Chief Jafatica can rebound

Two-time stakes winner Chief Jafatica will be out to rebound from a seventh-place finish as an odds-on favorite when he takes on six rivals in the $40,000 Os West Oregon Futurity at a mile on Sunday at Portland Meadows.

Chief Jafatica and Ex Tremely Cool, who ran second behind Chief Jafatica in the Bill Wineberg and third in front of him in the Dennis Dodge Memorial, are the only winners in the field.

Chief Jafatica figures to go off as the favorite again. He has beaten every rival in the field at least once. Ex Tremely Cool is the only horse in the field who has finished in front of him.

Chief Jafatica, a son of Tiffany Ice, won his maiden race in the six-furlong OTOBA Stakes on Oct. 19. He came back to win the Wineberg on Nov. 2 over Ex Tremely Cool and Mazama, who also lost to him in the OTOBA.

He stalked nicely in the Dennis Dodge Memorial but gave way in the stretch, falling out of contention while making his third start in less than one month.

His breeding suggests this distance shouldn't be a problem.

Ex Tremely Cool set the pace in both the Wineberg and Dodge and figures to get the lead again today.