Lady's Purse a big favorite

PORTLAND, Ore. - Two of the brightest stars at this meeting, Lady's Purse and Musical Wine, will be featured in a pair of invitational handicaps that grace Monday's nine-race card at Portland Meadows.

Lady's Purse, fresh off a 10 1/2-length victory in last Sunday's six-furlong OTOBA Stallion Stakes, will be an overwhelming choice to defeat five other 3-year-old fillies in the third race at a mile. Lady's Purse, who has won 5 of 8 career starts for owner Mike Pollowitz and trainer G.D. Khalsa, will carry high weight of 125 pounds while conceding from six to 11 pounds to her challengers.

Lady's Purse is expected to receive her sternest opposition from the Tom Longstaff-trained Blue Sky Holiday, who finished

6 1/4 lengths behind her in the six-furlong Lassie Stakes in November. Blue Sky Holiday is coming off a

12 1/4-length victory over maiden company on Jan. 1.

Musical Wine will carry 124 pounds when she takes on five other older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles in the eighth race. Musical Wine is coming off back-to-back wins in a one-mile allowance race and in the one mile and 70-yard City of Roses Handicap on Jan. 1. Musical Wine, a 5-year-old mare trained by Jonathan Nance, won the City of Roses by only three-quarters of a length over Lady Yodeler, however, and she will again face that rival Sunday.