Picking Futurity a hat-pin job

PORTLAND, Ore. - The $18,700 Portland Meadows Quarter Horse Futurity and the $7,000 Carol Wilson Memorial filly and mare allowance for Thoroughbreds share top billing on Saturday's nine-race card.

All of the 10 2-year-olds in the Quarter Horse Futurity will be making only their second starts, having debuted in one of two trials run on April 5, so it is perilous to isolate a favorite. It's a good bet that trainer James Glenn Jr. will saddle the winner, however, since five who qualified are his horses.

Among the Glenn runners are DDF Mea De Bully, who won the fastest qualifying trial in 16.50 seconds for 300 yards, and Gettin Outa Traffic, a half-brother to older Quarter Horse star In Search of Fame.

Dats Dusty, who won the other qualifying trial in 16.60 seconds, despite breaking from an inside post, might be the biggest threat to the Glenn brigade.

The Carol Wilson Memorial, which honors the memory of the trainer of former Horse of the Meeting Oh Molly, has drawn a field of seven older fillies and mares to compete at six furlongs.

Wegota Slewzy figures as the one to beat after winning four of her last five starts, including victories in the six-furlong City of Roses Stakes on March 9 and a subsequent allowance race at six furlongs.

Wegota Slewzy, a confirmed front-runner trained by Jim Fergason, figures to be challenged early by Little Pursuit, a front-running winner of three straight sprints before finishing sixth in a mile allowance on March 15. Wegota Slewzy might also receive a late challenge from Stareaux.