'Allswell' appears vulnerable

POMONA, Calif. - Horseplayers underwhelmed by Allswellthatnswell when she won the E.B. Johnston Stakes 12 days ago can wager against her Friday at Fairplex Park, where she starts as the topweight in the $100,000 Las Madrinas Handicap.

Six fillies and mares entered the 1 1/16-mile race. It is not a strong group. Graded stakes-placed Allswell-thatnswell may be the class of the field, but Tanta Suerte may be the filly to beat after a sharp third-place finish in a fast-paced stakes at Del Mar.

Four others will try to upset - one-eyed filly I Can See has a win and two seconds in three stakes at Fairplex; She Sings has speed, but is 0 for 8 on fast tracks; Senorita Season won a $25,000 claimer last out; Be My Friend won a $10,000 claimer. Not exactly murderer's row.

Allswellthatnswell had not won a route race until Sept. 10, when she won the 1 1/16-mile E.B. Johnston under ideal circumstances. Uncontested early while setting easy fractions of 48.09 seconds and 1:13.04, Allswellthatnswell won by one length at odds of 3-5.

So did the race prove anything? Owner-breeder Buddy Johnston offers an optimistic analysis.

"The Las Madrinas was the major objective," he said. "I didn't want her to draw off [in the E.B. Johnston] and win by a dozen lengths and not be able to run her back. Because of the pace, it was not a difficult race for her."

The race is also difficult for skeptical handicappers to endorse. Given the slow pace and her class advantage, Allswellthatnswell almost had to win the E.B. Johnston as the odds-on favorite. Friday in the Las Madrinas, Allswellthatnswell is not likely to have things her own way.

Don Warren trains Allswell-thatnswell, who has won 4 of 25 and $290,392. Isaias Enriquez rides, and it will be his job to get Allswellthatnswell settled behind the pace that is likely to be set by either She Sings or Tanta Suerte.

She Sings, 2 for 12, has sprint speed but her only wins have come on wet tracks. She is trained by Julio Canani and will be ridden by Martin Pedroza. Tanta Suerte proved in her last start she can run on fast dirt.

A Group 1 winner on turf in Chile, Tanta Suerte dueled on an insane pace last out in the restricted Adoration Handicap. After pushing a half-mile in 45.20, she finished third. A 4-year-old filly trained by Laura de Seroux, Tanta Suerte will be ridden by David Flores.

If she can harness her speed, and separate from Allswellthatnswell on the far turn, Tanta Suerte can win the Las Madrinas.