Thrilling Victory heads mile

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Three-year-old colts and geldings and 3-year-old fillies share the spotlight at Bay Meadows on Friday.

Colts and geldings will run 5 1/2 furlongs in a $40,000 optional claimer. The fillies will run one mile in a first-level allowance race.

looks as if she will be tough to beat in the one-mile race for fillies. She is 2 for 3 in her brief career, with the lone loss a second-place finish behind undefeated Jewels of Bagdad.

Stretched out to a mile in a $40,000 starter allowance in her last start, Thrilling Victory battled head and head with Missile Tone into the stretch and pulled away late for a two-length victory.

Thrilling Victory will get some pace pressure from Triola, who is stretching out, but the last race indicated just how game and talented she is.

, third after a troubled start at this level, should provide the primary opposition as she makes her first start in seven weeks. Fantastic Career also won at this distance in a $40,000 starter allowance race. She finished behind Etoile Petite in her last start.

The sprint race for colts and geldings seems much more contentious, as Sacred Senor puts a five-race winning streak on the line.

His primary opposition is Thoughtuknew, another speedster, who missed by a nose in a first-level allowance sprint following a pair of victories. He ran second in his debut.

Sacred Senor drew the outside in the field of six that includes the entry of Mr. Fondue and Prescriptionneeded.

Although he beat better when he won a $62,500 optional claimer on Jan. 7, Sacred Senor has run in claimers in his past two starts and was just claimed for $20,000 by trainer Terry Gillihan off a six-length victory at 1-10.

Thoughtuknew has improved his Beyer Speed Figures in each start and has the highest last-race Beyer Figure in the field, an 85, 1 point better than Sacred Senor's career-best of 84, also accomplished in his last start.

Free American, who has run second to both Sacred Senor and Thoughtuknew while coming close in starter allowance races, finally won at the $40,000 starter allowance in his last start.