Eagle Speed lays over Tri-State foes

A half-length separated Eagle Speed, Fancy Dan, and Dahlgren Hall when they finished one-two-three in the Vincent Moscarelli on West Virginia Breeders Classic Night three weeks ago. The trio figures to dominate the two divisions of the Tri-State Futurity for 2-year-olds foaled in Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia on Friday night at Charles Town.

Each division of the seven-furlong Futurity is worth $25,000. The stakes was split because 16 horses were entered and the maximum field size at Charles Town is 10.

Eagle Speed, who won the Moscarelli, got a break when he drew into the division that goes as race 9. He faces three maidens and four juveniles who have defeated only maiden company.

Eagle Speed, based at Penn National with trainer Clovis Crane, is the 124-pound highweight and must concede from 5 to 12 pounds to his rivals. He's the only two-time winner in his division.

The most serious threat to Eagle Speed appears to be Polish Offer, who won his career debut going seven furlongs despite getting bumped coming out of the starting gate. Polish Offer, trained by Jeff Runco, is drawn well in post 2 and will be dangerous if he moves forward as many horses do in their second lifetime start.

The first division of the Futurity (race 7) pits Eagle Speed's stablemate Fancy Dan against Dahlgren Hall.

Although Fancy Dan finished a head in front of Dahlgren Hall in the Moscarelli, a shift in weights could easily reverse the outcome this time. As the winner of a restricted stakes in September, Fancy Dan must carry 124 pounds Friday night. Dahlgren Hall, an easy winner of his career debut in September, gets in at 115, five pounds less than he carried when he narrowly lost to Fancy Dan.