Agrivating General tries surface switch

The morning after Agrivating General won the Premiere Stakes on Lone Star Park's opening-night card, his trainer, Danny Pish, expressed a desire to run the colt on the turf at some point this year.

That day may come Friday at the Grand Prairie, Texas, track. Agrivating General was entered in the featured ninth race, a $42,500 open allowance at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Agrivating General, who won the Premiere by a head in a prolonged stretch duel with Crook, returns on just 15 days' rest. However, the Texas-bred Agrivating General has shown the ability to bounce back after tough races. Beaten less than a length in the Conroe Stakes at Sam Houston last November, Agrivating General came back two weeks later and won the Magnolia Stakes by a neck in his first start around two turns.

First or second in all eight career starts, Agrivating General will undoubtedly give his best effort, and his family tree gives hope that he may like the grass. His half-sister Miss Aggie Lue, a descendant of grass champion Mongo, was a stakes winner on turf at Louisiana Downs in the mid-1980's. Agrivating General also descends from a strong turf influence, tracing to Danzig through his grandsire, Chief's Crown.

Ridden by Pat Day in the Premiere, Agrivating General will be reunited with regular rider Terry Stanton on Friday.

D C Storm and Skate Away, multiple winners on the turf at Fair Grounds last winter, should present the strongest challenges. D C Storm might start as the favorite after winning four of five starts in New Orleans, all in $50,000 claiming company. Trainer Cole Norman claimed D C Storm from his last start.

While he is in career form, D C Storm might also be a horse for the course at Fair Grounds. He is winless in four starts on the turf at Lone Star. Jaime Theriot will ride D C Storm.

Skate Away, winner of the Woodchopper Handicap for 3-year-olds in December, could only eke out minor checks in two subsequent stakes attempts. He ran a dull race in his last start, the Mardi Gras Handicap, but may have been compromised by a slow start.

Kris Havingfunnow, a multiple stakes winner on turf at Houston and Retama, will make his first start Friday since December. He earned a career best 101 Beyer Figure winning a money allowance here in July.