CM Boom Shakalaka is the early favorite for Sunday’s 440-yard, $40,000-added Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge Stakes.

© Vince & Linda Williams

AUBURN, WA—AUGUST 19, 2021—Chris Sutton’s CM Boom Shakalaka, a 6-year-old son of champion Carters Cartel trained by Nick Lowe, is the early favorite for Sunday’s 440-yard, $40,000-added Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge Stakes.

CM Boom Shakalaka is coming off of a wire-to-wire, 1 1/4-length victory in the June 28, $50,000 Bank of America Grants Pass Championship Challenge Stakes. The Oregon-bred gelding has won three of his four starts at Emerald Downs, including last year’s Bank of America Emerald Downs Championship Challenge.

CM Boom Shakalaka drew post 2 and will be ridden by Luis F. Gonzalez.

The complete lineup, in post position order including jockey assignments:

1. Sables Dashin (Nakia Ramirez)
2. CM Boom Shakalaka (Luis F. Gonzalez)
3. Thrill Of The Cartel (Cody Wainscott)
4. Dr Tool (Jesus Valenzuela)
5. DF Storm Tales (Clay Teeter)
6. CM Once Ina Bluemoon (James W. Wooten Jr.)
7. L Bar D Genuine Red (Cesar T. Moreno)
8. Arizona Favorite (Jaime E. Lopez)
9. Lidonna (Joree Scriver)

Also on Sunday, fastest qualifier Apolinaria Prize is one of 10 2-year-olds entered back in the 350-yard, $30,000-added John Deere Emerald Downs Juvenile Challenge Stakes.

A California-bred daughter of Fast Prize Cartel trained by Jose Rosales Gomez for owner Juan Manuel Marquez, Apolinaria Prize made her local debut with a neck victory in the first of two trials on August 1. The filly has earned $14,800 from four races, and her record includes a third-place finish, a neck behind winner Five Bars Blazin, in the July 4, $90,000 Grants Pass Firecracker Futurity at Grants Pass Downs.

Apolinaria Prize drew post 5 and will be ridden by Cesar T. Moreno.

All Emerald Downs races can be seen at Q-RacingVideo.com.