Break key for She's All Silk

AUBURN, Wash. - She's All Silk will shoot for her second straight stakes win in Wednesday's $45,000 King County Handicap at a mile, but she will have to overcome the outside post in a field of nine fillies and mares.

She's All Silk is coming off a 1 3/4-length win in the 6 1/2-furlong Washington State Legislators Handicap, in which she produced a dazzling display of speed. Under Ricky Frazier, she smoked a half-mile in 43.80 en route to a final clocking of 1:15.80. The Washington State Legislators was the first win from three starts this year for She's All Silk, a 4-year-old daughter of Delineator from the barn of trainer Pat Mullens. She won 2 of 6 starts last year, including the Washington Oaks at 1 1/8 miles.

There is no doubt that She's All Silk can get Wednesday's one-mile distance and there is little question that she has enough speed to get to the front despite the short run to the first turn. It goes without saying that she must break alertly from the far outside, however, and she did break poorly in three straight races early last season. Mullens said he isn't particularly concerned that her gate problems will re-emerge.

"I think we've taken care of that problem," he said. "She is a horse who doesn't like people messing with her head. Once we figured that out, we asked the gate crew to leave her head alone and they were great about cooperating with us. Since then, she has has broken well every time."

Frazier again has the mount at 118 pounds.

She's All Silk could get her sternest opposition from Sudden Departure, who has been extremely sharp in two starts this year. Sudden Departure, a 5-year-old daughter of Demons Begone who races for breeders Rick and Debbie Pabst, began her campaign with a game win over $32,000 claiming rivals at 6 1/2 furlongs and came back to run second in the Washington State Legislators.

Sudden Departure graduated at a mile as a 3-year-old. Though she faltered badly in her only other mile try, an eighth-place finish in last year's Emerald Distaff, the fact that she went to the sidelines after that Aug. 20 race suggests that something might have gone amiss that day. Trainer Jim Penney has named Douglas Portillo to ride at 116 pounds.

The Fourth of July card will begin at 2 p.m.