In Search of Fame still strong

Friday marks the last appearance at the meeting of the superior Quarter Horse In Search of Fame, who will head a field of five allowance runners in the 350-yard fourth race.

Portland Meadows will present a special nine-race program on Friday, a day that was originally scheduled to be dark.

Friday's program is the third of four cards scheduled to make up for racing days lost to a severe storm in January. The track will race as scheduled on Saturday, then end its 80-day meeting with a final make-up program on Monday.

In Search of Fame, an 8-year-old son of Dash Ta Fame from the barn of trainer James Glenn, Jr., set the track record for 350 yards here in February 2000, when he sped the distance in 17.66.

A winner of 27 of 44 career starts and over $124,000, In Search of Fame has not slowed noticeably in the intervening years. He is coming off three straight wins, including a half-length victory over Mr Will Eye in the Portland Meadows 440-yard Championship on Feb. 20. That was his eighth win in his last 10 starts at Portland Meadows, where he has won 23 of 29 starts in his career. Charlie Allen is scheduled to ride at 124 pounds, the impost to be carried by all contestants.

In Search of Fame figures to get his stiffest challenge from Super Duper Awesome, who missed second by a nose in the Portland Meadows 440-yard championship. Super Duper Awesome, a 6-year-old trained by owner Judith Williams, came back to finish second, beaten a head by Im Electriflyin, in a 400-yard test for $7,500 claimers on March 6.