Flip Flop Fly, Boomslang meet again

AUBURN, Wash. - Fourteen hopefuls entered Friday's 1 1/8-mile first leg of the annual Harley H. Hoppe and Associates Marathon Championship Series, prompting racing secretary Brett Anderson to split the event and card it as the sixth and eighth races on a nine-race card with seven runners in each division.

The marathon series will continue with a 1 1/4-mile leg on Aug. 3 and conclude with a 1 1/2-mile leg on Aug. 26. The first leg will be a $7,500 claiming race, and the next two legs will be run under $7,500 starter allowance conditions.

Friday's sixth race offers a rematch between Flip Flop Fly and Boomslang, who finished first and second in a $5,000 claiming race at a mile here June 23. Flip Flop Fly, a 5-year-old from the barn of Delmer Webb, beat Boomslang by three-quarters of a length that day in a fast 1:36.40 under leading rider Ricky Frazier. Flip Flop Fly is proven at the 1 1/8-mile distance, having won 1 of 2 starts at that trip, and he again will have Frazier aboard.

Frazier also has a live mount in race 8, Crowning Event for trainer Jim Penney. Crowning Event is coming off back-to-back wins at a mile at the $4,000 claiming level.

Crowning Event figures to get stern challenges from Military Deputy, who was claimed by trainer Ben Root out of a third-place finish at a mile at the $7,500 claiming level on July 1, and Wailea Warrior, who was competitive in turf marathons at Turf Paradise for trainer Joe Toye.