Coding goes after second stakes win

ANDERSON, Ind. - Saturday's $100,000 Hoosier Debutante has lured several promising runners, but nobody in the nine-horse field has ever won a race of this value.

The Debutante, carded as the fourth of 11 races, leads into the second annual Hoosier Ladies' Night Female Jockey Challenge, which begins with the fifth race. The Challenge brings together a group of 11 female riders from the Midwest to compete in five races.

Coding, winner of the restricted Iowa Sorority, is the only stakes winner in the Debutante field, even though several entrants have turned in solid efforts against stronger company.

Southern Smoke may rate a slight edge in the six-furlong race. She comes off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 Astarita Stakes at Belmont on Oct. 13, beaten just under six lengths by Humorous Lady.

A daughter of Smoke Glacken, Southern Smoke won her maiden at first asking by a widening five lengths at The Meadowlands Sept. 13. She tuned up here with a bullet three furlongs in 35.80 seconds on Nov. 3. Tommy Turner will ride for trainer Kelly Breen.

Coding won her maiden in late May at Prairie Meadows and was given time off until Aug. 31. She returned to capture the Sorority after dueling on the lead. She came back against open company in the Prairie Meadows Debutante but lacked her usual speed and rallied to be third, beaten just under seven lengths. Cindy Noll will ride for trainer Kelly Von Hemel.

Midnight Cry, trained by Ken McPeek, finished seventh as the favorite in the Grade 2 Alcibiades at Keeneland in early October. A daughter of Smart Strike, Midnight Cry rallied to be third in the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga this summer, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by Awesome Humor.

She rebounded from her Alcibiades performance to win going away against allowance company at Keeneland on Oct. 24, once again as the favorite. Robby Albarado will be in to ride.

Hurry Home, trained by John Hennig, should add fuel to the early pace. A six-length maiden winner at Keeneland in October, Hurry Home will be ridden by Mark Guidry.

Rounding out the field are Hunter's West, Flying Dove, Jenny's Prospector, Ballado Belle, and Wildcat Annie.

Another focus of the night is to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research through both the Lee National Denim Day program and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

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