For the Reporter
If voting were held today for Race of the Meeting, last month’s Auburn Stakes – in which undefeated Barkley edged previously unbeaten Mach One Rules – would be a handy winner.
The rematch is Sunday as Barkley (4-4-0-$77,275) and Mach One Rules (5-4-1-0-$103,826) meet in the 21st renewal of the $50,000 Coca-Cola Stakes at one mile.
The eight-furlong Coca-Cola is the first career route for Barkley and Mach One Rules, while Access This – a close third in the Auburn – broke his maiden in a one-mile race this winter at Golden Gate Fields. Perhaps that gives the City Zip gelding an edge heading into Sunday’s race.
“Our horse certainly ran his race (in the Auburn),” trainer Blaine Wright said of Access This. “We don’t have any excuses other than we got beat by two pretty darn good horses. My horse had an outside trip and was in the garden spot the whole entire way. He engaged Mach One Rules for a fight and they held us at bay.”
Barkley had a little bit of trouble in the Auburn, but rallied inside to nail Mach One Rules in a stakes record 1:14.21 for 6½ furlongs. Access This, meanwhile, was a length back in third place.
“We’re hoping with our route experience maybe we’ll have an upper edge on them this time around,” said Wright, the meet’s leading trainer with 15 wins. “He worked well last week, but I saw Barkley and Mach One Rules work last week and they looked great.
“I don’t think those two horses will worry too much about us since they beat us already. Hopefully we’ll come in under the radar.”
William Crotty, fourth in the Auburn, also could improve going long, while Party for One and Super Hawk round out the six-horse field.
Betting favorites are 0-for-5 in stakes this season at Emerald Downs; second choices have dominated, winning 4-of-5 including Barkley’s head decision over Mach One Rules in the Auburn Stakes.
Under allowance stakes conditions, Barkley carries 124 lbs and spots Mach One Rules four lbs and his other four rivals six lbs. Four horses hold the Coca-Cola record for most weight carried by a winner, 121 lbs: Del Rio Harbor (2014), Makors Finale (2012), Bold Ranger (2002) and Name for Norm (1997).
The Coca-Cola Stakes goes as Race 8 on a 10-race card. Post time is 5:39 p.m.
The field for the 21st running of the Coca-Cola Stakes for 3-year-old colts & geldings at one mile: William Crotty, Joe Steiner, 118 pounds; Access This, Julien Couton, 118; Party for One, Isaias Enriquez, 118; Mach One Rules, Leslie Mawing, 120; Super Hawk, Rocco Bowen, 118; Barkley, Javier Matias, 124.
The Press Box Podcast returns
The 45-minute program will showcase every stakes race this season including Sunday’s $50,000 Coca-Cola Stakes. The Press Box Podcast also includes a sound bite from trainer Blaine Wright who saddles Access This in Sunday’s Stakes.
Hosted by Jacob Pollowitz (Professor Pollowitz) and Vince Bruun (Mr. Media), The Press Box Podcast starts approximately 30 minutes before post time before each stakes and includes horsemen interviews, handicapping, Matt Dinerman’s live race call, the Winner’s Circle interview and a comprehensive look at the race’s history.
You can listen to the show live or recorded by visiting the track website at emeralddowns.com or at mixlr.com/emerald-downs.
http://mixlr.com/emerald-downs/
Indian Relay Racing returns
Indian Relay Racing is back at Emerald Downs after rave reviews following its inauguration last season,
From Friday, June 10 to Sunday, June 12, 18 teams from Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington will face off in The Muckleshoot Gold Cup. Teams will compete in three heats each day concluding with the championship race on Sunday.
Teams consist of four horses and one jockey, who mounts and dismounts each horse at each half-mile exchange. Each team’s rider must leap from one galloping horse to another in their assigned exchange box while other team members assist in handling the horses.
There will be $50,000 awarded in purse money throughout the three days of racing.
Finish lines
Field size is going great guns thus far in 2016. Through 23 days of racing, a total of 1,495 horses have competed in 201 races for an average of 7.4 runners per race. That’s up from 6.6 runners per race at the same date last year. … Arrom Bear’s victory in Mondays’ $21,000 feature race marked the gelding’s fourth sub-1:09 clocking at six furlongs the last two seasons at Emerald Downs. The 4-year-old by Nationhood ran six panels in 1:08.33 and earned an 88 Beyer. … Free coffee Friday at the Quarter Chute Café courtesy of Irish Stakes winner Princess Katie and her connections—trainer Robert Gilker and owner Ernest Chu. ‘Katie rallied from nearly 20 lengths back for a head victory over My Heart Goes On in the one-mile test for 3-year-old fillies. … Prime Engine, a gate scratch in the Governor’s Stakes, blazed six furlongs in 1:09.80 Monday for trainer Mike Puhich en route to the $50,000 Budweiser Stakes on Sunday, June 19. … Modern, already two-for-two in 2016, goes for his third stakes win of the meet Saturday in the $75,000 John Longden 6000 Saturday at Hastings Racecourse. … Belle Hill, voted last year’s top 3-year-old filly with three stakes wins, worked five furlongs in a bullet :59.80 (1/36) on Thursday at Santa Anita Park for trainer Richard Mandella. According to owner Mary Beth Holt-Perkins (Aithon Stable), Belle Hill could make her next start at Santa Anita some time in the next six weeks. … Beautiful racing weather this weekend: Friday, 77 degrees and mostly sunny; Saturday, 80 and mostly sunny; Sunday, 86 and sunny.
