Linda's Lace stretches out in bid for three in a row

Linda’s Lace will try to make it three in a row when she faces a tough field of nine Indiana-bred fillies and mares in the $87,000 Francis Slocum Stakes on Saturday at Hoosier Park.

Trained by Bob Zahl, the 7-year-old Linda’s Lace won the local prep for the Merrillville on Aug. 7 and the stakes itself by a neck three weeks later. Both of those events were run at six furlongs, but the Slocum (race 8) will be contested at 1 1/16 miles. Linda’s Lace has an affinity for the Hoosier Park oval, winning 9 of 19 starts and finishing in the money in five of her losses. Linda’s Lace won the Slocum last year after coming from well off the pace. Francisco Torres, aboard for her last two wins, retains the mount.

Two others are coming off statebred stakes victories, both at the same 1 1/16-mile distance.

Alyssa’s Native seems to have rounded into form for trainer George Leonard as she will be coming into the event off two wins as well. On Aug. 22, the 5-year-old Alyssa’s Native won a third-level statebred allowance locally by three lengths. She then ran her lifetime-best Beyer Figure in her last out Sept. 18, winning the Richmond by 2 3/4 lengths going away. Leandro Goncalves, aboard for both of those wins, retains the mount.

Whistlin Jean is the only 3-year-old in the Slocum and comes into the event off a win in the Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes on Oct. 2. Part of a two-horse entry from trainer Mike Lauer, Whistlin Jean earned a Beyer of 80 in the Breeders Sophomore, the highest lifetime Beyer of any horse in the field. Trust N Seven is the other part of the Lauer entry. Eddie Martin Jr. will ride.

Solo Go Go, Bono Queen, Eskimo’s Best, Evenly, and No Sass are also entered. The Francis Slocum will be run on as the eighth race on the card.

* The top two Indiana-bred fillies, the unbeaten Perfectly Candid and once-beaten What About Ruby, will clash in race 7, a $50,000 allowance for 2-year-old fillies going six furlongs. Trained by Merrill Scherer, What About Ruby, winner of the Hillsdale Stakes against males, will get Lasix for the first time after a last-place finish in the Indiana Futurity last out against males.