Horse Racing | Local filly to tackle the best in her class

Smarty Deb, the 2-year-old filly who won all four of her starts this season at Emerald Downs, will race in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies race Oct. 27 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Smarty Deb is one of seven horses selected to be added to the 14-horse field. The other seven earned their way by their performances in graded stakes races.

"I'm elated, I cried tears of joy," trainer Doris Harwood said, in a release from Emerald Downs. "It's huge, absolutely huge. We are one of the best 14 juvenile fillies in the world."

Smarty Deb won the Gottstein Futurity at Emerald Downs last month, capping her perfect season at the Auburn track. The Kentucky-bred by Smart Strike also beat males in her May 13 debut, and earned $121,050 for her four victories. She is owned by Jerre Paxton's Northwest Farms.

The last horse that started its career in Washington and raced in the Breeders' Cup was Maharesred in the 1988 Juvenile at Churchill Downs. The Washington-bred finished last in a field of 10. Maharesred had won all four of his starts prior to the Breeders' Cup, including a victory in the Gottstein Futurity at Longacres.

Smarty Deb and stablemate Margo's Gift have been at Monmouth Park since Oct. 5. Margo's Gift, third in the Gottstein, runs in the $250,000 Favorite Trick Stakes at Monmouth on Oct. 26. That race, at 12:45 p.m. PDT, is not part of the Breeders' Cup program on Oct. 26-27.

Fans can watch and wager on both days of the Breeders' Cup at Emerald Downs. The first race of the Monmouth Park card on Oct. 26 will be at 9:30 a.m., the first of three Breeders' Cup races that day at 1:25 p.m. On Oct. 27, the first race of the day from Monmouth Park is at 8 a.m. The first of eight Breeders' Cup races will be the Juvenile Fillies, at 9:30 a.m. The Breeders' Cup races will be televised by ESPN.

Smarty Deb and Margo's Gift are both scheduled to work 5 furlongs Saturday. Jockey Ricky Frazier, who set an Emerald Downs record with 154 wins in 2007, will ride Smarty Deb, racing for the first time in the Breeders' Cup.