Hardworkcleanlivin gets class relief in Manzano

Hardworkcleanlivin will make a meaningful class move Saturday night when he drops in from graded stakes company for the $50,000 Manzano at The Downs at Albuquerque.

The six-furlong race for 2-year-olds drew a full field of 12.

Hardworkcleanlivin comes off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor on June 30 at Churchill Downs. His chief rivals include Storm the Beach, who has placed in two New Mexico-bred stakes, and Litigator, who has been part of the maiden special weight scene at Presque Isle Downs.

KEY CONTENDERS

Hardworkcleanlivin, by Colonel John Beyers: 62-73

◗ He earned a shot at graded rivals after a smart debut win May 5 at Lone Star Park. He tracked the pace and went on to a 3 1/4-length win in that race. The Beyer Speed Figure of 73 he earned is the best number in the Manzano.

◗ Hardworkcleanlivin rallied for third in the Bashford Manor, won by the undefeated Ten City. Since that race, Hardworkcleanlivin has put in a trio of sharp halfmile works at Lone Star Park, which has been operating as a training center following the close of its meet July 30.

◗ Tracy Hebert has the mount from post 2 for Joe Davis and trainer Danny Pish.

Storm the Beach, by Attila’s Storm Last 3 Beyers: 50-63-55

◗ He is the most experienced member of the field with two wins from four starts. His two losses were third-place finishes in stakes, the $147,000 Copper Top Futurity in April at Sunland Park and the $141,000 Mountain Top Futurity in June at Ruidoso Downs.

◗ Storm the Beach worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.60 in his final prep for the Manzano. The move was the fastest of 14 at the distance last Saturday at Ruidoso.

◗ Enrique Gomez has the mount from post 8 for J & SM Inc. and trainer Fred Danley.

Arapahoe: Jessica’s Star routes

Jessica’s Star will stretch out Saturday when he takes on horse for the course Co Ferment in the $30,000 Arapahoe Park Classic.

The race is one of two Thoroughbred stakes on the card. The $40,000 Spicy drew Galactic Princess, who meets older rivals off a 15 1/4-length stakes romp at Arapahoe.

Jessica’s Star is part of an 11-horse field for the Arapahoe Classic, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. Co Ferment won last year’s running, while the first three finishers from the recent Mount Elbert – Dugaboy Brown, C C Express, and Magical Twist – step outside the Coloradobred ranks Saturday.

Jessica’s Star has done some of his best work over a route of ground, and among his wins are the Grade 3 Iowa Derby, the $75,000 Bosselman/Gus Fonner Stakes, and the Jim Rasmussen Memorial. He is coming off a fifth-place finish in the $100,000 Iowa Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong race at Prairie Meadows that went in a quick 1:08.60.

Scott Stevens has the mount on Jessica’s Star, who will break from post 7 for Mark Breen and trainer Kevin Eikleberry. The horse by Magna Graduate figures to show speed on the stretchout.

Co Ferment boasts a 6-for-8 record over the local oval, and among his wins is a 5 1/4-length stroll in last year’s Arapahoe Classic. He closed from 10 lengths back and earned his best career Beyer Speed Figure, an 82.

Co Ferment comes into this year’s race on top of his game. He has won his last two starts, including the $30,000 Front Range over six furlongs July 2 at Arapahoe. Nathan Haar has the mount for David Lebsock and trainer Stetson Rushton. Co Ferment is by Afleet Express.

Galactic Princess will seek her third straight stakes win when she runs in the Spicy, a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares bred in Colorado. She won at two turns for the first time July 22, drawing off by more than 15 lengths in the $44,000 CTBA Oaks. Stevens has the mount for trainer Ty Garrett.

The chief threat could be Twisted Regan, who is moving back into the statebred ranks off a runner-up finish in the $30,000 Columbine at Arapahoe.

Thistledown: Honey Jay Stakes

Coming off an emphatic victory in the Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup, Cake Pop looks to keep rolling as he takes on older horses in the $75,000 Honey Jay Stakes for Ohio-bred sprinters Saturday at Thistledown.

Cake Pop, campaigned as a homebred by trainer Michael Lauer and his wife, Penny, rallied four wide with a rush in the final sixteenth to win the Cleveland Gold Cup by 2 1/4 lengths on July 1 at Thistledown. That ninefurlong race was his first victory around two turns. He also owns stakes wins in the Hoover Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs and the Tall Stack Stakes in May going 6 1/2 furlongs, both at Belterra Park.

The colt cuts back to six furlongs for the Honey Jay and will start from the rail under Marcelino Pedroza. Although he closed in the Cleveland Gold Cup, Cake Pop has won from on or just off the lead before.

Drawn directly next to Cake Pop in the starting gate are Rivers Run Deep and jockey Eduardo E. Perez. The veteran gelding put together an outstanding campaign last year for trainer Chris Hartman, winning six of seven starts, including the Best of Ohio Sprint Stakes. His only loss in that span came when he was beaten a half-length against opencompany stakes competition in the Mighty Beau Stakes on the Churchill Downs Turf.

Rivers Run Deep’s only victory this year is in the Edward Babst/Albert Palacios Memorial Handicap at Belterra. He has won five of six outings at Thistledown.

Stakes winner Alliseeisgold returned to racing in May after having been laid off since November 2015. He has come back with a vengeance to win two of three starts this season, all in allowance company at Thistledown.