Emerald Downs | Fear No Evil hangs on, eyes Emerald Derby next

Fear No Evil led wire to wire in winning Sunday's $67,200 Seattle Slew Handicap at Emerald Downs, erasing any doubt trainer Frank Lucarelli had about entering the gelding in the $100,000 Emerald Downs Derby on Sept. 1.

"I've been dying to run him in the Derby," Lucarelli said after Fear No Evil won by 1 length over Reel Prime in the race for 3-year-old colts and geldings. "It would not make sense to run in the Derby if he didn't run well today."

But run well he did, going straight to the front from his No. 6 post position and leading all the way, covering the 1-1/16 miles in 1 minute 42 seconds with jockey Gary Baze aboard.

Reel Prime, ridden by Sandi Gann, rallied for second by a neck over Anotation, with Deborah Hoonan-Trujillo up. Gallon, the 6-5 favorite, finished fourth in the field of seven, failing to rally in the stretch run.

Fear No Evil, a gelding by Trust N Luck out of Lip Code, paid $10.20, $5.60 and $3.60. Reel Prime returned $7 and $4.80, and Anotation paid $3.20 to show.

Baze said he had no doubt Fear No Evil could handle the Emerald Downs Derby distance of 1-1/8 miles.

"He doesn't slow down much," Baze said.

Fear No Evil and Gallon have traded wins in the male sophomore class, with Gallon winning the last time they met, in the Tacoma Handicap on June 29. Fear No Evil beat Gallon in the Auburn Stakes on May 11.

Fear No Evil failed to get the lead in the Pepsi-Cola Handicap on June 1 and finished sixth while Gallon took third behind Margo's Gift and Easy Going Cecil, who weren't entered in the Seattle Slew.

The $37,950 winner's share of the purse Sunday makes Fear No Evil the leading money winner at the Auburn track this year with $87,825.

Owners Chris and Dianna Randall, of Bellevue, lead all Emerald Downs owners with $227,737, and Lucarelli tops all trainers with $411,248 in purse money.

Lucarelli said he goes to Kentucky every year with Randall, an insurance broker, to look for horses. They bought Fear No Evil at the Keeneland sale in 2006 for $15,000, although Randall said his role in the selection could be described as "I was there."

Note

• Twenty-nine horses have been nominated to the $300,000 Grade Longacres Mile on August 17.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella — who won the race 30 years ago with Bad'N Big — nominated two California-based runners, Perfect Drift and One Union. The former is a 9-year-old with earnings of over $4.7 million. The latter, owned by Seattle sportsman Herman Sarkowsky, won the Wickerr Handicap on turf last month at Del Mar.