Yesss faces tough test from Cigi

PORTLAND, Ore. - Yesss, a winner of two stakes in two added-money appearances at last year's abbreviated meeting, will take on the red-hot Cigi and four other challengers in Sunday's one-mile allowance feature at Portland Meadows.

Yesss, a 4-year-old son of Abstract, was the ranking handicap runner at last year's meet, winning the 1 1/16-mile His Stakes and the nine-furlong William Kyne Memorial in two stakes appearances. He will be making his second appearance at the current meet on Sunday after prepping in a six-furlong allowance a week ago. Yesss finished sixth, beaten four lengths by Be a Bunny in that prep, but is generally regarded as much tougher around two turns.

Yesss figures to be severely tested by the improving 3-year-old Cigi, who has won all three of his starts at this meeting in impressive fashion. Cigi, a son of Consigliere, is the apparent speed of Sunday's field, but he has never been tried beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, and all of his wins have come at six furlongs.

If Yesss proves to need another prep and Cigi proves unequal to Sunday's distance, the door could swing open for a Hastings Park invader, Predominator. Another 3-year-old, Predominator won a pair of 6 1/2-furlong races at Hastings this fall and was competitive at a mile at Emerald Downs last summer against $12,500 claimers. He is coming off an uncharacteristically poor performance at 1 1/16 miles in Vancouver on Nov. 24, when he failed to enter contention and was beaten 13 lengths.

Justslewme, Silk Linen, and Splendid George will round out the compact field.

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