Forster takes two shots

AUBURN, Wash. - Red-hot trainer Grant Forster saddles two promising 3-year-olds in a $50,000 optional claimer at a mile Saturday.

Forster, whose 23 wins from 100 starts at the meeting include six stakes victories, will send out Tamper, who is owned by Herman Sarkowsky, and Cody to Reggie, who races for Ron Crockett. Because of their separate ownership, Tamper and Cody to Reggie will race uncoupled. They are the only two entrants in the field of eight who will not race for the claiming tag.

Tamper, a son of Pleasant Tap, is coming off a wire-to-wire win over $32,000 maidens on Aug. 15, when he covered six furlongs in 1:09.80. In his only previous start, Tamper darted to the lead in a mile test for $25,000 maidens, but bolted on the first turn and had to be pulled up. Leading rider Kevin Radke has the mount on Saturday at 118 pounds.

Cody to Reggie, a half-brother by Storm Cat to recent WTBA Lads winner Harvard Avenue, won his first race last out, defeating allowance rivals on Aug. 23, when he got six furlongs in 1:08.60. In two prior outings, he ran second in maiden special weight company and sixth in the Pepsi-Cola Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs. Gary Baze will ride at 121 pounds.

The most formidable challenger to the Forster-trained twosome might be Slew'em and Run, a late-running son of Runaway Groom who won his maiden win against special weight company in May. Slew'em and Run is dropping off a fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Seattle Slew Handicap on Aug. 10.