Feeling Fancy would appear to be a horse for the Emerald Downs course. The daughter of Sky Mesa has run two corkers over the surface and appears ready to fire in Sunday’s $50,000 Federal Way Handicap for 3-year old fillies going 6 ½ furlongs.

Feeling Fancy (5-2-0-0-$24,335) hit the ground running to start her 2-year-old campaign. In her debut, she crushed a six-horse field in a maiden special weight at Emerald. After a six-month layoff, trainer Frank Lucarelli and owner Chris Randall entered her in Hollywood Park’s Ifyoucouldseemenow Stakes against California stars She’s Funomenal and Excellent News. After a decent fourth-place finish in a four-horse field, she traveled to Golden Gate Fields and continued to struggle. Following two more unsuccessful attempts on the Tapeta surface, trainer Frank Lucarelli decided to make a change.

“She didn’t care for the California tracks and I told Chris we had to get her out of there,” Lucarelli said. “We worked her a couple times at Emerald and she was back to her old self.”

The works quickly translated to winning-form, as Feeling Fancy, under Francisco Duran, went gate-to-wire to score an 8 ¾-length victory over stakes-winner Have’n a Wild Time (5-1-2-1-$44,790) in an allowance race on April 24. Lucarelli said she came out of the race great and believes his horse will have a fitness advantage going into Sunday’s stakes. However, he made it clear that things won’t be as easy this time around.

“The field is much tougher than her last allowance race. Include the Baby ran an impressive race her first time out and Knight Raider is a really fast sprint-filly,” he said.

2009 Top Two-Year-Old Filly Knight Raider (6-4-0-0-$80,393) makes her first start of the season after a year that included three stakes wins, which combined for 23 ½ lengths. Include the Baby (1-1-0-0-$9,350) makes her second career start after a solid 4 ½-length victory in a maiden special weight on April 11.

Team Penney ready with one-two punch for Sunday’s $50,000 Federal Way Handicap Hard to believe, but it’s been almost two years since trainer Jim Penney won a stakes race at Emerald Downs. Penney, after all, ranks third on the track’s all-time list with 33 stakes wins including three Longacres Miles in the last decade, and was elected to the Washington Racing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2003.

Not since Labor Day 2008, when Gallon won the 2008 Emerald Derby via a DQ, has a Penney runner graced the winner’s circle after a stakes race.

Sunday, that could change when Include the Baby and Private Fortune take on Knight Raider and six others in the $50,000 Federal Way Handicap for 3-year-old fillies.

Plagued by sore shins as a 2-year-old, Include the Baby (by Include out of 2004 Washington Oaks winner Bianconi Baby) justified her pre-season hype with a 4 ½-length victory in her April 11 maiden special weight debut, running the 5 ½ furlongs in 1:02 3/5.

“She’s a long-striding filly and really on top of her game,” assistant trainer Kay Cooper said of Include the Baby. “The longer the better for her.”

Private Fortune, second in the 2009 Diane Kem Stakes, returned with a maiden victory for a $30,000 tag April 17, running the 5 ½ furlongs in 1:04. Gallyn Mitchell takes over from Troy Stillwell, who committed to ride Snowbound Marquita for trainer Charles Essex in the Federal Way.

“They kind of look like a Mutt and Jeff,” Cooper said of the sophomore fillies. “Include the Baby is a big horse and Private Fortune is a little horse with a big heart.”

The Penney barn has been red-hot in 2010, winning with 8-of-20 starters to rank third in the trainers’ standings. And with 12 horses entered this weekend, Team Penney—Jim, Kay and Bryson Cooper—could be ready to challenge Vann Belvoir and Frank Lucarelli for the top spot. In fact, Bryson is counting on a trip to the winner’s circle after the Federal Way.

“We’ll comb our hair, brush our teeth and get ready for the win picture,” he said.

The field for the 13th running of the Federal Way (Race 6, 4:48 p.m.): Have’n a Wild Time, A.L. Gutierrez, 114; Snowbound Marquita, Troy Stillwell, 112; Feeling Fancy, Francisco Duran, 115; Zenovit, Seth Martinez, 113; Hello Harriet, Jose Zunino, 110; Knight Raider, Ricky Frazier, 120; Private Fortune, Gallyn Mitchell, 113; Runaway Speed, Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo, 113; Include the Baby, Juan Gutierrez, 113.

Apprentice rider turning heads

In most seasons, when it’s time to turn the calendar to May, the great jockeys tend to separate themselves in the standings. However, April has ended, and the top riders have been unable to shake loose as jockeys like newcomer Pedro Terrero continue to score victories.

The 25-year-old native of Guanajuato, Mexico has arguably been the most impressive jockey at the meet. In just 24 mounts, Terrero has a 10-2-2 record—only one win shy of first place. The other four jockeys in the top five have at least 50 mounts and have been unable to keep up with Terrero’s winning percentage—at 42 percent.

“I think I’m doing a good job,” Terrero said. “Some the horses that I have won on did not run well before I rode them.”

Terrero’s began riding in California, where he galloped horses for 2 ½ years until trainer Gil Matos gave him a chance last year to become a professional jockey. After a disappointing 2009 in California, Terrero decided to take a chance and ship his tack up to Emerald Downs. So far, the move has worked brilliantly, as Terrero and agent Vito Lucarelli have made their mounts count in 2010.

NOTES: Week 4 honors: Jockey-Pedro Terrero (4-for-10); Trainer-Monique Snowden (1-for-1-1st career win); Owner-Perfect Soul Brothers LLC (2-1-0-1); Groom-Cesar Perez Osario (Robbie Baze)…Trainer Howard Belvoir said Assessment will make his 2010 debut in the $50,000 Seattle Handicap on May 16. He added Gallyn Mitchell would continue to ride the 2009 Longacres Mile winner…Peaceful Reign earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure for his 4-½ length victory over Rooster City in Sunday’s $21,500 co-feature at 5 ½ furlongs. Peaceful Reign ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:01 2/5—two ticks faster than the fastest time at the 2009 meet…No Flies On Doodle was assigned an 82 Beyer for her 1 ¾-length victory over Hallelujah Trail in Sunday’s $50,000 Hastings Park Handicap…No Flies On Doodle is one of three horses with two wins at the meet and she leads in earnings with $38,500. Flyin On Bye and Classielyte also have won two races…Owner Roy Schaefer told Joe Withee that Atta Boy Roy would make his next start in the $100,000 Aristides Handicap on Saturday, May 29. The Grade III Aristides is six furlongs on dirt at Churchill Downs—just like the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in November…The jockeys’ standings is jumbled with Inoel Beato, Gallyn Mitchell and Ricky Frazier tied for first with 11 wins, and Juan Gutierrez and Pedro Terrero right behind with 10 wins apiece. Last year Frazier already had 26-13 lead over Cassie Papineau…Seeking Ema, the track’s richest maiden with $43,042, makes her second start of the meet in Saturday’s third at 5 ½ furlongs. She has four seconds and four thirds in 10 starts…Knight Raider worked a half-mile in 49 2/5 from the starting gate Wednesday in her final drill for Sunday’s $50,000 Federal Way Handicap…Trainer Doris Harwood also worked her sharp 4-year-olds Thursday: Winning Machine, 5F, 1:00 (1/8); Noosa Beach, 5F, 1:03 2/5 (7/8)…Summer Rules, a half-brother to $3-million earner Peace Rules, debuts Saturday in a maiden $7,500 claiming race for Tim McCanna and Perfect Soul Brothers LLC. A partnership of 12, Perfect Soul Brothers LLC have 20 Perfect Soul offspring in training at Emerald Downs…Sheza Bad Habit ($8.60) ridden by Paul Greene won Sunday’s $30,780 Merial Distaff Challenge Stakes at 400 yards at Sun Downs. Hugo Herrera rode five winners on the getaway card while Nikeela Black was the leading rider with 22 winners.