Speed vs. Speed in $50,000 Premio Esmeralda Stakes at Emerald Downs | Horse Racing

Chu and I, winner of the fastest 4 ½ furlongs at the meeting in 51.19 seconds, and D’honorable One, winner of the fastest five furlongs at the meet in :56.66, will face off Sunday in the $50,000 Premio Esmeralda Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings at six furlongs.

Undefeated in two starts, Chu and I comes off a dominating effort in the July 4 Strong Ruler Stakes, where the Washington-bred gelding accelerated to a 5-¼-length romp via gate-to-wire fashion. According to owner Michael Feuerborn, similar tactics could be expected Sunday.

“Obviously, if he breaks well, he’ll be close to the front,” he said. “He’s certainly shown speed in prior races.”

As with many 2-year-olds, most of the field’s winners have scored either on or near the lead after the opening fraction. An exception, however, is D’honorable One, who earned a field’s best 75 Beyer for his stalk-and-pounce victory in a maiden special weight on July 10.

“I love the way this horse relaxes in a race,” assistant trainer Richard Wright said. “I think that’s very important for a 2-year-old to be able to relax. I also love the draw (post No. 5), which should help us avoid any trouble.”

The Premio Esmeralda is race nine on a 10-race card at 6:09 p.m.

The field for the 16th running of the Premio Esmeralda Stakes, all carrying 120 pounds: Wild Wings, Joe Crispin; Silver Boxcar, Gallyn Mitchell; Chu and I, Juan Gutierrez; Italian Boy, A.L. Gutierrez; D’Honorable One, Leslie Mawing; Gold Surge, Pedro Terrero; Ferociously, Jose Zunino.

MISS TOP NITE TAKES BATON FROM STABLEMATE HEADING INTO ANGIE C

The 2-year-old filly stakes division will stop at checkpoint No. 2 with the $50,000 Angie C Stakes at six furlongs, the first race in Sunday’s juvenile stakes doubleheader.

With Youtheprizeandi, winner of the Knights Choice Stakes, ineligible for the Angie C without a $5,000 nomination fee, trainer Tim McCanna elected to enter Miss Top Nite in her stead hoping to score back-to-back juvenile filly stakes races.

Miss Top Nite is no slouch. The daughter of He’s Tops rallied from six lengths back to capture a five-furlong $25,000 maiden-claiming race on July 2, a big improvement from a fourth-place effort in her first career start.

“We added blinkers for the first time in that race,” McCanna said. “She ran huge after the change of equipment, and I think she fits well here.”

Miss Top Nite will likely have to catch Exclusive Diva, a Kentucky-bred by Bernadini who drew off for a 3-½-length triumph in a July 9 maiden special weight. She received a field’s best 62 Beyer for her victory, six points higher than Royal Moses, another likely closer in Sunday’s stakes race, who finished second by a neck to Youtheprizeandi in the Knights Choice.

The Angie C is race seven on a 10-race card at 5:09 p.m.

The field for the 16th running of the Angie C Stakes: Muchas Coronas, Pedro Terrero, 117 lbs.; Exclusive Diva, Juan Gutierrez, 119, Talk to My Lawyer, Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo, 117; Lady Dakota(s), Gallyn Mitchell, 119; Miss Top Nite, Joe Crispin, 119; Royal Moses, Jose Zunino, 117.

ATTA BOY ROY’S BREEDERS’ CUP QUEST DECIDED BY SUNDAY’S VANDERBILT

Atta Boy Roy could become the richest active Washington-bred Sunday with a first or second-place finish in the $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga. The six-furlong sprint could also continue or halt his projected goal to run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) in November at Churchill Downs.

Currently sixth all-time with $523,914 in career earnings, Atta Boy Roy only needs $30,391 to pass Wasserman—fifth all-time with $554,304—as the top, active Washington-bred earner. With a victory, the Tribunal ridgling would net $150,000 and leapfrog Wasserman, Rings A Chime and Peterhof’s Patea and move into third place all-time with $673,914. While a second-place finish, would give Atta Boy Roy $50,000 and move him ahead of Wasserman with $573,914.

Trainer Valorie Lund and owner Roy Schaefer opted to run Atta Boy Roy in the Vanderbilt, a historically tougher race, rather than the Remington Sprint Cup, which Atta Boy Roy crushed a soft field in by 5-½ lengths last year. The motive? Find out exactly where Atta Boy Roy stands against the nation’s top sprinters. This year’s Vanderbilt features Grade 1 winner Noble’s Promise, recent Grade 2 winner Trappe Shot and last year’s BC Sprint runner up Hamazing Destiny—all likely to run in the 2011 BC Sprint.

For the first-time in recent stakes races, Atta Boy Roy might not have to duel for the early lead, which could give the six-year-old a huge advantage. Atta Boy Roy has won four straight races after setting the opening fraction, including the Grade 3 victory in the 2010 Churchill Downs.

ROAD TO THE $200,000 LONGACRES MILE (G3) ON SUNDAY, AUG. 21

Possible Contenders That Have Worked Out This Week:

Saturday, July 30-

Slew the Man worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 (1/7) at Pleasanton

Sunday, July 31-

Awesome Gem worked four furlongs in :48.60 (38/83) at Del Mar

Monday, Aug. 1-

Assessment breezed five furlongs in :59.40 (2/19) at EmD

Wasserman breezed four furlongs in :47.40 (6/38) at EmD

St Liams Halo worked six furlongs in 1:13.60 (2/5) at Hastings

Wednesday, Aug. 3-

Defending Champion Noosa Beach breezed five furlongs in 1:01.20 (2/2) at EmD

NOTES: Week 15 Honors—Jockey-A.L. Gutierrez (6-1-2-0); Trainer-Terry Gillihan (3-2-0-0); Owner-Pegasus Syndicate Two (2-1-0-0); Groom-James Hagenauer (Don Munger).

Absolutely Cool received week 15’s top Beyer with a career-high 89, running 6-½ furlongs in 1:14.64 in an allowance optional claiming race. Seattle Sniper got an 86 after he ran the meet’s fastest six furlongs for a colt or gelding in 1:08.32 on Saturday against $20,000 claimers. Trainer Tom Wenzel stables both horses.

Almost Time, fourth in last year’s Mile, earned an 83 Beyer for his 2-1/2-length victory in Monday’s BC Cup Classic at Hastings. Trainer Dino Condilenios said Wednesday that he is “50/50” on shipping the Finality gelding for the Mile. Condilenios, however, said he would ship defending champion Kimmyv for the Aug. 21 Emerald Distaff, the championship event for fillies and mares.

On Wednesday, Aug. 10, Santa Anita will likely be named the host of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup. If early reports are confirmed, next year’s event would mark the sixth time that Santa Anita has hosted the Breeders’ Cup…Andy Collins, husband of former Emerald Downs reporter and CBS college football reporter Brooke Olzendam, died Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale after an apparent heart attack. Collins was 27.

Untilifindyou, the early favorite for 2011 Claimer of the Meet, seeks his season-leading sixth victory in Saturday’s sixth race. In Saturday’s fifth race, Rich Debut looks to snap a four-race losing streak after starting 2011 winning her first 8-of-9 races…Trainer Howard Belvoir went 4-for-10 last week, increasing his lead to seven over 10-time training champ Tim McCanna with 37 wins in the trainer standings. Belvoir also leads the owner standings with 13 wins.