Barkley and Javier Matias in a May 13 allowance victory.

BARKLEY TAKES AIM AT NORTHWEST’S BIGGEST PRIZE

With Riser officially out of the race, Barkley appears to be the top local threat for the 83rd running of the $200,000 Longacres Mile (G3) on Sunday, August 12.

With all due respect to 2017 Horse of the Meeting and Washington Horse of the Year Mach One Rules, Barkley has fired the bigger shots thus far in 2018. The 5-year-old son of Munnings posted seconds in the Governor’s Stakes and Mt. Rainier Stakes, including a career-high 94 Beyer in the latter at 1 1/16 miles. Between those two was the Budweiser Stakes, in which Barkley never got rolling after being slammed out of the gate.

Asked what Barkley needs to happen for Barkley to win the Mile, trainer Howard Belvoir offered a quick reply.

“He just needs a clean trip,” said Belvoir, who won back to back Miles with Wasserman and Assessment in 2008-09. “He’ll run on anything, and he’ll do whatever you want him to do.”

Winner of five stakes at Emerald Downs, Barkley is 8-4-1 in 16 career starts with earnings of $242,900 for Vicki Potter’s Rising Star Stable III syndicate. Although he didn’t run poorly in last year’s Mile, finishing fourth, Belvoir thinks Barkley is sharper coming into this year’s race.

“He’s doing better than he was last year, he had been bumped around pretty good and just wasn’t as sharp,” Belvoir said. “I like the way he’s training.”

The pace scenario changes with Riser out, but Kaabraaj figures to show plenty of speed stretching out. Barkley is by no means a deep closer, though, and figures to be waiting in the wings under Javier Matias.

Barkley breezed five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 July 30 and will have his final Mile workout Monday with Matias aboard.

In other Longacres Mile developments:

• Trainer Blaine Wright said Chappell Alpine Farms’ Riser, who would have been the probable Mile favorite, did not pull up well in the Mt. Rainier Stakes and is out of the race.
• Peter Redekop’s Alert Bay, the richest horse nominated with over $1.2 million in earnings, is 50-50 to make the Mile, according to Wright, while Todd and Shawn Hansen’s Oh Marvelous Me is a go for the Mile. A 7-year-old City Zip gelding, Alert Bay worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:14 4/5 Saturday at Golden Gate, and Oh Marvelous Me earned an 83 Beyer in a one-mile allowance win Sunday at Emerald Downs.

Tyler Baze

• Trainer John Sadler said Hronis Racing’s Curlin Rules will run in the Mile, with Northwest native Tyler Baze the rider. Curlin Rules, from the same barn as multiple Grade 1 winner Accelerate and recent San Diego Handicap winner Catalina Cruiser, is scheduled to work Sunday at Del Mar before shipping to Emerald Downs.
• Kaabraaj works Saturday morning at Emerald Downs and is a go for the Mile, according to trainer Jeff Metz. Owned by Warlock Stables, Horesplayers Racing Club 240 and Saratoga West, the 6-year-old Abraaj gelding is the track and state record-holder at six furlongs (1:06.84) and most recently ran the meet’s fastest 6 1/2 furlongs (1:14.31) in a sharp allowance victory last month.
• Longacres Mile nominees Coulterberry and My Friend Emma are entered in out of town races this weekend; Coulterberry is 12-1 in Monday’s $50,000 British Columbia Cup Classic Handicap, and My Friend Emma runs in a $33,000 allowance on turf Sunday at Santa Rosa.
• Longacres Mile and Emerald Distaff weights will be released Saturday.
• Entries for the Mile and Emerald Distaff will be drawn at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the Emerald Room (4th floor) at Emerald Downs.
• An all stakes $0.50 Pick 4 will be offered on the Longacres Mile, Emerald Distaff, WTBOA Lads and Barbara Shinpoch Stakes.

Confirmed Longacres Mile starters:  Barkley, Curlin Rules, Gold Rush Dancer (below left), Kaabraaj, Mach One Rules (right), Oh Marvelous Me.

RACING THIS WEEK

Friday, August 3
6:30 p.m. (7 races)
Fab Friday
Longacres 85th Anniversary

Saturday, August 4
5 p.m. (8 races)
Twilight Saturday (thru Sept. 22)
Breakfast at the Wire (thru Aug. 25)

Sunday, August 5
2 p.m. (10 races)
Corgi Races

BEYERS & FAST TIMES

Friday, July 27
Race 1: Instinctual Kash-70*
Race 2: Crushin Candy-83
Race 3: Tybee Island-51
Race 4: Silversonic-58*
Race 5: There’s No Doubt-68
Race 6: Copy Begone-67
Race 7: Uncle Kimo-54

Saturday, July 28
Race 1: Wild Wilko-33
Race 2: Brookdale-61
Race 3: Thirty Pepperonis-67
Race 4: C J Knows Best-46
Race 5: Hart Mountain-56
Race 6: Retreat Yourself-75*
Race 7: Little Dancer-78
Race 8: Royal Guard-53

Sunday, July 29
Race 1: Iknowyourface-45
Race 2: Oh Marvelous Me-83*
Race 3: Private Boss-50
Race 4: Huggy Bear-71*
Race 5: Whistling Rose-51
Race 6: Lucky Cleric-60*
Race 7: Sippin Fire-80*
Race 8: Jupiter S.-60
Race 9: Cowglitz Callie-38
* Career-high
# First-time starter
+2YO

Kaabraaj

Fastest Times
4 ½ Furlongs :51.87 Sunshine Emily (2yof) June 16
5 Furlongs :56.52 Das Bear (3yog) May 5
5 ½ Furlongs 1:02.94 Barkley (5yoh) May 13
6 Furlongs 1:08.09 Daytona Beach (6yog) June 17
6 ½ Furlongs 1:14.31 Kaabraaj (6yog) July 8
1 Mile 1:34.60 Huya (5yog) June 16
1 1/16 Mile 1:40.08 Riser (4yoc) July 15
1 1/8 Mile 1:48.54 Sippin Fire (3yogf) July 29

Betting Favorites
Last Week: 8-24 (33.3%)
Season: 124-356 (34.8%)
Largest $2 Win: $66 Pretty Miss Vanna (May 26)
$2 Place: $31 Colour of Money (May 11)
$2 Show: $16.20 Vintastic (May 13)
Largest Payout: $57,865 ($0.20 Jackpot 7, July 14)

Eswan Flores

Leading Jockeys
74-Rocco Bowen
50-Kevin Orozco
45-Julien Couton
36-Gary Wales
29-Eswan Flores
17-Anne Sanguinetti
15-Leonel Camacho-Flores
14-Erick Lopez
14-Austin Solis
13-Javier Matias
12-Jose Zunino

Jeff Metz

Leading Trainers
32-Jeff Metz
28-Blaine Wright
26-Frank Lucarelli
18-Joe Toye
16-Vince Gibson
14-Manny Ortiz
10-Howard Belvoir
10-Candi Tollett
9-Robbie Baze
9-Mike Puhich
8-Chris Stenslie
8-Tom Wenzel
8-David Martinez
8-Neil Knapp

Rick Kessler

Leading Owners
13-Saratoga West
10-Rick Kessler or Terra Firma Farm
7-John E. Parker
7-Tawnja Elison
6-Kenneth Elison or Vicky Jo Elison
6-Tim Bankers
5-Randall and Rossi or Lucarelli Racing
5-Todd & Shawn Hansen
5-Luigi DiPietro or Diana DiPietro
4-Muddy Waters Stables
4-Billy Speed Racing Stable
4-Allaire Farms
4-Brett Brophy
4-Aaron Bresko
4-How We Roll #4
4-John & Janene Maryanski & Riverbend Farm
4-Greg Conley, Chuck Conley or Terra Firma Farm

Copy Begone

Horses Wins
3-Copy Begone
3-Curious Rumor
3-Daytona Beach
3-Guardian One
3-Party for One
3-Rojo Bou Peep
3-Ryan Walt
3-Sippin Fire***
3-Will Not
2-Hill Croome
2-Golden Cowboy
2-Wine At Nine
2-Zanab
2-Dudley Studley
2-Ryan Walt
2-Mintenized
2-Mitch and John E
2-No Talking Back
2-Bet the Harbor
2-Grand Palais
2-Fernet Me Not
2-Please Be Me
2-Awesome Return
2-She Got Away
2-Briana Jean
2-Outdidya
2-Regazze Cat
2-Iron Rob
2-Double A. Prospect
2-Blame It On Royce
2-Cold Hard Luck
2-Ask Not
2-Riser**
2-Endangered
2-Choreography
2-Tesla
2-Calex
2-Outa Here
2-Bye Bye Sal
2-Mister Breeze
2-Oldtimers Vision
2-Diamonds R*
2-Tizzy Dean
2-Serbian Syclone
2-Papa Mambo
2-Josie Treasure
2-Meet At Jakes
2-Que Chistoso
2-Party for One
2-Bell of Rainier
2-Ever Special
2-Jake’s a Poppin
2-Fly Far Away
2-Cats Gulch
2-Cody’s Choice
2-Bullet Drill
2-Sea Basket
2-Cruzin in Style
2-Baja Sur*
2-Buckley Bay
2-Marymoor Park
2-Kenzie Blake
2-Jupiter S.
2-Our Silver Lining
2-Rough and Ready
2-Mike Man’s Gold
2-Levitation
2-Long Game
2-Instinctual Kash
2-Crushin Candy
2-Thirty Pepperonis
2-Hart Mountain
2-Iknowyourface
2-Private Boss
2-Huggy Bear
2-Lucky Cleric
*Stakes Win

Sippin Fire

Horses Earnings
$81,200-Sippin Fire
$56,250-Riser
$54,688-Diamonds R
$54,350-Bella Mia
$39,545-Northwest Factor
$38,587-Ima Happy Cat
$37,325-No Talking Back
$36,350-Invested Prospect
$35,575-Barkley
$34,650-Baja Sur

Alex Anaya

WEEKLY HONORS #15 (July 27-29): Valpak Jockey-Alex Anaya; Las Margaritas Trainer-Mary Tate; EmD Owner-Ron Schmid: Quarter Chute Café Groom-Aleena Solis; WTBOA WA-Bred-Sippin Fire (Bar C Racing Stable & Desert Rose Racing); Exercise Rider-Christina Rodriguez (Pablo DeJesus).

NOTES: Rocco Bowen is named on two horses Monday on BC Cup Day at Hastings Racecourse—Wise Market in the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial and Go Martha Go in the $50,000 BC Cup Debutante. . .Coal Creek Farm’s homebred My Heart Awakens, who began his career with two wins here last year, is entered in a $62,000 allowance on turf Saturday at Del Mar. . .Angie C Stakes winner Northwest Factor worked five furlongs in 1:01 Thursday and runs in the $50,000 Barbara Shinpoch Stakes on Longacres Mile Day. . .In what is believed to be an Emerald Downs’ first, a horse whose last start was in Hong Kong is entered in Saturday’s fifth race. Owners’ Prestige, a 5-year-old Austrailan-bred gelding owned by Wing Ho and trained by Blaine Wright, is 9/2 in the $18,500 maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. . .Exercise Rider of the Week Christina Rodriguez plans to resume her riding career this fall at Portland Meadows. A 24-year-old Pennsylvania native, she scored her maiden victory at Laurel in 2012.