Stakes comes up worthy of its name

Wednesday's second running of the Dennis Dodge Memorial would have had the late Daily Racing Form reporter extremely excited, Portland Meadows director of racing Jerry Kohls says.

"This is going to be a really good race," Kohls said. "It should be competitive, and we have two horses that could be special."

:: RACE OF THE DAY:

Ten 2-year-olds will compete in the $18,000 race at 5 1/2 furlongs, and the two horses Kohls was talking about are Regal Mind and Honour N Defer, who each won his only race.

Regal Mind, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, quickly cleared six rivals in his debut, opened a five-length lead in the lane, and cruised home the easiest of winners on Oct. 5.

By Slewledo, one of the Northwest's top sires, and out of the stakes-place dam Blue Yodel, Regal Mind has worked twice since his debut, earning a bullet while breezing a half-mile in 47.20 seconds on Oct. 24 and coming back with an easy 51.40 half-mile drill on Oct. 31.

Honour N Defer, 3-1 on the morning line, had the opposite of Regal Mind's trip in his debut. He got off slowly and was last by 16 lengths after the first quarter-mile in his Oct. 20 debut. Despite giving his rivals a head start, he won by four lengths.

Honour N Defer's final time of 59.43 for five furlongs was .98 of a second slower than Regal Mind's, but the way he won caught the attention of everyone who saw it.

"He came flying down the stretch," Kohl said. "It was eye-catching."

The showdown between Regal Mind and Honour N Defer would please Dodge, Kohl said.

"He was a great fan of racing, and he loved 2-year-olds," Kohl said. "He would have been down in the paddock to look at both of them, and all the others."

Trainer Jim Fergason said he is excited by Honour N Defer, who may be headed to California if he runs well Wednesday.

"I think he's got a lot of talent," Fergason said. "Sometimes you see someone win his debut and then come back and not run that well, but I think he'll be fine."

Smoken Sham won his debut the same day as Regal Mind, and he covered the distance .40 of a second faster, despite trouble, trainer Ben Root said.

"A horse came over and took out his back end at the start, and then into the turn, a horse came over and he had hopped over his heels and it took him a while to get going again," Root said.