Euroears cruises in Thanksgiving Handicap

Euroears has started a new winning streak.

The brilliantly fast 5-year-old chestnut horse won his first six starts - four of them at Fair Grounds - before injury derailed a career that had not yet found a ceiling. Euroears lost his first race back after a long layoff, then lost two more when a second surgery was required to repair the original repairs made on his injured leg. But Euroears got back to his winning ways last month at Hoosier Park, and made it two in a row with a comfortable victory Thursday in the at Fair Grounds.

Breaking fourth under Jamie Theriot, Euroears came through along the inside to gain the early lead in the first furlong of the six-furlong Thanksgiving. He set quick splits of 21.81 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, and 44.62 to the half, but still was long gone. The race was over an eighth of a mile from the wire, with runner-up Free Brave making mild late progress to come within 1 1/2 lengths of the winner.

"He's feels great," Theriot said afterward. "He's a big powerful horse. He was a little aggressive today, more than usual."

Euroears, heavily favored, paid just $3.60 to win, and was timed in a meet-best 1:09.35. Tend ran late for third, with Sok Sok suffering his first Fair Grounds loss, checking in fourth.

Bret Calhoun trains Euroears for owners James and Marilyn Helzer.