Don't ignore Don't Ignore Her

AUBURN, Wash. - Don't Ignore Her figures to attract a great deal of attention in Thursday's featured eighth race at Emerald Downs, a six-furlong dash for $16,000 to $14,000 fillies and mares that has drawn a field of six.

Don't Ignore Her, a 4-year-old daughter of Slewdledo who races for Ed Wilkerson, has three front-running wins at the meeting, including a 1 1/2-length score over $20,000 rivals on July 22, when she ran six furlongs in 1:10. Trained by Frank Lucarelli, Don't Ignore Her came back and ran fifth against $25,000 rivals on Aug. 5, but should appreciate the double class drop on Thursday. She will be ridden by Gallyn Mitchell and carry 122 pounds.

Don't Ignore Her has two potential pace rivals in Got You Slew and Jadeite Scepter, but Got You Slew has been routing against much cheaper horses and Jadeite Scepter has been off since May and has not won in four previous starts at six furlongs. The coup de grace is that Mitchell is getting off both Got You Slew and Jadeite Scepter to ride Don't Ignore Her.

Two others in the field, Fastasucan and Girls Nite, are deep closers who will probably need a contested pace in order to be along in time for the win, though both have outfinished Don't Ignore Her in a sprint.

The last entrant, Monica Luxury, has not raced since January. She is using Thursday's feature as a stepping-stone for a possible start in Monday's $60,000 Belle Roberts Handicap at 1 1/8 miles.