Fonner: Duo meet again in Special

Cork the Barber and The Straw Man, one-two in the Baxter Stakes on March 19, meet again Saturday in the colts and geldings division of the $30,000-added Fonner Park Special Stakes for Nebraska-bred 3-year-olds.

Cork the Barber rallied to win the Baxter, at 6 1/2 furlongs, by two lengths. The Straw Man was in close attendance to the pace that day and opened up by two lengths entering the lane. The duo can be expected to put on the same sort of performance Saturday among a full field of 10.

R.D. Williams has the mount on Cork the Barber, who breaks from post 7 for trainer David Anderson. The Straw Man drew post 4 and has Perry Compton in the irons.

Cork the Barber won last year's Columbus Futurity by 10 lengths.

The maiden Cubes Affair rates fair consideration in this race off his debut on April 10. He is out of the local stakes-producing mare Sweet Cube, who has thrown past winners Cubes Kat and Cube's Cub. Trained by Larry Donlin Jr., Cubes Affair made his career debut in a half-mile race and closed quickly late to be second under Jerry Carkeek, who has the return mount.