Lincoln: Familiar foes face off in Breeders' Special

The top three finishers, separated by a head, from the Fonner Park Special Stakes on April 28 meet again Saturday as a short field of five 3-year-old Nebraska-bred fillies will go six furlongs in the $20,000 Breeders’ Special at Lincoln Race Course.

Bumper’s Shadow, a nose short of winning her maiden in the Fonner Special, has since rattled off a pair of convincing victories, but will be facing the strong 1-2 punch of Jim Cranwell’s duo of Precious Affair and Classy Affair who both ship down from Canterbury Park in Minnesota for this race.

Bumper’s Shadow returned off that narrow loss in the Fonner Special to win her maiden here by eight lengths on May 19. In her last start, she convincingly handled entry-level allowance company by four lengths June 3 and appears on top of her game.

Precious Affair, the Fonner Special winner, was off until June 17, when she prompted the pace to upper stretch before fading against older allowance company at Canterbury. Classy Affair raced last weekend, when she set the pace going 7 1/2 furlongs on the Canterbury turf before weakening to fifth, beaten six lengths. The duo will be uncoupled in the wagering for this event, although both are homebreds owned by Cranwell.

Completing the field are maidens Lil Girl, trained by John Muckey; and Heartbreak Warfare for trainer Sean Foley. Lil Girl was second in her career debut June 2 and then returned to finish a solid fourth in her last start. Heartbreak Warfare made a belated run in her career debut June 16 and will be making her second start.