Home of Stars rallies on rail to win

STICKNEY, Ill. - Inside speed ruled the six-stakes Illinois Day for statebreds on Saturday at Hawthorne. The favored Home of Stars lacked the speed to make the lead in the Milwaukee Avenue Handicap, but jockey James Graham took care of the inside part, rallying the horse up the rail for a 2 1/4-length victory over 10-year-old Magic Doe in the $92,700 Milwaukee Avenue.

Graham atoned for an earlier disqualification on Jaguar City, who was taken down for interference at the start of an earlier stakes. Frank "Bobby" Springer trains both horses.

"I'm much happier with the result of this one," said Graham.

Home of Stars not only had 10 rivals to beat, he had to get past jockey Chris Emigh, who won four of the first five stakes races Saturday. And Emigh looked good in the Milwaukee Avenue when he made the front and got to the rail on Garesche, who ran with Magic Doe through an opening quarter-mile in a slow 24.81 seconds and a half in 48.61. Home of Stars was locked inside with nowhere to run - and he stayed there until mid-stretch. Garesche drifted off the fence, and after flirting with an outside move, Graham swung to the inside with Home of Stars, who jumped the tracks left by the starting gate but came through a narrow hole and emerged with the lead.

Home of Stars, owned by the stable of the late Russell Reineman, paid $5.20 to win and was timed in 1:45.87 for 1 1/16 miles. Garesche held third, while the second choice, Wiggins faded to sixth, and Chinkapin was pulled up on the first turn.