Fonner Park: Diamond Joe looks to make amends in Dowd Mile

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Diamond Joe has rarely lost at Fonner Park, but he seeks to avenge one of those infrequent stumbles Saturday as the likely heavy favorite in the $20,000-guaranteed Dowd Mile Stakes.

A year ago, Diamond Joe fell a neck short in this race, which serves as the final prep for the $75,000 Bosselman/Gus Fonner Stakes here April 26. Diamond Joe rebounded from that loss to capture the Bosselman/Gus Fonner – the meet’s showcase event – two weeks later.

This year, Diamond Joe has followed the same path as last year for trainer Chuck Turco. He opened the season with a repeat win in the Ogataul Stakes against statebred company March 8, then returned March 22 for a repeat win in the $25,000 Budweiser-Tondi Stakes.

Diamond Joe sports a strong 8-2-0 mark from 10 starts at Fonner Park, and his lifetime mark stands at 16-5-0 from 30 starts for earnings of $291,179. The 5-year-old son of Dazzling Falls has earned more than $156,000 at Fonner Park alone and would easily move past the $300,000 mark in earnings with a win Saturday.

Saturday’s race has drawn a full field of 10, with fellow Nebraska-bred Bach’s Homebrew expected to provide the stiffest challenge to the favorite. Trained by Larry Staroscik, Bach’s Homebrew should relish the return to a mile. He owns a career mark of 6-2-1 from 10 starts at the distance. He rallied from midpack to finish third in this race last year and opened this year’s campaign with a mild rally to be third in the Ogataul Stakes. He owns a career record of 15-6-4 from 33 starts and earnings of more than $212,000.

The Larry Donlin-trained Unsaddled Glory upset this race last year. He will make his second start of year, having finished an even fourth in the Budweiser-Tondi Stakes here March 22. He should benefit from that tightener.