Bay Wide Total eyes 3rd straight

AUBURN, Wash. - A full field of 12 will contest Friday's feature at Emerald Downs, a 6 1/2-furlong test for 3-year-olds eligible to be claimed for $12,500 to $10,000.

Bay Wide Total will be gunning for his third win from as many starts at the meet. A late-running son of Is It True from the barn of trainer Dan Markle, Bay Wide Total returned from a layoff to defeat $8,000 rivals at 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 10, then came back on Aug. 30 to down $12,500 foes with six furlongs in 1:09.20. He figures to have a hot pace to target on Friday, and the additional sixteenth should play to his strength.

Palouse Bruce is also shooting for three wins in a row. Palouse Bruce, a versatile son of Gold Saga who is trained by Jim Penney, came from well back to down modest $5,000 maidens at 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 17, then returned Sept. 1 to lead throughout six furlongs in 1:09.60 against $8,000 claiming company.

Also intriguing is Cisco Socks, who will be making his Emerald debut after defeating $15,000 company at Canterbury on Aug. 10, when he ran a mile in 1:38.65. Cisco Socks has posted two local works for trainer Bill McMeans and will be ridden by leading jockey Kevin Radke.

The feature will be the third race in what figures to be a difficult pick four on Friday, as a total of 42 runners will contest the four races. The pick four kicks off with the sixth race, which sports a field of 11. The seventh race has nine contestants and the ninth and final race, like the feature, has a dozen entrants.