Spirit One tries to show win no fluke

PORTLAND, Ore. - Spirit One, an upset winner over allowance rivals on Nov. 24, will try to confirm her quality when she takes on five tough older fillies and mares in Saturday's feature at Portland Meadows, a six-furlong race for $10,000 claimers.

Spirit One was better than 5-1 when she faced stakes runners Maria Kay and Missy Muffet in the six-furlong allowance on Nov. 24, but she drew off to win by a surprising 2 1/2 lengths in 1:13.20. That was just the third career win for Spirit One, a 4-year-old daughter of Sharper One who races for trainer Don Anderson, but it was her second win from three starts at this meeting, and it seemed to mark her as a filly with a future.

Karen Knapp will have the mount at 123 pounds.

Veterans Pacific Blue and Gotta Motions figure to give Spirit One a stern test. Pacific Blue, a 6-year-old, is invading from Hastings Park, where she was consistently competitive with allowance runners and higher-priced claimers. Pacific Blue has won four times from 49 outings for $54,142 in earnings, making her the richest member of Saturday's field.

Gotta Motion also has excellent credentials, having earned $44,660 from a dozen wins in 44 starts. Gotta Motion campaigned last summer in the Midwest and the East, winning over $5,000 company at Finger Lakes and finishing second twice at Fonner Park. She has not raced since July, but has logged several sharp workouts for trainer Jason Homer and has always performed well at Portland Meadows.

Saturday's 11-race card will lead off with three trials for the Far West Futurity.

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