Reba Is Tops and Shampoo clash

AUBURN, Wash. - Reba Is Tops and Shampoo will square off for the first time on Sunday when they top a field of eight in the $50,000 Hastings Park Handicap for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

Reba Is Tops and Shampoo, both 4-year-olds, campaigned here last season but never met. Reba Is Tops was not a stakes runner as a 3-year-old and was in fact claimed out of her third career start for $17,500 by trainer Bud Klokstad. She did win 4 of 6 starts at Emerald, however, and she has subsequently won two stakes at Bay Meadows. She is coming off back-to-back wins in the six-furlong Bay Meadows Distaff Sprint on dirt and the five-furlong Monterey Handicap on turf. Reba Is Tops, a daughter of He's Tops, will carry high weight of 120 pounds with Gallyn Mitchell riding.

Shampoo was the queen of her division here last year, winning four straight stakes from six outings for trainer Doris Harwood. She picked up where she left off in her first start at 4, winning a 5 1/2-furlong prep allowance prep for the Hastings Park by two lengths. She will face several new challengers on Sunday, but Harwood is undaunted.

"There will always be new challenges, and that's good," she said. "That's what makes racing fun. I feel our filly is ready to be tested."

Shampoo will be handled by regular rider Ricky Frazier at 119 pounds.

Also set to test Shampoo is Private Dreams, a 4-year-old daughter of Johannesburg from the barn of trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Private Dreams has raced exclusively in California since being imported from Chile after winning her career debut in November 2006. She won

1 of 3 starts last year at Hollywood Park, and has scored in 1 of 2 starts this year at Bay Meadows. After defeating $50,000 optional claimers at six furlongs in her season debut, Private Dreams was soundly defeated by Reba Is Tops in the Monterey. It was her third loss from as many tries on turf, which she apparently does not relish. Leslie Mawing rides at 117 pounds.

Possibly slipping in under the radar in the Hastings Park will be Kissntheboysgoodby, who ran second as the favorite in the prep race won by Shampoo. Kissntheboysgoodby won the Hastings Park in 2006, and she ran second to Dinner at Arlene's in last year's renewal. Trainer Charles Essex has named Kate Repp to ride at 118 pounds.