Hoosier Park: Local 'Boy' returns

ANDERSON, Ind. - Gottabeabeachboy returns to his native state and switches from turf to dirt, while Mr. Mink will try to stretch his speed over 1 1/16 miles in Saturday's $35,000 Benjamin Harrison Stakes for Indiana-bred 3-year-olds at Hoosier Park.

Gottabeabeachboy, trained by Robert Hackworth, has proven a useful turf runner facing older rivals at Arlington Park most of the year. A son of Mister Baileys, Gottabeabeachboy returns to the track where he won his maiden in a two-turn race by 7 3/4 lengths as a 2-year-old.

His only poor performances this year have come on dirt. His last start was a fourth-place finish, in which he was beaten just a half-length, going 1 1/2 miles over the grass in a Keeneland allowance. Jeff Johnston will be in to ride from post 4.

Mr. Mink, trained by Mike Nance, has never been beyond six furlongs. Unbeaten in three starts at Hoosier Park, Mr. Mink was entered against older rivals here in last weekend's Brickyard Stakes, but Nance has opted to run him in this spot instead. Tommy Pompell will ride from post 6.