Hello Senor will attempt to bid adios in Eel River

FERNDALE - Hello Senor, who has climbed up the claiming ranks using front-running tactics, will bid for his stakes diploma in Saturday's third edition of the $7,500 Eel River Sprint.

Six speedsters will line up for the the Eel River, the five-furlong headliner that crowns the Humboldt County Fair's sprint king.

If he maintains his usual style of racing, Hello Senor will play catch me if you can.

The current star of trainer Clay Brinson's barn, Hello Senor comes off gate-to-wire sprint wins at Stockton against $8,000 claimers and at Santa Rosa in a $12,500 claimer. A 5-year-old gelding, he came roaring from the gate and clicked off 21.08- and 43.36-second fractions, blazing the about six furlongs in 1:07.60 at Santa Rosa.

"He is obviously very sharp right now," said Brinson, "and it would be a thrill for me to win a stakes event in Ferndale. I've heard so much about this fair and track, and I'm looking forward to racing there."

Fight for Silver and Tolemeo, a pair of proven sprinters, should offer the main competition.

Fight for Silver ran third despite a troubled trip in last year's Eel River, and he boasts an allowance victory last year at Santa Rosa.

Tolemeo will be making his 77th start in a career in which he has banked $308,000, highlighted by a victory in the 1977 Bulldog Stakes at Fresno. But at age 8, he is coming off a dull comeback performance in a $40,000 claiming race at Stockton two months ago.

Canelotto, Disconnect, and The Cisco Kido round out the cast for the Eel River, carded as the seventh race on an eight-race card.

First post is 1:55 p.m.