Heza Mountain Man one to beat

MUSKEGON, Mich. - Heza Mountain Man looks for a stakes repeat when he faces a full field of Michigan-bred juveniles in the $45,000 Patrick Wood Stakes Tuesday evening at Great Lakes Downs. The six-furlong event will go as the seventh race on the 5 p.m. Eastern card.

Heza Mountain Man, one of three runners trained by Bob Gorham, has 2 wins from 3 starts, including the Little Ones Stakes on Aug. 23 over the five-furlong Great Lakes oval. Owned by John and Jan Buth and Marion Gorham, Heza Mountain Man will be ridden again by Joe Judice. Like the other starters, he will carry 119 pounds.

Gorham will also saddle Rockem Sockem, who was second in the Little Ones, and Hot Shot Spirit. The two, both owned by Henry Mast, will run as an entry.

Leading trainer Gerald Bennett has a trio in the race, all separate betting interests. Diablo de Viernes and Cool Competitor are returning from the Little Ones, while Sir Marlin will be making his stakes debut.

From the rail out, the Patrick Wood looks like this: King of the Valley, Jason Eads the rider; Diablo de Viernes, Felipe Santos; Cool Competitor, Freddie Mata; Elite Service, Luis J. Martinez; Sir Marlin, Colin Skinner; Zone It, Mary Doser; Heza Mountain Man; Rockem Sockem, Tommy Molina; Top Plum, Danny Cox; and Hot Shot Spirit, James Schwartz.