Horsemen's Park: Diamond Joe seeks seventh straight in Skunktail

OMAHA, Neb. – Diamond Joe headlines a field of seven 3-year-old Nebraska breds going a mile in the $27,500 Skunktail Stakes on Friday as Horsemen’s Park begins the second weekend of its summer festival of racing.

This year’s festival was expanded from its traditional four-day, single-weekend format to two three-day weekends. The meet’s highlight is the $30,000 Omaha Stakes slated for Sunday.

Diamond Joe will seek to extend his six-race win streak, which ranks him in a tie for fourth nationally for most wins by a horse this year. Diamond Joe started the streak March 24 with an entry-level allowance win at Fonner Park and since gone on to take five straight stakes. His last four wins have come by a combined 39 lengths and include a 14 1/4-length win in the Lincoln Breeders’ Special and a 9 3/4-length win in the Lincoln Derby, both going Friday’s one-mile distance.

Trained by Chuck Turco, Diamond Joe has put together a career mark of 7-3-0 from 12 starts for earnings of $75,926. He has been the odds-on favorite in his last four starts and should be heavily favored to extend the streak here with Jake Olesiak aboard.

Black Jack Vision, also trained by Turco, will race uncoupled from Diamond Joe in the Skunktail. He makes his first start at a mile in this spot and will have Chris Fackler aboard.

Trainer Kelli Martinez will also send out an uncoupled entry in recent maiden winners Mywildirishdream and Franks Delight.