Amanda Lynn may go favored

AUBURN, Wash - A half-dozen 3-year-old fillies will vie over six furlongs in Saturday's Emerald Downs feature, an allowance affair for runners who have never won a race other than maiden, claiming, starter, or statebred.

Contention runs deep, but Amanda Lynn may rule a slight favorite off her stellar campaign here last season as a 2-year-old. After running second to eventual stakes winner Americas Pride in her debut, Amanda Lynn defeated maiden special weight company in her second outing, and then ran a good third to Sala de Oro - who was subsequently named the meet's top juvenile filly - in a $50,000 claiming race.

Amanda Lynn, a daughter of Jaggery John from the barn of trainer Craig Roberts, failed to distinguish herself in three subsequent starts in northern California, but she has been rested since December and will be making a fresh start at her favorite track on Saturday.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Marquetryinmotion, who failed to collect her maiden win in four starts here last summer but is coming off a spectacular effort at Turf Paradise on March 29. Marquetryinmotion, a daughter of Marquetry trained by Dave Bennett, drew out to a 17 1/2-length win over $8,000 maidens going a mile. Bennett has since sharpened her speed with a pair of bullet workouts over the local oval.

Also dangerous is Baby Let's Groove, who scratched out of a $25,000 claiming dash on Friday to compete in Saturday's allowance. Baby Let's Groove appears to be the speed of her field.