For the Reporter

Frank Lucarelli has won 724 races and 29 stakes in 18 seasons at Emerald Downs, but the veteran trainer says Winning Machine is unique.

“(Winning Machine) is an amazing horse,” Lucarelli said. “He can run short, long, you name it*he even ran a mile and three-eighths in Canada. The thing is, he always runs a big race.”

Sunday, the 7-year-old gelding begins another quest for the track’s Holy Grail as the road to the Longacres Mile begins with the $50,000 Governor’s Handicap at 6½ furlongs. The defending champion, Winning Machine drew the No. 6 post-position in a field of eight, with regular rider Javier Matias getting the mount at 120 pounds.

A Kentucky-bred by Toccet-Dance With Carson, Winning Machine is 9-9-4 in a 33-race career with earnings of $468,988 for owner-breeder Fleur De Lis Stables. A three-time champion and four-time stakes winner at Emerald Downs, Winning Machine was voted Top 3-Year-Old Male in 2009 and Top Sprinter and Top Handicap Horse in 2012, when he came within a head of winning the Longacres Mile.

In last year’s Governor’s, Winning Machine came from slightly off the pace to topple Jebrica, world-record holder Hollywood Harbor and two-time Horse of the Meeting Noosa Beach in a stakes record-tying 1:13.97. In last month’s prep for this year’s Governor’s, Winning Machine was bogged down in traffic but managed to rally for second in a $21,000 allowance race won by Makors Finale in 1:02.71 for 5½ furlongs.

“He’s doing really good, he worked well (five furlongs in 1:00 2/5) for the race,” Lucarelli said of Winning Machine. “He’s a happy horse.”

• Makors Finale, high-weight at 122 pounds, is out of the Governor’s with a minor ailment. Trainer Tom Wenzel said he hopes to have the 4-year-old Washington-bred gelding back in action for the $50,000 Budweiser Handicap on Sunday, June 16.

• With Makors Finale out, Why Not Be Perfect is the starting high-weight at 121 lbs and trainer Jeff Metz said a major factor is getting the 6-year-old horse switched from turf back to dirt. “In the mornings, we’ve been trying to get him used to having dirt in his face,” Metz said. “He’s been working really easy, going :58 and change without pressure.”

• The loss of Makors Finale, a front-runner, also figures to affect the early pace on Sunday and could make Winning Machine tough on or near the front. However, Metz said Why Not Be Perfect is tractable and that jockey Anne Sanguinetti could be close early. “We don’t expect *Why Not Be Perfect) him to have the lead, but if they go slow enough up front, he can take it,” Metz said. “I just told Anne to play the break and see what happens.”

• Aaron Gryder, the leading rider at Hastings Racecourse, has the mount on Hoist for trainer Mike Puhich and owner North American Thoroughbred Company. Winner of 2,992 career races, Gryder’s only previous ride at Emerald Downs was a third on Tropic Storm in the 2008 Longacres Mile.

• The Governor’s Handicap goes as race nine at 6:09 p.m.

The field from the rail out for Sunday’s $50,000 Governor’s Handicap: Kooky Saluki, Juan Gutierrez, 115 pounds; Stryker Phd, Debbie Hoonan, 113; Hoist, Aaron Gryder, 118; Edge Forward, Isaias Enriquez, 115; Why Not Be Perfect, Anne Sanguinetti, 121; Winning Machine, Javier Matias, 120; D’honorable One, David G. Lopez, 117; Assessment, Jennifer Whitaker, 116.

Harley Hoppe passes away at age 82

Longtime Thoroughbred owner and renowned businessman/politician Harley H. Hoppe passed away in his sleep Monday morning at his home on Mercer Island.

Hoppe, an owner for more than 50 years, amassed an illustrious Thoroughbred racing career that included several stakes winners including all-time favorite Red Eye Express – an eight-time stakes winner and runner-up in the 1974 Longacres Mile – and considered one of Longacres’ greatest sprinters. Along with Red Eye Express, Hoppe and trainer Howard Belvoir joined forces on numerous racehorses in a partnership that dated back to 1964. At Emerald Downs, Hoppe and Belvoir teamed with Mulcahy, voted Top 3-Year-Old Male of 2007.

Belvoir said his longtime partner and friend would be missed.

“He was a great man,” Belvoir said. “He was one of my first clients. We’d been together a long time.”

Funeral services are 11 a.m. Monday at St. Monica’s Church on Mercer Island.

Quarter horses return Friday

The first two quarter horse races of the meet precede Friday’s six Thoroughbred events, with post time 30 minutes earlier than normal at 6:15 p.m.

In the 350-yard opener, non-winners of two allowance runners compete for a $3,600 purse, and 3-year-old Texas-bred filly Cartel Madam and 4-year-old Oregon-bred gelding Sensor are the ones to beat.

Cartel Madam ships in from Los Alamitos, where she recently finished third and second in 300-yard allowance races with purses of $13,600 and $10,735. Sensor turned in an excellent 2012 campaign at Portland Meadows, finishing on the board in all three starts including a good third at 11-to-1 in the $15,000 Portland Meadows Derby.

The second race at 870-yards (about 4 furlongs) is a mixed field of five Quarter Horses and three Thoroughbreds. Quarter Horses generally have an advantage in such events, but a Thoroughbred, Bleu Tarp, set the track record of :45.78 while defeating five Quarter Horses here last year.

Sunday’s first race also features auarter horses, with a field of six maiden-claimers racing 300 yards for a $5,000 tag.

Advance wagering available on Preakness

Emerald Downs will offer advance-wagering Friday on Saturday’s 138th running of the Preakness Stakes from Baltimore, including a special Daily Double on the $300,000 Pimlico Special (Friday race 12, 2:52 p.m.) and the $1,000,000 Preakness Stakes (Saturday, race 12, 3:20 p.m.)

First post Saturday at Pimlico is 7:45 a.m., with wagering available on the early races at the Quarter Chute Café. The main Emerald Downs’ building opens at 9 a.m. with the 13-race Pimlico card joined in progress.

Emerald Downs’ first post is 2 p.m. Saturday, with the Preakness simulcast scheduled between races three and four on the nine-race card.

Notes

Weekly honors: Trainer – Terry Gillihan (4-3-0-0); jockeys – Jennifer Whitaker, Rocco Bowen, Isaias Enriquez (community support); owner – Bruce & Cass Maller (E Z Kitty/Hastings Handicap); groom – Juan Garcia (trainer Dan Markle); Washington-bred: Roarified (breeder Carleen & Dan Belton). … An abbreviated version of Emerald Downs Live airs from 2-4 p.m. Saturday on CSN (channel 179). … A victory by Olympic Lights in Saturday’s third race would tie the 9-year-old gelding with Bob Stories and Market Master for second on the all-time Emerald Downs win list.