All-juvenile card offers two sprint stakes

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Tampa Bay Downs runs all 11 of its races on Saturday for

2-year-olds, headed by the $65,000 Inaugural Stakes for colts and geldings and the $65,000 Sandpiper Stakes for fillies. Both races will be contested at six furlongs.

The Sandpiper will offer horseplayers a choice between proven stakes winners and some less-accomplished challengers. Arealhotlover, winner of the Cassidy Stakes at Calder in her last race, will likely be one of the favorites in the field of 10.

Arealhotlover, from the barn of Kathleen O'Connell, has run six times, finishing second in a five-furlong turf sprint at Calder, third in the J J'sdream Stakes going six furlongs on the main track there, and fourth behind winner Silk Ridge in the Susan's Girl there at seven furlongs.

Silk Ridge also is in the Sandpiper and will no doubt garner a good deal of support. Trained by Gordon Potter, Silk Ridge won three straight sprint stakes at Calder - the Susan's Girl, Desert Vixen, and Brave Raj. More recently, she was fourth going two turns in the $100,000 Three Ring Stakes. Moving back to a sprint distance, Silk Ridge looks like a formidable foe.

One of the more intriguing entrants in the Sandpiper is Awesome Chic, who romped by more than 17 lengths at Suffolk Downs in her lone start. Trainer Rafael Ramos elected to train Awesome Chic up to her first stakes start, passing on a prep race. The Awesome Again filly has been training in smashing fashion over the Tampa strip for her first start since early November.

Bear Lahana, from the top Canadian trainer Reade Baker, won her lone start at Woodbine and has been training well in south Florida. Formal Arrangement and Unfolding Wish are both undefeated in two starts. Both face stakes company for the first time Saturday.

In the Inaugural, Surrealdeal comes off an allowance win and a second-place finish in the Birdonthewire Stakes, both at Calder. He faces Service Corps, a

17-plus-length winner at Mountaineer Racetrack in his second start; Too Many Sins, a handy winner at Hawthorne around two turns in his most recent race; and Beijing House, who is undefeated in two outings, including a win over New York-breds at Aqueduct last time out.

Another who bears watching among the 13 in the Inaugural is Run Sully Run, a Cherokee Run colt who raced against strong company at Monmouth this past summer. He finished third in both the Continental Mile and Tyro Stakes there. Cam Gambolati, the trainer of 1985 Derby winner Spend a Buck, trains Run Sully Run.