Fonner Park: Diamond Joe tries to repeat in Tondi Stakes

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Diamond Joe comes into Saturday’s $25,000 Tondi Stakes at Fonner Park as the defending race winner. He will face nine others in the six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Diamond Joe is following the same path he did a year ago on the way toward winning this meet’s ultimate prize, the $75,000 Gus Fonner Stakes, which will be run April 26 this year. Trained by Chuck Turco, Diamond Joe made his 2014 debut March 8 with a repeat victory in the Ogataul Stakes against statebred company going six furlongs.

The move from statebred to open company is not a concern for Diamond Joe. He has compiled 15 wins and five seconds from 29 career starts for earnings of more than $270,000. He has sparkled at Fonner, with seven wins and two seconds from nine starts and earnings of $136,970. He was the 2-5 favorite in the Ogataul, and a similar price would be no surprise Saturday.

Unsaddled Glory, trained by Larry Donlin, was third in this race while making his seasonal debut last year and again will be making his first start of the year. He followed this race last year with an upset of Diamond Joe two weeks later in the Dowd Mile.

Also coming out of last year's Tondi is runnerup Tribal Dreams for trainer Harlan Walker. Tribal Dreams has made a pair of starts at the meet and will have a fitness edge. He was third in the half-mile Grasmick Stakes on opening weekend, then returned March 9 to finish a troubled second against open allowance company but was elevated to the win through disqualification.