Duty Calls brings best Beyer into Patrick Wood

The front-running Duty Calls heads a field of eight 2-year-old Michigan-bred colts and geldings in Sunday’s $50,000 Patrick Wood Stakes at Pinnacle Race Course. The six-furlong race goes as race 8 on the card.

Duty Calls, from the barn of leading trainer Robert Gorham, posted the field’s best Beyer Figure of 45 in his only start, which came back on Aug. 1. He led by as much as three lengths in that 4 1/2-furlong race, but lugged out in the stretch and barely held on to win by a neck.

“He got a little weary that day in his first start to account for the lugging out,” Gorham said. “But he’s worked super twice since then and we’re happy with how he’s training.”

Native Niko is one of three juveniles from the barn of James Jackson. Native Niko won his maiden at Mountaineer before running seventh in the Mountaineer Juvenile on Aug. 7. Octavio Bernal will ride. Arctic Key, a maiden winner locally, finished just behind Native Niko in the Mountaineer Juvenile.

Jackson has also entered Valient Tenobob. A maiden winner locally in his only start, he gets the services of leading rider Tommy Molina.