Bobby Handy, Lovely Start square off in Wednesday claimer

Take your pick between Bobby Handy, who is going for his ninth win this year, and Lovely Start, who has won his last three races and is 6-1-0 from 8 starts in 2014.

They clearly are the ones to beat in a $12,500 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up that goes as the sixth race Wednesday evening at Northlands Park. Post time for the first race is 6:30 p.m. Mountain.

Lovely Start probably will be favored in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint that drew eight horses. Trained by leading trainer Greg Tracy, he is a pure sprinter, and his tactical speed could give him the edge over Bobby Handy, who has won sprinting but not since 2011.

Lovely Start is coming off a win going 6 1/2 furlongs for $12,500 Sept. 1. Bobby Handy, trained by Rod Cone, won a 1 1/16-mile $17,500 claiming race Sept. 10.

Key contenders

Lovely Start (Last 3 Beyers: 70-75-61)

He has good speed but doesn’t need the lead and figures to get a nice trip sitting just off speed that doesn’t figure to last.

His only loss in his last seven starts was by a nose in an $8,000 claiming race July 2.

Leading rider Rico Walcott retains the mount, and according to DRF’s Formulator, over the past five years at Northlands, he has won with 32 percent of his mounts from Tracy.

Bobby Handy (Last 3 Beyers: 78-63-79)

Toss his race in the $51,000 Westerner, and he’s been rock solid at Northlands this year.

The 7-year-old British Columbia-bred easily owns the best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, but he earned it going around three turns, and this might be a bit short for him at this stage in his 52-race career.

There will be speed coming back to him, but he certainly knows how to win races with 20 wins behind him.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years at Northlands, Cone has a 16 percent strike rate with horses going from a route to a sprint with a $1.32 ROI and a median payoff of $8.30.

High Test (Last 3 Beyers: 55-64-77)

He should appreciate the easier company with the drop back into a claiming race for the first time since he was haltered for $17,500 by trainer Rob Chabot on July 9.

He shouldn’t mind the shape of the race, and he attracts Scott Williams, who won four stakes races on Fall Classic Day last Saturday.