Watch out for Izzacopy on front end

AUBURN, Wash. - Izzacopy will try for a second straight win when he takes on six other older sprinters in Saturday's six-furlong feature, a $32,000 optional claiming race.

Izzacopy, a 4-year-old son of Cee's Tizzy from the barn of trainer Bud Klokstad, is coming off a front-running score over $50,000 optional claimers on May 13, when he sped six furlongs in 1:07.60 in his seasonal debut. Last year Izzacopy won 2 of 5 starts at Emerald, including a wire-to-wire allowance victory at six furlongs. Izzacopy again figures as the one to catch on Saturday, and could prove an elusive target under rider Leslie Mawing.

Izzacopy might get his sternest opposition from Magoo Can Do, who won 5 of 8 starts here last season as a 3-year-old. Magoo Can Do, a son of True Confidence from the barn of trainer Valorie Lund, finished seventh when chasing Izzacopy home on May 13, but that was his first start of the year and he appeared to need the race. He has since posted a pair of strong five-furlong drills and could show much more on Saturday, when he will be ridden by Joe Crispin.

Only two others in the field have started this season. Plain James ran third, beaten 6 1/4 lengths by Izzacopy, in the May 13 race, and Exclusive Eagle ran eighth in the same contest.

Rounding out the field are Grafton Square, Packy, and Reno Ringo, all making their yearly debuts. Packy ran second to optional $62,500 company at Santa Anita in his 2006 bow.