'Makaw' seeks third straight win

AUBURN, Wash. - Karis Makaw will shoot for her third straight win when she takes on seven challengers in Saturday's $40,000 Boeing Handicap at Emerald, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares.

Karis Makaw, a 4-year-old daughter of Charismatic trained by Bob Meeking, will be the 120-pound highweight because of her sharp current form. She is coming off a 4 1/4-length score over allowance company in a mile race on June 18 and a three-quarter-length victory over Ruby Dawn in the one-mile King County Handicap on July 3.

Ruby Dawn will be back for a rematch with Karis Makaw, and trainer Dan Markle said he is hoping for a better outcome. In the King County, Karis Makaw swept by the pace-pressing Ruby Dawn from the outside at the top of the stretch and held on for a hard-fought victory.

"She sort of got the jump on us last time, but Ruby Dawn was actually gaining late," Markle said. "This time we'll try to get her rolling a little sooner, so hopefully it will be tougher to get by her."

The newcomer in Saturday's field is the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Relaxing Green, a winner of 4 of her 33 starts in northern California.

The field also includes the good 3-year-old A Classic Life. Trainer Grant Forster retains the option to run A Classic Life in an allowance race for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday, so she may be scratched.