Goldblatt a battle of two trainers

Monday's renewal of the $10,000 Mary Goldblatt Stakes, a one-mile race for Oregon-bred 3-year-old fillies, will be brought to you courtesy of trainers Jim Fergason and Ben Root. Fergason entered three horses in the five-horse field, and Root entered the other two.

Fergason appears to have an edge in quality as well as quantity, and he will saddle stakes winners Silver Patrona and Bagels Baby.

Silver Patrona dominated her division with four straight wins in sprint stakes, but she was upset by Bagels Baby when the distance increased to a mile in an invitational handicap here on Feb. 18. Silver Patrona carried 124 pounds while conceding 4 pounds to her stablemate in that race, however. All entrants will carry 120 pounds in the Mary Goldblatt, and regular rider Joe Crispin will be aboard Silver Patrona. Crispin will be trying to break Gary Stevens's long-standing record of 126 Thoroughbred wins at a single Portland Meadows meeting, having tied that record last Tuesday.

Bagels Baby notched her third win from four career starts when she upset Silver Patrona by two lengths in her last start, and she will be out to show that the victory was no fluke. Clark Jones again has the mount.

Fergason's final entrant is Midways Icksnay, who is still a maiden after three starts, while Root will send out Precious Prospect and Military Mistress.

Precious Prospect is coming off a third-place finish in Bagels Baby's invitational handicap score, while Military Mistress graduated against $8,000 maidens two races back.

* A memorial service for trainer Bill McMeans, who died Tuesday at the age of 69, will be held Monday at 1:30 p.m. in Sunnyside, Wash.