Hoosier Park: Bellamy Jones takes on elders in To Much Coffee Stakes

Sunday’s 14-race closing-day card at Hoosier Park will feature four stakes for Indiana-breds.

Bellamy Jones will try for his third straight victory in the $84,000 To Much Coffee, a 1 1/16-mile race that drew of full field of 12. Bellamy Jones, a 3-year-old gelding who will be facing older rivals, won his last two starts in front-running style, both against statebred company locally. On Sept. 7, the Bob Gorham trainee defeated second-level allowance foes by three lengths going six furlongs. In his most recent outing Oct. 1, he won the $87,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore going 1 1/16 miles.

A son of Bellamy Road, Bellamy Jones seems to have returned to his form of last season, when won he won two of three locally, including the Indiana Futurity by 11 1/2 lengths. In all, he has won four of six starts at Hoosier while never finishing worse than second. Regular rider Fernando De La Cruz retains the mount.

Should Belamy Jones get caught up in a speed duel, Brickyard could pick up the pieces. Trained by Tom Amoss, the 6-year-old likes to come from off the early pace and is in good form, with two thirds and a win in his last three local starts, all against open company. A return to the statebred ranks should be to his liking. Leandro Goncalves retains the mount.

◗ Gorham will send out an entry of Perfectly Candid and My Bellamy in the $84,000 Frances Slocum. Perfectly Candid comes into the 1 1/16-mile Slocum off a win in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Fillies on Oct. 1 at the same distance. The 3-year-old daughter of Pleasantly Perfect has won five of six local starts, including her first four career races last season. De La Cruz wll ride.

◗ Ain’t She a Saint will try for her second career win in the $84,000 Indiana Stallion for 2-year-old Indiana-bred and -sired fillies. Trained by Jeff Greenhill, Ain’t She a Saint won at first asking by 6 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 78, at least 27 points higher than her nearest rival in Sunday’s race. A full field of 12, including an entry, will contest the six-furlong event. Amanda Tamburello will ride Ain’t She a Saint once again.

◗ Mack the Slew will be going for his third local win in four attempts when facing a full field of Indiana-bred and -sired 2-year-old colts and geldings in the $84,000 Crown Ambassador. Trained by Tom Proctor, Mack the Slew won the 5 1/2-furlong Hillsdale two starts ago. Most recently, the Pass Rush colt finished fourth in the Indiana Futurity on Oct. 1, going the same six-furlong distance as the Crown Ambassador. Jon Court will ride for the first time.