Swede a threat to go all the way

Swede, a winner of two straight allowance races at Oaklawn Park, heads a field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered in Friday's $50,000 Goldfinch Stakes over six furlongs at Prairie Meadows.

Trained by Larry Jones, has posted a pair of gate-to-wire, open-length victories at six furlongs to begin her 2005 season. Overall, she has a record of 3-1-0 from 5 starts, good for over $58,000 in earnings.

Terry Thompson has a return call on Swede, who starts as the 119-pound highweight under the allowance conditions of the Goldfinch.

finished fourth, beaten sixth lengths by Swede, on March 24 in her seasonal debut for trainer Randy Oberlander. In her most recent start, Malika's Gold took on older allowance rivals in a six-furlong race April 9 at Oaklawn and set the pace before finishing second, beaten three-quarters of a length.

In 2004, Malika's Gold captured the $100,000 La Senorita on the turf at Retama. She is the leading money earner in the Goldfinch, with $83,570, and looks primed for a top effort in her third start following a layoff. Ken Shino picks up the mount on Malika's Gold.

recorded the highest Beyer Speed Figure of any entrant in the Goldfinch when she scored an 11 1/2-length victory over maiden special weight company at Hawthorne in her 2005 debut on April 9. Tally Ho Dixie faces much tougher competition on Friday, but a repeat of that front-running effort makes her a factor for trainer Tony Mitchell. Perry Compton rides Tally Ho Dixie for the first time in the Goldfinch.

Queansco captured the Iowa Sorority against statebred rivals here last August. In her most recent start, Queansco rallied to finish fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, in the same April 9 allowance race that Malika's Gold exits.

An expected pace duel could set up Queansco's late run and allow her to score a mild upset. Trainer Tim Gleason has given Tim Doocy a return call aboard Queansco.