Division finally gets its chance

After the cancellation or postponement of two consecutive stakes for 3-year-olds on this circuit, the division will finally get a chance to run in Friday's $20,000 State Fair Breeders' Special for Nebraska-breds.

The Breeders' Special was scheduled for last Saturday night, but problems with the track's lighting system left more than a furlong of the five-eighths-mile oval in darkness and the final two races of the card were canceled. The lighting incident further frustrated the connections of expected favorite Heso, who also shipped here from Prairie Meadows for the May 26 Journal Star Stakes only to be sent home due to a weather-related cancellation.

With all systems go for Friday, Heso, trained by Kelly Von Hemel, should rule a heavy favorite in the field of six. Owned by Richard Galyen, Heso was under the care of trainer Larry Donlin at Fonner this spring when he won a pair of races in four starts, including the $30,000 Fonner Special on April 21. He has not started since.

Von Hemel has put a series of good breezes into Heso, including five furlongs in 1:01 at Prairie Meadows on Tuesday. This will be Heso's first start going a mile, but he should be well suited to the distance. Leading jockey Dennis Collins is set to ride.

Bevys Best, trained by Larry Staroscik, will also trying a mile for the first time but could prove formidable on the lead following his entry-level allowance win here Juneo1. Bevys Best, who is out of the multiple stakes-winning mare Bevy Anne, set the pace to the stretch in the Fonner Special but weakened through the lane to be third, beaten nine lengths by Heso.