$75,000 Emerald Downs Derby Nominations

BARKLEY ATTEMPTS SERIES SWEEP IN $75,000 DERBY

Barkley—six-for-six lifetime—can complete six-for-six dented sweep of the 3-year-old colts or geldings division with a victory in the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Sunday, July 31.

The track’s signature event for 3-year-olds, the Emerald Downs Derby drew 13 nominations led by rivals Barkley and Mach One Rules, who have already delivered three epic clashes this season.

While the result has been the same every time—Barkley winning and Mach One Rules finishing second—the 3-year-olds have morphed into one of the hottest rivalries in track history. It began with Barkley edging Mach One Rules by a head in the 6 ½-furlong Auburn Stakes, continued with Barkley prevailing by a neck in the one-mile Coca-Cola Stakes and then, in a replay of the first two races, Barkley digging in for a head victory in the 1 1/16-mile Seattle Slew Stakes.

A Kentucky-bred by Munnings-Numero d’Oro, Barkley is 6-for-6 with four stakes wins and $132,275 in earnings for trainer Howard Belvoir and co-owners Belvoir and Rising Star Stable III. At the meet, Barkley is 4-for-4 with $93,775 in earnings and vying with O B Harbor for Horse of the Meeting.

Opportunistic, Lord Vancouver and Silvertown—first, second and third in the 1 1/16-mile Chris Loseth Handicap at Hastings Racecourse—are nominated to the Emerald Downs Derby. And new this year, a sweep of the Emerald Downs Derby and $150,000 BC Derby (G3) on September 10 is worth a $25,000 (CDN) bonus.

Allaboutaction, a Candy Ride gelding conditioned by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, has a 3-1-0 record in seven starts and was fourth in both the California Derby and Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields.