03/20/2013 2:20PM

Turfway Park: Spiral Stakes lures full field of 12

By Marty McGee
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Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography
Uncaptured, who will be making his 3-year-old debut in Saturday's Spiral Stakes, has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite.

CINCINNATI - A full field of 12 3-year-olds was drawn today at the new Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cincinnati for the annual showcase event set for Saturday at nearby Turfway Park, with Uncaptured being listed as a lukewarm 3-1 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race.

The Grade 3, $550,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes will mark the first start of the year for Uncaptured, an Ontario-bred colt who won 6 of 7 starts at 2 for owner John C. Oxley and trainer Mark Casse. Uncaptured, with Miguel Mena to ride, was assigned post 3.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Other top contenders in the Spiral, which offers 50 points to the winner in the new system being used for Kentucky Derby eligibility, are Balance the Books (Julien Leparoux, post 1,7-2); Capo Bastone (John Velazquez, post 12, 9-2); My Name is Michael (Joel Rosario, post 5, 10-1); Mac the Man (Norberto Arroyo Jr., post 7, 10-1); and Black Onyx (Joe Bravo, post 9, 10-1).

In all, 16 were originally entered, but the other four went instead in the $75,000 Team Valor Rushaway Stakes on the Saturday undercard.

This is the first year Horseshoe has sponsored the Turfway race, which has been known by a variety of names since its 1972 inaugural. The new $450 million casino is located some 20 minutes north of Turfway, just across the Ohio River. Horseshoe and Turfway are both owned in part by Caesars Entertainment.

Post time for the Spiral is 5:48 p.m. Eastern.

Jef Fawell 7 months ago
Uncaptured out of "LION HEART" could very well go wire 2 wire!!!! I had $50.00 to win on Lion Heart when he ran in the Derby, what a disappointment that was!! With a front runner like this @ Churchill we need to look for a closer as always in the DERBY!!!! Uncaptured should win this race as he has already been over this track (IMPORTANT INFO TO KNOW)
Pagani Zonda 7 months ago
Uncaptured will handle this field easily and I hope Mac the Man fnished on the boad also.
Pagani Zonda 7 months ago
*Board
LEO 7 months ago
take a good @ mac the man
aqua racer 7 months ago
1 1/8 off the bench might be to much for Uncaptured. Wish he had a race under him. I think he would crush this field by 5+ if he was 100% fit.
Fortunefootball 7 months ago
those two turf horses (Balance the Books & Black Onyx) are going to be tuff to beat in this race...wait and watch