Heza Wild Guy eyes Foyt three-peat

Heza Wild Guy will attempt to win his third straight $70,000 A.J. Foyt Stakes at Indiana Downs on Wednesday when facing a full field of older Indiana-bred horses over 1 1/16 miles on turf. The 9-year-old won the 2008 version of the A.J. Foyt by 8 1/4 lengths and then took the 2009 running by 2 1/2 lengths.

Trainer Bernell Rhone will try to employ the same routine that worked so well in both of those years and will ship Heza Wild Guy in from Canterbury Downs. In his most recent out on May 23, Heza Wild Guy finished second in an allowance race on turf at Canterbury, his second start of 2010. Heza Wild Guy won 4 of 8 starts last year and has been in the money in 26 of 41 lifetime turf starts. Tommy Pompell will ride.

Should the A.J. Foyt come off the turf or Heza Wild Guy not be at his best, Unreachable Star comes into Wednesday night's event in top form. The 6-year-old was the ridden-out winner of a statebred turf allowance race at Indiana Downs on June 28. Leandro Goncalves will ride for trainer Tim Glyshaw.

In the final installment in the Don K series of six starter handicap events for horses that have run for $10,000 or less in 2009-2010, Presents for Berti will attempt to make it three in a row in the fifth race of the 13-race card. Claimed by Tom Trione Jr. for Ridgeview Stable on May 26, the real question will be if the 4-year-old gelding can handle the 1 3/8 miles over the Indiana Downs turf course. Francisco Torres retains the mount.

Wednesday is the closing card of the Indiana Downs 2010 Thoroughbred season and it seems as though everyone wanted to get involved. A total of 165 horses were entered for the 13-race card, with only 156 able to start, 12 in each of the races. The card averages 11.3 horses per race, and purses for the evening total nearly $400,000. Racing secretary Butch Cook said he expects another big handle Wednesday evening.

"We handled over $2.1 million the past two Wednesdays, and with the card we have I think we can surpass that and set a new record for handle in a day at Indiana Downs," Cook said.