Beulah: Pay the Man returns to sprinting

Pay the Man turns back in distance and tries to return to her winning ways in the $50,000 Scarlet and Gray Handicap at Beulah Park on Saturday. A full field of 14 is expected for the six-furlong race.

Trained by Miguel Feliciano, Pay the Man has won 4 of 8 races this year, including the $50,000 Angenora at Thistledown in April, the $100,000 Queen City Oaks at River Downs in July, and the $75,000 Rose De Bartolo on Sept. 1 at Thistledown. In her most recent start, Pay the Man finished third in the $100,000 Best of Ohio Distaff after setting quick opening fractions in the 1 1/8-mile stakes. Andrew Ramgeet, her rider in 3 of her 4 wins this year, retains the mount.

Although her last six races were at two turns, she has won 3 of 4 at six furlongs, including the Angenora in April, where the 3-year-old defeated older horses for the first time.

Feliciano also sends out Bright Pyrite, who will be coupled with Pay the Man.

Trainer Tim Hamm will send out an entry in hopes of upsetting the Feliciano runners. Littlebitabling responded well when treated with Lasix in her last out Sept. 26 at Presque Isle Downs, finishing second in an $80,500 open allowance race at 6 1/2 furlongs. In that race, Littlebitabling dueled through quick fractions to midstretch, and was beaten 2 3/4 lengths. Littlebitabling, a half-sister to the 2006 Ohio horse of the year Too Much Bling, worked a bullet four furlongs in 47.40 seconds at Thistledown on Monday. Rex Stokes will ride for the first time.

Hamm's other entrant is Maggs Choice, a winner of 3 of 5 at six furlongs.

Just Michel, the winner of this race last year, has won only 1 of 5 starts this year, but has won 10 of 16 at Beulah Park. Just Michel also has the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the field at the distance, an 85.