Lincoln track report

LINCOLN, Neb. - Owner-trainer Herb Riecken has always had a tremendous amount of success in stakes at State Fair Park. On Sunday, Riecken picked up his first win in the six-furlong President's Cup Handicap with Buzz Bar, an 8-year-old who had not raced in over 14 months.

Buzz Bar and High Dice have been Riecken's premier runners over the past few years. On Sunday the two were in the same race for the first time since High Dice won the 2001 Big Red Mile. Buzz Bar went on the shelf in May 2001 for knee surgery and made one appearance last year, finishing a fast-closing third in the Tondi-Budweiser Handicap in April at Fonner Park.

High Dice remains one of the top route horses in the state, while Buzz Bar has been slowly making his return to the races. On Sunday, Buzz Bar looked like his former self, reeling in the pacesetting favorite Tonight Rainbow to win going away by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:13.80 for the six furlongs.

Although that is the slowest winning time of the President's Cup since 1994, this year's track surface has produced consistently slow times. Buzz Bar's time has been bettered by only three horses at this meet, with the fastest time 1:13.40.

* Jockey Dennis Collins sustained a mild neck sprain in Sunday's third race when his mount, Bud Man Bill, ducked into the gap between the temporary railing and main track at the start of the six-furlong race. Collins was transported to Lincoln General but X-rays revealed no serious injuries, and he was expected back in the saddle on Thursday.

* Jerry Carkeek leads the rider standings, 36 to 31, over Armando Martinez. Collins remains in third with 26 wins for the meet. Fonner Park's top trainer David Anderson has assumed a commanding lead in the standings here, with a 24-9 lead over Gene DeRoin.