Beulah Park track report

GROVE CITY, Ohio - Waist Gunner John looms the one to beat when he faces six other Ohio-breds in Saturday's $45,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap at Beulah Park. The race will be run at 1 1/4 miles.

Waist Gunner John has won five races in 2002, including three restricted stakes for owner-trainer Chuck Kovach. In his last start, the 4-year-old son of Rhodes was never a factor and finished sixth against open allowance rivals at Mountaineer Park on Nov. 2.

In his previous start, Waist Gunner John rallied from well back to score by three-quarters of a length in the six-furlong Best of Ohio Sprint Championship in October at Thistledown. He also has a stakes win around two turns to his credit this season, having captured the 1 1/16-mile Buckeye Native at River Downs on the turf in August.

Lady Cherie is the 123-pound starting highweight in the Ruff/Kirchberg. She won the Bobbie Bricker Handicap here in her last start, drawing off for a 5 1/2-length score. Lady Cherie, a 5-year-old daughter of Al Sabin, has 16 career wins and her $504,425 bankroll is more than her six rivals on Saturday have in combined career earnings.