Lincoln: Diamond Joe looks solid in Breeders' Special

Diamond Joe should rule a heavy favorite in a field of Nebraska-bred 3-year-olds in the colts and geldings division of the $20,000 Lincoln Breeders’ Special going six furlongs on Saturday at Lincoln Race Course.

Diamond Joe, trained by Chuck Turco, is on a four-race win streak and he has proven himself classy enough to be odds-on for a fifth straight win. He romped over open company here May 19 in the Journal Star Stakes, drawing off to win by nine lengths as the 2-5 favorite. His rivals Saturday each has no more than a maiden win to his credit, while Diamond Joe has racked up a career mark of 5-3-0 from 10 starts.

A son of Dazzling Falls, Diamond Joe showed his versatility in the Fonner Park Special on April 28. That day he was cut off at the start and dropped far back early. Before going a quarter-mile he had gotten within eight lengths of the lead, and then looped the field through the far turn to draw off by more than six lengths. As a 2-year-old, Diamond Joe took his time developing but put it all together to win his maiden in his fifth start, galloping home by 12 lengths to win the Columbus Futurity in mid-September. Jake Olesiak, who has been aboard for all but one of his starts, will again be in the saddle.

Maiden winner A Fair Affair and Blumesday were a nose apart in their most recent start here May 13, and either could complete the bottom half of the exacta. A Fair Affair dueled through a contested pace that day, and then just held off the rally of Blumesday by a nose. A Fair Affair has since transferred to the barn of trainer Anne Warner, while Blumesday is conditioned by Tom Garry.