Fear No Evil and Gallon, who have danced every dance in the 3-year-old division this season at Emerald Downs, are among nine sophomores nominated to the $100,000 Emerald Derby.
The 71st edition of 1 1/8-mile Derby—the meet’s championship race for 3-year-olds—will be run on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 1. The Emerald Derby is the fourth of five $100,000 races at the 2008 meeting.
Fear No Evil has enjoyed an outstanding season for trainer Frank Lucarelli and owners Chris and Diane Randall of Bellevue. A Kentucky-bred by Trust N Luck, Fear No Evil has developed into a tiger on the front end, winning the 6-furlong Auburn Stakes, and the 1 1/16-mile Seattle Slew Handicap, both in gate-to-wire fashion.
Fear No Evil (4-2-1 with earnings of $98,698 in 10 starts) also finished second by a neck at 18-to-1 odds in the Tacoma Handicap, and he romped by 4½ lengths in a one-mile allowance event. Although he’s the only sophomore with two stakes victories, Fear No Evil won the Auburn at odds of 9-to-1 and the Seattle Slew at 4-to-1.
Trainer Jim Penney nominated Gallon, Lacuenta Por Favor and So Whatabout. Gallon (3-4-1 with $132,940 from 10 starts), in four starts this year, has a first, second, third and fourth — all in stakes company — including a neck victory over Fear No Evil in the one-mile Tacoma Handicap.
Lightly raced Anotation (2-0-2 with $30,435 in four starts) finished a close third to Fear No Evil in the Seattle Slew Handicap.
Northern California-based speedster Thiscatsgotcharm, along with Savo Island, Sea Speaker, and Way Too Much, are the other Derby nominees.
Sea Speaker, in a possible prep for the Derby, rallied through the slop for a half-length victory in Sunday’s $19,000 feature race at Emerald Downs.
With leading rider Kevin Radke up for his fourth win of the day, Sea Speaker ran one mile in 1:36 4/5 on a sloppy track and paid $4, $2.80 and $2.20 in the race for 3-year-olds.
Eternal Wind, the early leader ridden by Juan Gutierrez, dug in gamely through the stretch to hold second, paying $5.40 and $3.80. It was one length back to London Express, with Gallyn Mitchell riding, and a $3.20 show payoff.
