Seattle Stakes tests 3-year-old fillies | Emerald Downs

It’s stakes time at Emerald Downs.

Sunday’s $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies is the first of 30 stakes worth $1,685,000 to be run this season, and kicks off the four race series for sophomore fillies en route to the $75,000 Washington Oaks.

The Seattle, run at six furlongs, drew a field of seven including champions Blazinbeauty and Risque’s Legacy, and a quartet of unbeaten runners in Retreat Yourself (2-2), Risque’s Legacy (2-2), Alliford Bay (1-1) and Always Enuff (1-1).

Trainer Tom Wenzel saddles Risque’s Legacy and recent allowance winner Getting Joellenned. Owned and bred by Karl Krieg, Risque’s Legacy earned WTBOA 2-year-old filly honors after a pair of sparkling gate-to-wire victories including an easy triumph in the Washington Cup.

The pace figures to be hot, however, as front-runners Retreat Yourself, Alliford Bay, Getting Joellenned and Always Enuff are in the lineup.

Blazinbeauty, 2-2-0 in four starts, makes her season debut for Darrin Paul and Frank Lucarelli, and could benefit from a fast pace. A Kentucky-bred by Tale of Ekati-Rockport Beauty, Blazinbeauty rallied for victories in the six-furlong Barbara Shinpoch Stakes and mile and one-sixteenth Gottstein Futurity, and figures to be running late Sunday.

The Seattle has produced some epic winners over the years. The 19 most recent winners are a combined 88-for-181 in at Emerald Downs, including Stopshoppingdebbie (9-9-0-0), Ladyledue (7-6-0-0), Youcant’takeme (6-5-0-0), Exclusive Diva (14-7-3-1), Class Included (12-7-5-0), Shampoo (15-7-3-2), Mishill (6-4-1-0), Diamond Dollars (5-3-1-0) and Queenledo (16-7-6-0). And last year’s winner, Invested Prospect has won five of her six races at Emerald Downs and will be favored in the $50,000 Hastings Stakes on May 20.

• Irving Orozco, older brother of apprentice Kevin Orozco, makes his Emerald Downs’ debut Sunday with two mounts for Blaine Wright including Alliford Bay in the Seattle Stakes. Irving Orozco currently is second with 60 wins at Golden Gate Fields.

• Isaias Enriquez, seventh with 52 wins at Turf Paradise, returns to ride Blazinbeauty in the Seattle.

• The venerable Seattle Seafair Pirates will serve as honorary stewards for the 2017 Seattle Stakes.

• The Seattle Stakes is first of four open events for sophomore fillies: $50,000 Kent Stakes, 6½ furlongs, Sunday, May 28; $50,000 Irish Day Stakes, one mile, Sunday, June 25; $75,000 Washington Oaks, 1 1/8 miles, Sunday, July 23.

• As part of a $125,000 bonus program Between Emerald Downs and Hastings Racecourse, a $25,000 bonus (U.S.) is offered for any horse sweeping the Washington Oaks at Emerald Downs and $100,000 British Columbia Oaks at Hastings.

• The Seattle Stakes goes as the seventh race at 5:09 p.m.

• The field for the $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies: 1-Retreat Yourself, Javier Matias, 116 pounds; 2-Alliford Bay, Irving Orozco, 116; 3-Risque’s Legacy, Rocco Bowen, 120; 4-Blazinbeauty, Isaias Enriquez, 120; 5-Reginella, Jose Zunino, 118; 6-Getting Joellenned, Juan Gutierrez, 116; 7-Always Enuff, Eswan Flores, 116.

Finish lines

Langara Lass, dam of Kentucky Derby long shot Lookin At Lee, raced three times at Emerald Downs, including a third in the 2006 Irish Day Handicap. … Paradise Woods, morning line favorite in the Kentucky Oaks, was bred by the late Herman Sarkowsky, who was an original Emerald Downs’ investor and 2015 Washington Hall of Fame inductee. Paradise Woods is co-owned by Martin Wygod and Steven Sarkowsky (son of Herman) and wears the Sarkowsky’s black and orange silks in the Kentucky Oaks. Sarkowsky’s widow, Faye, will watch the Kentucky Oaks at Emerald Downs. … Natasha Coddington rides defending champion Blue Bomber in Sunday’s $30,000 Hasta La Vista Handicap at Turf Paradise. At 1 7/8 miles on turf, the Hasta la Vista is the traditional closing day feature at the Phoenix track. … Also Sunday at Turf Paradise, Washington-bred Squeeze Me is the even-money favorite in the $30,000 TuP Open Spring Futurity for 2-year-olds. By Papa Clem – Great Mom, Squeeze Me was a 6 ½-length maiden winner in :51 3/5 for 4½ furlongs. … Nomination close Saturday for the $50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-old colts & geldings at six furlongs. To be run Sunday, May 14, the Auburn is the first of four open stakes for sophomores culminating Sunday, July 30, with the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby at 1 1/8 miles. … Emerald Downs’ Owner of the Week John Parker celebrates his 56th birthday Saturday. … The Emerald Racing Club is in action Sunday as 4-year-old filly Distinguishable runs in race four for $25,000 claiming fillies and mares at six furlongs. … Emerald Downs Soccer Club, led by jockeys Jose Zunino, Eswan Flores and Erick Lopez, scored its second straight indoor soccer win with a 7-5 triumph over Issaquah.