Bennett trains 6 of 10 in Patrick Woods

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Leading trainer Gerald Bennett shook things up in the Great Lakes Downs racing office when he entered six of the 10 2-year-old colts and geldings in Monday's $50,000 Patrick Woods Stakes. A last-minute decision by Christine White, the Michigan racing commissioner, allowed the six separately-owned runners to run as individual betting interests in the six-furlong stakes.

All I Can Get, winner of the $50,000 Little Ones Stakes on Sept. 3, is the morning-line favorite at 8-5. A homebred Slew City Slew gelding, trained by Bennett and owned by Michael McQuade, All I Can Get dueled early in the six-furlong Little Ones before winning handily. Mary Doser, who has ridden All I Can Get in both of his career starts, will again be aboard.

Bennett also entered Furka Pass and Armored Truck, third and fourth, respectively, in the Little Ones; Scarlet Fact, a maiden winner; and Flyingpalm and Native Match, recent maiden claiming winners.

Michigan racing rules preclude uncoupling a trainer's horses if there aren't at least six betting interests in a race. Since Bennett's contingent would have counted as only one that would have left five betting interests. Therefore, to uncouple the entry the commissioner's intervention was necessary. Additionally, the computer software used to generate racing programs would have had to be modified to allow a six-horse entry if the commissioner had not allowed the entries to be separated.

The six entries from one barn is a first at Great Lakes. Retired Daily Racing Form columnist Don Grisham could recall only one similar event - a trainer entering five horses in a race in Chicago, with three of the runners coupled in the wagering.