Trainers Francisco Rodriguez and D Wayne Baker have thoroughly enjoyed their “working vacations” this season at the 128th Humboldt County Fair race meet.

Rodriguez saddled eight winners and appears headed to earning the belt buckle symbolic of the Humboldt trainers’ title, while Baker has greeted five of his just nine starters in the winners’ circle. And both will saddle probable favorites in separate $25,000 allowance co-feature sprints Saturday afternoon as the Humboldt County session heads into the home stretch of its 2024 season.

And fans will be treated to free admission, parking and a special post-race concert by The Undercovers on Saturday night. In fact, the free admission and parking will also be in effect for Sunday’s final program. In addition, there will be concession stands providing food and drink, along with special rides for the kids on the midway.

Post time for the first race today and Sunday will be 2:15 p.m.

Rodriguez will send out stretch-charging Rose R Blue, who powered away for a 3-1/2-length allowance score on the meet’s first Saturday in today’s seventh race co-feature set at the same seven-furlong distance for fillies and mares. Baker will be represented by sophomore start Baby Waylon, who set the pace in the $75,000 Robert Dupret Derby at Santa Rosa last month before being collared late and settling for second, in the earlier fifth race co-headliner for the boys, also at seven furlongs.

Rose R Blue has been a terror sprinting earlier this summer at Pleasanton and Sacramento. The distaff star of Rodriguez’s stable handled $6,250 and $8,000 claiming foes at those summer stops, respectively. And after decisioning allowance rivals here, she has hiked her career bankroll to $139,070. And she figures to have plenty of early speed to run at again this afternoon.

Mars Magic, also a Baker trainee, figures to offer Rose R Blue her main argument. Mars Magic forged to the front in the upper stretch of an allowance turf miler at Santa Rosa before being overhauled late. And she should relish the slight cutback in distance today.

Proof Of Jazz, another early speedster who finished sixth behind Mars Magic, Super Ellie, who has been a very consistent miss for trainer Marsha Stortz and boasts a route win against $16,000 claimers at Pleasanton, and Vulin, another late runner who owns a victory against $10,000 platers at Santa Anita last April, also figure prominently in that seventh race.

Baby Waylon is the newest star of Baker’s talented stable. The 3-year-old son of Clubhouse Ride earned his maiden diploma on the Santa Anita lawn last December, then returned off a long freshener to run superbly in the Robert Dupret Derby. He owns a big class edge over his rivals today, races are never decided on paper and he is facing older rivals today.

Falsely Accused figures as the strongest rival, based off a second-place finish two weeks ago in a seven-furlong allowance race locally, that served as a prep also for Humboldt Marathon Handicap horses. The Jason Homer trainee has won five of 37 lifetime starts and earned $152,564, and certainly packs enough wallop in the stretch to be a major danger to the probable favorite. Plus, seven-time Humboldt County jockey champ Hugo Herrera will be aboard.

Trinidad was third in that same allowance race and has been chasing high-priced claimers and solid allowance company this year for trainer Roger Hansen.