Older fillies and mares get the spotlight Sunday, June 10 in the $50,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes at 6-½ furlongs.

Class Included and Elusive Noise*who threw down a thrilling stretch battle in last month’s Hastings Handicap*head a star-studded list of 10 runners nominated to the 17th running of the meet’s final sprint stakes for older fillies and mares.

The exceptionally consistent Class Included won her third local stakes and fourth overall with a head victory over Elusive Noise in the six-furlong Hastings Handicap. Emerald Downs’ Top 3-Year-Old Filly of 2011 had to summon her reserves to nail the front-running Elusive Noise, whose 2012 exploits are being chronicled throughout the season by turf writer Scott Hanson in The Seattle Times.

You Me and Ema B, the track’s Top Older Filly or Mare in 2011, could make her season debut in the Washington State Legislators Stakes. Winner of both the Hastings Handicap and Boeing Handicap last year, You Me and Ema B sustained the only sprint defeat of her career in last year’s Washington State Legislators Stakes, finishing 11th, but is 6-4-0-1 overall with earnings of $82,515.

Trainers Jim Penney and Frank Lucarelli account for half of the nominees. In addition to Class Included, Penney nominated Include the Baby and 2011 Belle Roberts winner Sweet Nellie Brown. Lucarelli nominated Rewritten, runner-up to Summers Peace in the 2011 Washington State Legislators Stakes, and Special Holiday, third to Class Included and Elusive Noise in the Hastings Handicap.

E Z Kitty, 6-½-length winner of the John & Kitty Fletcher Stakes in the 2011 Washington Cup, comes off a sharp season debut in which she ran 5-½ furlongs in 1:02.38 while defeating optional claiming/allowance runners by 3-¼ lengths. The 4-year-old He’s Tops filly is 5-for-8 overall and 2-for-2 on wet tracks.

Playful Argument finished second to Class Included in the 2011 Washington Oaks and was runner-up to E Z Kitty off a four-month break last month.

$50,000 Washington State Legislators Stakes
6-½ Furlongs, Sunday, June 10

Horse                              Owner                                        Trainer
Class Included (4-KY)  Michael & Amy Feuerborn             Jim Penney
E Z Kitty (4-WA)  Tige Too Racing Stable                           Robert G. Gibson
Elusive Noise (4-KY)  Northwest Farms & Debbie Paxton  Tom Wenzel
Include the Baby (5-KY) Michael & Amy Feuerborn         Jim Penney
Playful Argument (4-FLA) Robert A. Clary                      Blaine Wright
Rewritten (5-KY)            Ron Crockett Inc.                        Frank Lucarelli
Special Holiday (4-WA) David P. Taylor & Shawn Taylor  Frank Lucarelli
Stephanie Plum (4-WA) Mullens, Larson & Zenker           H.R. Pat Mullens
Sweet Nellie Brown (5-WA) James & Zola Proffitt            Jim Penney
You Me and Ema B (5-WA) Monogram Racing & Patrick Hoonan Margo Lloyd