Brean Can seeks rebound in stakes

Brean Can seeks her first win of the season when she heads a field of 10 Indiana-sired fillies and mares in the $50,000 Shelby County Stakes, which starts off the stakes schedule at Indiana Downs on Friday night. The Shelby County will go as the sixth on an eight-race card.

Brean Can, trained by Mike Nance, was fifth against $30,000 claiming company over a sloppy track in her only start this year and should be ready to make amends in this spot with leading rider Orlando Mojica aboard. Last fall, Brean Can was third in the Richmond Stakes at Hoosier Park and finished her season with back-to-back wins over top-level allowance company and $25,000 claimers. She posted a 4-2-1 mark from 10 starts last year and owns a pair of wins from her four starts over this surface.

Classic Ramona, a 3-year-old by Crown Ambassador, defeated older company in her last start here against entry-level allowance foes and should be near the pace in this field for trainer David Paulus. She won her maiden at first asking in the Indiana Stallion Stakes at Hoosier last fall and is off to a solid start this year. Her first start of the season came at Mountaineer, where she was a narrowly beaten second against entry-level company. She is slated to have Mathieu Adam aboard.

Iron Girl was an upset-minded second in this race last year at 20-1 and may again bear watching for trainer Joe Davis. She was moved up to first in her first start here this year after being struck by a rival's whip against $7,500 claiming company. She has never been worse than third on this track in five career starts and will have Terry Houghton aboard.