Can anyone catch Flying Notes?

AUBURN, Wash. - Flying Notes will concede from two to 10 pounds when he takes on five other 3-year-olds in Sunday's 1 1/16-mile Tacoma Handicap at Emerald Downs.

Flying Notes, assigned 121 pounds, comes off a five-length victory in the June 23 Seattle Slew Handicap, in which he sped a mile in 1:35.20 under Ben Russell, who is now sidelined with a back injury. It was the fourth win from six starts for Flying Notes, a French Deputy gelding who races for Ruth and Johnny Lewis. Flying Notes finished a close second in both of his losses, and trainer Bud Klokstad feels he could be undefeated with better racing luck.

Salt Grinder, who suffered his first loss from four starts when he ran second to Flying Notes in the Seattle Slew, will again pose the most realistic threat to the favorite, under 119 pounds. Leading rider Kevin Radke rode Salt Grinder in the Seattle Slew, but agent Boone McCanna elected to put Radke on Flying Notes Sunday.

"They jumped ship on us," said Kay Cooper, the assistant to her father, Jim Penney, trainer of Salt Grinder. "We've got Nate Chaves to ride Salt Grinder, so we'll be okay.

"We're hoping the race develops a little differently from the last one. Flying Notes got away with a pretty easy lead last time."

If anyone is going to push Flying Notes on Sunday, it will probably have to be Salt Grinder. The other four entrants - Nabatean, Screamin Passion, Vernon Lodge, and Slew's Carousel - have all done their best running from off the pace.

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