Bobs Tiebreaker a solid pick

Frozen racetracks late in the fall-winter Hawthorne meet are notorious for carrying speed horses. But Hawthorne's current meeting has had plenty of major inside-speed days too. Another feature of the spring meet, which has been rife with short fields, has been the percentage of winning favorites: Through 136 races, it stands at a whopping 46 percent. Bet on a favorite who has speed, and you have had a good chance of cashing a ticket, and that may be the case again in the nominally featured second race on Tuesday.

Race 2 is an entry-level allowance for older horses at 1 1/16 miles, and on paper, there is little early speed in the race. The horse most likely to make the lead is Bobs Tiebreaker, 5-2 favorite on the morning line, and likely to be bet down much lower than that. Mike Reavis, 10 for 30 at the meet, trains Bobs Tiebreaker, who was claimed for $10,000 last November at Hawthorne. Reavis knows as well as anyone that late-winter and early-spring Hawthorne allowance races are open to being won by a former claimer of no great talent, and in Bobs Tiebreaker, Reavis might have just such a horse.

Dorris the younger coming into his own

Veteran Tom Dorris is one of the tallest trainers on the Chicago circuit, but his son, Chris, is taller. And so far this Hawthorne meet, son stands above father in terms of success.

Chris Dorris is having the strongest run of his nine-year training career, having won with 12 of his first 47 starters so far this Hawthorne meet. In the trainer standings through Friday, Dorris trailed only Frank Kirby, who was 17 for 80.

Dorris averaged about 20 winners per season through 2008 before moving to a higher level in 2009, when he won 52 races from 444 starters. Working almost exclusively with low-level claiming stock, Dorris has set himself up for another career-best season in 2010.

Wade back earlier than expected

Jockey Lyndie Wade returned to action last week at Hawthorne, back from an injury sooner than had initially been expected. Wade hurt his neck when he went down in a race on Feb. 19 at Hawthorne, and at the time was said to be out for four to six weeks.

Wade has so far won only two races this meet, while Tanner Riggs continues to lead the standings.