For the Reporter

The $50,000 Auburn Handicap for 3-year-old colts and geldings drew 14 nominations, including Emerald Downs stakes winners Prime Engine, Track Attacker and Daytona Beach.

At 6½ furlongs, next Sunday’s stakes is the first of four open races this season for the sophomore division and lone sprint in the series, which also features the Coca-Cola Handicap at one mile, the Seattle Slew Handicap at 1 1/16 miles, and the championship Emerald Downs Derby at 1 1/8 miles.

Nominations include four horses owned by Dr. Mark Dedomenico, led by Prime Engine, a Northern Afleet colt that knocked Trackattacker from the undefeated ranks while romping by 5½ lengths in the 1 1/16-mile Gottstein Futurity. Prime Engine subsequently was eighth at 9-to-2 odds in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot, but seems back on track while logging a swift series of drills for trainer Mike Puhich.

Trackattacker is undefeated sprinting, compiling a 5-for-5 mark around one turn, and could have a fitness edge following his gate-to-wire allowance win on May 10. Trackattacker piled up a slew of awards last year including Emerald Downs’ Top 2-year-old and champion WTBOA 2-year-old.

Daytona Beach is from the barn of the track’s all-time leading stakes trainer, Doris Harwood, and finished 2014 with back-to-back blowout wins, including a 5 ½-length score in the NWSS Cahill Road Stakes at six furlongs.

O B Harbor makes his stakes debut in the Auburn, but the Oregon-bred figures to be well backed after a sensational season debut last month. The Harbor the Gold gelding romped by seven lengths in a $21,000 allowance race, running 5½ furlongs in a meet best 1:02.39 and earning an 83 Beyer. The runner-up in that race, Betrbegone, subsequently notched a 2¾-length victory in a May 15 allowance test.

$50,000 Auburn Handicap, Sunday, May 24
3-Year-Old Colts & Geldings, 6½ Furlongs

Horse …………….. Owner …………….. Trainer

Arrom Bear (3-WA),  Center Point Racing & Sabers Drawn Racing, Frank Lucarelli

Cash N Dash (3-WA),  Karen Kirshner, Robbie Baze

Chief of Staff (3-CAL),  Mark Dedomenico LLC,  J. Hollendorfer

Daytona Beach (3-WA),  Vital Signs Stable & Jeff Harwood, Doris Harwood

Fooled Again (3-KY),  Todd & Shawn Hansen, Howard Belvoir

Gloria’s Angelo (3-KY),  Aithon Stable LLC, Larry Ross

Legion of Boom (3-WA),  Mark Dedomenico & North American Tbred, Mike Puhich

Moby (3-WA),   Blue Diamond Stable or Janet Johnson,  Roy Lumm

O B Harbor (3-ORE),  One Horse Will Do Corp., Chris Stenslie

Prime Engine (3-KY),  Mark Dedomenico LLC, Mike Puhich

Private Boss (3-WA),  Blue Diamond, Del Kelly or Mort Robbins, Roy Lumm

Rosary Man (3-LA),  Mark Dedomenico LLC, J. Hollendorfer

Senna (3-KY),   Glyn Kelly & Anne MacLennan, Dan Markle

Trackattacker (3-WA),  R.E.V. Racing LLC, Frank Lucarelli