No Californians for Beaulena to chase

AUBURN, Wash. - Beaulena figures to inherit the favorite's role in Friday's Fourth of July feature at Emerald Downs, the $50,000 King County Handicap for fillies and mares.

Beaulena, who drew post 2 in a field of 10 for the one-mile race, is coming off a pair of seconds against California invaders. The 8-year-old Beaulena, trained by Blaine Wright, closed for second to Private Dreams in the six-furlong Hastings Park Handicap on May 18 and then ran second to Victorina in the June 8 Washington State Legislators Handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs. With those two having returned to California, Beaulena looms as the one to beat under rider Gary Baze at 118 pounds.

Beaulena won last year's Boeing Handicap at 1 1/16 miles, so the one-mile distance of the King County should not be an obstacle.

Shampoo shares highweight honors with Beaulena, largely due to her accomplishments last year at 3, when she won four stakes. Shampoo, trained by Doris Harwood, began her 4-year-old campaign with a sharp win over allowance company at 5 1/2 furlongs, but she has since finished sixth in the Hastings Park and third in the Washington State Legislators. Though she finished four lengths behind Beaulena in her most recent outing, Shampoo broke poorly before racing wide on the turn that day and may be capable of turning the tables with a better trip.

Firetrail is a possible upsetter. Firetrail, a 4-year-old trained by Junior Coffey, finished seventh in a 5 1/2- furlong allowance race and seventh again in the Hastings Park, but she is a better filly around two turns. Firetrail placed in three route stakes last season before winning the John and Kitty Fletcher Stakes at a mile. She was stretched out to a mile again in her most recent outing against $50,000 optional claimers on June 8, and she responded with a game neck victory over Kissntheboysgoodby in 1:36.80.

Kissntheboysgoodby, a 6-year-old from the barn of trainer Charles Essex, also poses an upset threat off her good effort behind Firetrail. Kissntheboysgoodby has won 7 of 20 career starts, including two stakes. She also owns two wins at a mile, including a victory last year in the Ocean Bay Stakes on the grass at Turf Paradise.

She's All Silk looms as the one to catch. She's All Silk led to the final strides in last year's King County before yielding to Sudden Departure.