the $50,000 Seattle Slew Handicap at 1 1/16 mile.

The top 3-year-old colts and geldings will meet for the final prep race before the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby on Aug. 15. The seven-horse field features the top four finishers in last month’s Pepsi-Cola Handicap, including Koala Beach, the upset winner.

In a memorable finish drive, the top three horses battled head and head every inch of the 990-foot stretch run. Koala Beach, ridden by Ricky Frazier, looked beaten at the eighth-pole and appeared destined to finish third. However, after a veteran move by Frazier—giving Koala Beach a short breather— the Washington-bred gelding roared back and rallied past Auburn Handicap winner and 3-to-5 betting favorite Posse Power for a nose victory. Newfound Man finished third, less than a half-length back from the winner.

Koala Beach (8-4-2-1-$121,693) performed admirably as a 2-year-old for trainer Doris Harwood—the track’s all-time leader with 44 stakes wins—and owner Jeff Harwood, capturing two stakes races by a combined 16 lengths.

However, the son of Harbor the Gold started the season with a surprising last-place finish in an April allowance race. The Harwoods sensed something was amiss with Koala Beach and shipped the Harbor the Gold gelding to the farm. The rest did the trick, as Koala Beach returned from a two-month layoff like a different horse.

Two blistering workouts and a stakes win later, and Koala Beach could be the one to beat in the Seattle Slew. He should have no problem with the distance as he already boasts a 2-1-0 record around two-turns. And Harwood and Frazier continue to win practically everything in sight, already combining for four stakes wins at the meeting.

Posse Power (9-3-3-2-$105,940) will be tough to deny, though, as the Posse colt also sports two victories at a route distance including one at 1 1/16 miles. The California shipper has made a smooth transition from synthetic to dirt for owner Claire Lein—posting career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figures in both stakes races at Emerald Downs. According to trainer Frank Lucarelli, Posse Power should offer his best effort in the Seattle Slew.

“Posse Power is feeling good,” Lucarelli said. “His last race was a tough loss, but he’s ready to go.”

Lucarelli’s Fear No Evil won the 2008 Seattle Slew with a neck victory over Reel Prime.

Newfound Man (4-2-0-1-$28,038) might be the scariest contender for the top-2 rivals because of his high potential for improvement. The Newfoundland colt has raced sparingly for owners John and Janene Maryanski. With only four career races and the Pepsi-Cola was his first race around two-turns, the Blaine-Wright trainee could pick up his first career stakes win.

Silk Street should also improve after his fourth-place finish in the Pepsi-Cola. The Street Cry gelding finished 2 ½ lengths back in his first start at Emerald Downs. Silk Street started his career in England and then shipped to California, where he broke his maiden at Santa Anita.

The field for the 34th running of the Seattle Slew Handicap: Cyber Bell, Jennifer Whitaker, 114 pounds; Posse Power, Francisco Duran, 121; Newfound Man, Inoel Beato, 116; Saratoga Boot, Kevin Krigger, 115; Silk Street, Juan Gutierrez, 115; Mr. Mad Max, Pedro Terrero, 113; Koala Beach, Frazier, 121.

Doodle, Schemes at claiming crown

Belvoir enters four on Canterbury Card

Vann Belvoir has a full plate this Saturday. The meet’s leading trainer with 37 wins, Belvoir has three horses entered at Emerald Downs, including Vaderator in a $20,000 claiming race at one mile.

The 36-year-old trainer, however, will be at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. He has four horses entered on the card there—Gallyn Mitchell is named to ride all of them—including two in the 12th annual Claiming Crown, which is a series of seven races worth an aggregate $600,000 for the sport’s “blue collar” horses.

No Flies On Doodle is 4-to-1 on the morning line in the $75,000 Claiming Crown Glass Slipper Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs. Elusive Schemes is 20-to-1 in the $100,000 Claiming Crown Emerald for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

No Flies On Doodle, a double stakes winner at Emerald Downs this season, is eligible because her career debut, April 19, 2009, was for a $12,500 claiming price. Elusive Schemes, who dead-heated with Tritium for the win in last year’s Longacres Mile Consolation, twice raced for a $25,000 tag in 2009.

Forener and Roy’s Tops also will run Saturday at Canterbury. Forener, 3-for-4 at Emerald Downs, runs against older horses in the $25,000 H.B.P.A. Sprint at six furlongs. And Roy’s Tops, winless in three starts at Emerald Downs in 2010, runs in a $7,500 claimer at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Emerald horses Saturday at Canterbury:

Race 1 (11:30 a.m. pacific): Roy’s Tops (15-1)

Race 3 (12:31 p.m.)-$25,000 HBPA Sprint, Forener (10-1)

Race 6 (2:10 p.m.)-$75,000 Glass Slipper, No Flies On Doodle (4-1)

Race 8 (3:14 p.m.)-$100,000 Emerald, Elusive Schemes (20-1)

News and Notes

• Week 14 honors: Jockey-Ricky Frazier (10 wins); Trainer-K.G. Dinos Apostolou (2 wins); Owner-Bar C Racing Stable; Groom-Mario Camacho (Brad Varner).

• West Seattle Boy will make another attempt to become the all-time wins leader at Emerald Downs in Sunday’s fifth race. The 11-year-old gelding is tied with Bob Stories and Market Master for 16 wins apiece.

• A talented nine-horse field will take aim in Sunday’s ninth race, a $50,000 optional claimer at 6 ½ furlongs. The co-feature includes Governor’s Handicap finishers Margo’s Gift and He’s All Heart, last-out winners Ugottabcatty and Noble Juan, and 2009 British Columbia Derby runner-up Jersey Town.

• Couldabenthewhisky and Carrabelle Harbor both received 62 Beyer Speed Figures for their victories in the Strong Ruler and Knights Choice stakes, respectively.

• Kate Repp ranks ninth with 12 wins in the jockeys’ standings at Yavapai Downs.

• Joe Crispin is riding at Prineville, Ore., where he rode three winners in 11 mounts last week.

Vicky Baze has moved into a first-place tie with Larren Delorme in the jockeys’ standings at Assiniboia Downs. Baze has ridden 38 winners in 189 mounts (20.1 percent). Gary Baze ranks third with 30 wins in 159 mounts (18.9 percent)…2009 Washington-bred Horse of the Year Reba Is Tops was scratched from a $64,000 optional claiming race Thursday at Del Mar.

• Burj Dubai, who suffered his first career defeat Sunday in the S.W. Randall Plate at Hastings Racecourse, is still being considered for the $250,000 Longacres Mile (GII) on Aug. 22, trainer Dino Condilenios said in the Daily Racing Form…Another Mile hopeful, Noosa Beach, breezed five furlongs in 1:03 Wednesday for trainer Doris Harwood.

• The Charles Essex-trained Afleet Pete ($7.20) set a track record of 1:27 1/5 for seven furlongs while winning last Saturday’s $4,800 Art Smith Memorial Stakes at the Prineville Turf Club.