Root has top pair in stakes

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Ben Root-trained duo of One Fast Cowgirl and My Emy My Amy head a cast of eight 3-year-old fillies in Saturday's one-mile Mt. St. Helens Stakes at Portland Meadows.

One Fast Cowgirl, who races for Margaret Root, and My Emy My Amy, who is owned by Go Amy Go Racing, finished a neck apart in fourth and fifth in the one-mile Mary Goldblatt Stakes for Oregon-bred fillies on March 5. The Goldblatt was won by divisional leader Quartern, another Root trainee, who is being pointed for the U.S. Bank Stakes at Emerald Downs on April 17.

One Fast Cowgirl is the more accomplished of the two, having run second in the Lassie, third in the Jane Driggers Debutante, and second in the Ms. Stakes before the Mary Goldblatt. One Fast Cowgirl, who is by Baquero, flattened out late after making what may have been a premature move in the Goldblatt and should finish better with more patient handling.

My Emy My Amy posted back-to-back victories over $8,000 maidens and $8,000 nonwinners-of-two company before closing nearly six lengths to finish fifth of nine in the Goldblatt.

The Root trainees may get their sternest challenge from the lightly raced maiden Yourgoldgirl, who closed 17 lengths to get second at 45-1 in the Goldblatt. Yourgoldgirl, trained by Raymond Damm, returned to run second in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special on March 12 and should appreciate stretching back out to a mile.