Washington State Legislators Stakes draws field of eight | Emerald Downs
Published 1:29 pm Friday, June 5, 2015
Dan Markle has trained Thoroughbreds for over three decades, but said Sunday represents a first. In the $50,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes, Markle will saddle two horses – I Think So and Charismata – that were claimed in their most recent starts.
The Markle trainees represent one-quarter of an eight-horse field that goes 6½ furlongs in the second stakes of the meet for the older filly and mare division.
Coming off an easy 4¼-length victory in the six-furlong Hastings Handicap, Kikisoblu is the probable favorite for trainer Tom Wenzel, owner George Todaro and jockey Rocco Bowen.
City by the Bay, runner-up in the Hastings, will remain in California, but third-place finisher Lady of the Nile, fifth-place Madame Pele and seventh-place finisher Bee Dees Bid are back for round two, along with new shooters English Lace, Camille, Charismata and I Think So.
I Think So comes off a smoking 4¼-length victory at six furlongs, from which Markle and owner Jeffrey Stoddard claimed her for a meet-high $40,000. Prior to that the 5-year-old Proud Citizen mare was based at Hastings Racecourse, piling up three stakes wins and over $150,000 in purses.
“She’s got a good race record and a lot of pedigree,” Markle said of I Think So. “Inevitably she’s going to be a good broodmare but she came out of the last race in such good fashion and ran such a bang-up race that we thought we’d take a shot and run her in this stakes. We’ll see how she performs in this event here on Sunday and go from there.”
Stoddard also claimed Charsimata, for $12,500, and Markle sees a big upside for the 4-year-old Curlin filly.
“Someday she’s going to make a really nice broodmare, too,” he said. “She seems to be full of health and the only place to run her is in this stakes here. It’s unusual to claim two mares and run them against each other but we’re going to take a shot at it.”
Notes
The Washington State Legislators Stakes is Race 9 at 6:09 p.m. … Average field size is nine through five stakes races. Average $2 win payoff is $31.90. … The Washington State Legislators will be Robert Geller’s final stakes as Emerald Downs’ track announcer. … Trainer Tom Wenzel, who saddles Bee Dees Bid and probable favorite Kikisoblu, aims for his third straight win in the Washington State Legislators. Exclusive Diva won in 2013 and Stopshoppingdebbie prevailed last year in a stakes record 1:14.20.
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The field from the rail out for the 20th running of the Washington State Legislators Stakes (horse, jockey, weight):
I Think So, Julien Couton, 120 pounds;
Bee Dees Bid, Francisco Duran, 112;
English Lace, Joe Steiner, 114;
Kikisoblu, Rocco Bowen, 119;
Lady of the Nile, Leslie Mawing, 116;
Camille, Jake Barton, 117;
Charismata, Diego R. Sanchez, 113;
Madame Pele, Juan Gutierrez, 116.
