Female pair capable of beating boys

PORTLAND, Ore. - A talented field of 10 sprinters, including two accomplished females, will compete in Saturday's six-furlong allowance race feature at Portland Meadows.

Former Oregon-bred Horse of the Year Oh Molly and the extremely fast Wegota Slewzy are the females, both of whom are used to taking on males, as Oh Molly beat crack sprinter Knight Cover in the 1999 Oregon-bred Sprint Championship and Wegota Slewzy just failed to hold off that rival in last year's Flashaway Handicap.

Both Oh Molly and Wegota Slewzy are coming off sub-par efforts in the Nov. 11 Diane Kem Handicap, however. Oh Molly finished a well-beaten eighth while in need of a race, and Wegota Slewzy finished fourth after being outrun for the lead by the winner, Missy Muffet. Both are capable of better efforts Saturday, when each gets in under 116 pounds.

Speed Trial is coming off two runaway wins in claiming company and may be favored on that basis, but he will be tested for class on Saturday. A 4-year-old son of Maudlin, he blitzed $3,200 sprinters, running six furlongs in 1:13.47 on Nov. 4, when he was claimed by owner and trainer Pat Sonnen. He came back for a six-length win over $6,250 runners at a mile on Nov. 12. He will share high weight at 123 pounds with Charity Line, who has also beaten claimers at this meeting.

Also dangerous is Chantilly Lad, who will be making his first start since running fifth in April in the Portland Meadows Mile. He upset the best sprinters on the grounds in his previous race, Governor's Speed Handicap, on a sloppy track.