A welcome return to the dirt

Copper Nickel and Two Last Words wanted no part of turf racing, but back on dirt they should be very competitive in a pair of rich Indiana-bred stakes on Wednesday at Indiana Grand.

Copper Nickel is one of seven horses entered in the $100,000 Indiana First Lady, which is carded for a mile and 70 yards on dirt and restricted to Indiana-bred 3-year-old fillies. Copper Nickel, a statebredrestricted stakes winner last fall, romped in an Indiana-bred allowance race facing older horses in her first race this meet, then crushed Indiana 3-year-old fillies July 8 in the Hoosier Breeders’ Sophomore Stakes.

By Stroll out of Ms. Pur, by Sir Cat, Copper Nickel’s pedigree slanted enough toward turf that she figured to at least come close to her standard form making her grass debut Aug. 4 in the Ellen’s Lucky Star. However, Copper Nickel wasn’t worth a wooden penny on grass, fading badly to finish a distant ninth as a 4-5 favorite.

Copper Nickel, with Rodney Prescott named to ride by trainer Mike Lauer, also didn’t appear to love a sloppy track last fall at Indiana Grand, but if the main track is fast Wednesday, she stands a good chance of getting back to the winner’s circle. Copper Nickel has beaten four of her six rivals, but Serena Beck is a new face in this stakes division. Serena Beck won a maiden sprint race in her career debut on July 2, and on July 27 stretched comfortably to two turns, beating Indianabred allowance foes. There are better horses in the First Lady than she’s yet met, but we also probably haven’t seen Serena Beck’s best.

Two Last Words is one of nine entered in the $100,000 Indiana Governor’s, another mile and 70-yard dirt race. Two Last Words in his turf debut showed more than Copper Nickel, but his Beyer Speed Figure still dropped 17 points as he finished sixth on Aug. 5 in the Snack Stakes. Two Last Words, trained by Tim Glyshaw, was a stakes winner last fall and again early this summer. He has shown he can stay two turns and ought to contend back on his preferred surface, but the Governor’s is a deeper race than the First Lady.

Mai Tai’s Gem also floundered trying turf for the first time in the Snack, and when Two Last Words beat him earlier this meet, Mai Tai’s Gem was at a fitness disadvantage making his first start in eight months.

Strong Tide won the Snack and clearly prefers turf to dirt, but hardly is hapless on the main track.

And even more interesting is West Virginia raider Flatter Hymn. Trained by Jeff Runco, Flatter Hymn has started his career with two wins against open company, both at Charles Town, both in two-turn sprints, and both in encouraging fashion. DeShawn Parker, who’s having a strong Indiana season, takes the mount and Flatter Hymn could offer value.

Miss Twenty steps up in Lassie

Bodenheimer looked like the hot 2-year-old prospect racing this last Saturday at Prairie Meadows, and he did manage to win the $50,000 Prairie Gold

Juvenile by a neck, but it was the filly Miss Twenty, who romped in the $50,000 Prairie Gold Lassie, who was the star of the night.

Miss Twenty went to the lead and drew away to win by more than 12 lengths, running a few ticks quicker than Bodenheimer and getting a 75 Beyer Speed Figure compared to his 65.

Miss Twenty, by Bodemeister, was making her first start for owner Ron Stolich and trainer Ray Ashford Jr. Ashford said he’d gone to look at a few horses trainer Travis Murphy, a lifelong friend, had for sale, and wound up choosing Miss Twenty.

“I told the owner we could maybe run her for $25,000 non [winners of] two at Remington or something like that, have some fun with her, but I guess she’s better than we expected,” said Ashford.

Ashford said Miss Twenty will be aimed at the $50,000 E.L. Gaylord on Sept. 27 at Remington.