Fonner Park, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND — Seven horses are scheduled to go to the post for the second running of the $20,000 Springtime Tradition Stakes Saturday at Fonner Park.
But with Tennessee Moon in the field, it might be a challenge to get that many to enter.
“It really wasn’t hard,” assistant racing secretary Wayne Anderson said. “There were a couple came in late. We had five and we got two more late.”
Tennessee Moon was the winningest horse in the United States last year with 13 victories. She won her only start at Fonner this year in the four-furlong Bold Accent Stakes early in the meet. For her career, she has five wins in six starts at Fonner.
“It’s hard to get horses to run against her,” Anderson said.
But there are six challengers to give it a shot Saturday, including a couple of Nebraska-breds who could give Tennessee Moon all she wants.
That includes P R Odds Setter, trained by Jason Wise and ridden by Jose Medina. The defending champion in this race is 5-1 on the morning line.
This is the one race Tennessee Moon, trained by Mark Hibdon and ridden by David Cardoso, didn’t win at Fonner last year. She had some trouble in the gate, never really recovered and finished sixth.
Take Charge Baby, 9-2 on the morning line, is another Nebraska-bred who could challenge Tennessee Moon. The 4-year-old trained by David Anderson and ridden by Kevin Roman, may well challenge Tennessee Moon on the front end.
“I’m like the other (five) who entered against her (Tennessee Moon),” David Anderson said. “We’re all kind of fools. She’s a very, very tough mare. Everybody knows her form. She has a lot of talent.
“But I got to looking and there’s really no place else to run, so we entered.”
Take Charge Baby went to the lead early and led all the way in the Orphan Kist Stakes March 15 at Fonner Park.
Won Sassy Ride (6-1), Dreamin It up (8-1), Connectable (10-1) and Tavaline (20-1) round out the field.
But there is no doubt Tennessee Moon is the one to beat.
“If you took her out of there, it would be a very competitive bunch,” David Anderson said. “But she certainly stands out.”
Four fillies and mares nominated for the stakes race ended up in race 10 on Saturday. That’s an allowance optional $15,000 claiming race with a purse of $13,200
“They had a better condition that they could go in there,” Wayne Anderson said. “We kind of knew they’d probably skip (the stakes), but they nominated just in case. They don’t want to miss something.”
David Anderson said if it rains and the track is muddy, he probably won’t run Take Charge Baby on Saturday. The forecast calls for showers in the morning and a steady light rain in the afternoon.
But if she runs, she could be out on the front end right along with Tennessee Moon.
“If it turns into a speed duel, there will probably be something come from off of it (the pace),” Anderson said. “But I guess you never know until you lead them over there.”
Hoofprints
— Trainer Kelli Martinez won the first two races on Friday. Kevin Roman rode Baytown Sundance to a win in the first while Ronald Hisby won on Flintlock in the second.
— Roman also won the fourth race on American Smooth for Izzy Gonzalez and the fifth on Sparky Time for Eric Ramaekers.
— The longshot winner of the day was Josies Score, ridden by Adrian Ramos and trained by Gregorio Rivera, who paid $48.40 to win.
— Four of five in the Dinsdale Automotive Pick Five Jackpot paid $52.30. The carryover for Saturday is $1,663.
