'Cowgirl' tries to show she's for real

PORTLAND, Ore. - One Fast Cowgirl will be out to prove on Saturday that her surprising victory in the Nov. 6 Janet Wineberg Stakes was not a fluke, when she takes on seven other 2-year-old fillies in the $10,000 Lassie Stakes at six furlong.

The Lassie heads an attractive nine-race program that also includes the $6,000-added Portland Meadows Fall Derby Final for Quarter Horses at 400 yards and the $8,000 HBPA Invitational Handicap for 3-year-olds at a mile.

One Fast Cowgirl was the least highly regarded of a three-horse entry when making her career debut in the Janet Wineberg, but she surprised trainer Ben Root by going to the front at the start under rider Kristin O'Donnell and holding on to score by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:13.40.

One Fast Cowgirl, a homebred daughter of Baquero who races for the trainer's mother, Cookie Root, will be stepping into open company on Saturday after beating Oregon-breds in the Janet Wineberg. She seems a solid fit off her lone outing, however, and she could prove difficult to deny with any improvement. O'Donnell again has the mount at 119 pounds.

One Fast Cowgirl figures to get her stiffest opposition from a pair of Washington-breds, Scatin Satin and Cool Blast. Both the Robbie Baze-trained Scatin Satin and the Sam Dronen-conditioned Cool Blast were wire-to-wire winners over maiden company at Emerald Downs last summer, and both have trained well for their Portland Meadows debut.