Amends attempt for 'Baby'

AUBURN, Wash. - Bianconi Baby will attempt to make amends for a disappointing 3-year-old debut when she takes on five other fillies in Saturday's best race at Emerald Downs, an allowance affair at six furlongs.

Bianconi Baby, a daughter of Bianconi, made a spectacular racing debut here last September, when she defeated maiden special weight company by 10 lengths after six furlongs in 1:09.60. She followed that effort with a fifth to Uppity Kitty in the Courtship Stakes at Bay Meadows in October, then completed her juvenile campaign by running second against allowance company at Turf Paradise.

Off that campaign, Bianconi Baby was well backed when she made her 3-year-old bow in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race here June 20, but she tired to finish fifth after battling for the lead from the inside.

"She broke a step slowly and never got a chance to relax," said John Holmes, assistant to trainer Grant Forster. "We think that getting off the rail will help her a lot. We still feel she is a nice filly, and we're looking for a much better effort."

Bianconi Baby will need to turn the tables on Steal the Gold, who finished 6 1/2 lengths in front of her when second to Arco Iris in the June 20 allowance, which was timed in 1:15.80. It was the fourth exacta finish in a row for Steal the Gold, a daughter of Stolen Gold trained by George McIvor.

Also a threat is the rapidly improving Enduring Light, who has won two of her last three outings and is coming off a stretch-running win over $25,000 company on June 13, when she got 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.60.