Annual Rainfall Ferndale favorite

FERNDALE, Calif. - Trainer Greg Gilchrist has saddled stakes winners throughout the United States and narrowly missed capturing the 1994 Breeders' Cup Sprint with the filly Soviet Problem. But there is one thing missing on his resume - a stakes victory at the Humboldt County Fair.

Gilchrist can fix that Saturday when he sends out heavy favorite Annual Rainfall in the $8,000-added Les Mademoiselle-Don Harmon Memorial Stakes.

Third in the Canterbury Oaks and fourth in the Iowa Oaks last year, Annual Rainfall faces five challengers in the 1 1/16-mile Les Mademoiselle-Don Harmon Memorial.

Owned by Golden Eagle Farm, Annual Rainfall came off a 10-month vacation and ran sixth in the Vacaville Handicap in Vallejo. She missed a start in Santa Rosa due to a minor problem, but has trained superbly for her Humboldt debut. She has earned nearly $100,000.