Eyes Okey looking for 14th win

PORTLAND, Ore. - Quarter Horses take center stage at Portland Meadows on Sunday as a field of seven older runners compete at 350 yards in the $7,000-added Directors Handicap.

Eyes Okey carries high weight of 125 pounds, conceding from one to five pounds to his rivals. Eyes Okey, a 7-year-old son of Okey Dokey from the barn of owner and trainer Ron Raley, has won 13 of 44 starts and almost $56,000.

He is winless in three starts at this meeting but has two seconds and a third, including a runner-up finish to Legal Runaway in the Dec. 9 Columbia River Handicap at 400 yards. Leading rider Joe Crispin again has the mount.

Eyes Okey's sternest opposition may come from Pardonmydustdotcom and The Blue Thriller. The Blue Thriller has not raced since winning a 350-yard allowance race against both Pardonmydustdotcom and Eyes Okey on Nov. 18, but he is working on a three-race win streak and could prove formidable with a repeat of his last effort.

Sunday's Thoroughbred feature will match eight 3-year-olds, each of whom is eligible to be claimed for $16,000, at six furlongs for a purse of $5,900.

Sam Angelo, who is dropping off a creditable second behind Dixieland Easy in the Thoroughbred version of the Columbia River Stakes on Nov. 19, figures to go off as a strong favorite. Sam Angelo, a son of Flatter, is trained by Jim Fergason.