Speed show set for Friday’s races

Drag racing at the Humboldt County Fair.

Horse racing fans will be treated to a speed show when six distaffers blast from the starting gate in a very competitive five-furlong dash Friday afternoon as the Ferndale meet heads into the home stretch of its 127th meet.

The Norm Canevari Purse, named for one of Humboldt Fair’s biggest ambassadors, will be a dash for cash feature set as the fifth event on a six-race program. Post time for the opener is set for 3:15 p.m.

The run into the first bend of this tight-turned half-mile track might be memorable as nearly all of the Canevari cast have proved to be dragsters from the gate.

Dumb Luck and Debt Monger, both who registered impressive wire-to-wire sprint wins here last week for trainers Isidro Tamayo and Angelia Aquino, respectively, figure to attract most of the fans’ wagering money.  But Speedy Tom, Skeesix and Tiz Indy pack dangerous early foot, and Pulpits Power might be the beneficiary of a speed duel with her proven stretch punch. This could the the most competitive race of the meet thus far.

Francisco Monroy will pilot Dumb Luck, who stepped five furlongs in a meet-best clocking of 1:00.92 last week. The 7-year-old mare is currently in her best form, running second in a pair of sprints at Sacramento prior to her impressive victory locally last week.

Debt Monger, who drew post six just outside Dumb Luck, took charge early, then drew clear in the backstretch to check home 4-1/2-lengths ahead against $2,500 starter allowance rivals. She shipped up from Los Alamitos for Aquino and has won 10 of 53 lifetime starts and earned in excess of $134,000.

Speedy Tom, who won a $5,000 claiming sprint at Ferndale last year, pressed the early pace before finishing a solid third behind Dumb Luck last week. Skeesix has been a gem of consistency on the Oregon fair circuit finishing either first or second in her past 10 outings up north over the past two years. Tiz Indy contested the pace with Debt Monger before weakening in the last stages and finishing second in that local sprint last week. Pulpits Power rallied to capture a pair of stakes events earlier this summer at Prineville and Tillamook. The Bruno Maelfeyt-trainee finished third against $12,500 claimers in a seven-furlong race here last week.

A lot is on tap on the final weekend of the Humboldt meet.

The “Ladies Hat Day At The Races” will share the Saturday spotlight with the $15,000 Irv Parlato Memorial feature race that crowns the meet’s sprint champion. This will be the 11th annual Ladies Hat Day event, which is expected to draw a huge turnout of ladies, attired in an array of spectacular hats and outfits, vying for cash prizes and other awards.

The grand prize People’s Choice winner will receive a $1,500 cash voucher, among other first prize awards.  The overall runner-up will receive a $500 cash voucher, with third-, fourth- and fifth-place winners earning $250 cash vouchers apiece.

The Irv Parlato feature will be carded as the seventh race on an eight-race program Saturday. First post Saturday will be 2:07 p.m.  The Irv Parlato is named for the past president and longtime member of the Humboldt County Fair board, who was one of Ferndale’s greatest ambassadors.