Local juveniles lead field for Springboard Mile

Shop local. It might be the best approach to the $250,000 Springboard Mile on Sunday because the Remington Park-based Cash Bonus and Suddenbreakingnews are among the most accomplished 2-year-olds in the field of 12.

The Springboard anchors Remington’s closing-day card of five stakes worth a total of $550,000. The program has a first post of 1:30 p.m. Central. Remington will offer a pick four on races 7-10 which features a minimum guaranteed pool of $50,000. The sequence concludes with the Springboard.

Cash Bonus and Suddenbreakingnews will defend their home track against invaders Uncle Brennie, a stakes winner in September at Louisiana Downs, and Esposito, Battle Tap, and Blue Wings, each of whom is coming off a maiden special weight win at either Del Mar or Churchill Downs.

Key contenders

Cash Bonus (Last 3 Beyers: 73-60-65)

The winner of the $75,000 El Joven at a mile in October at Retama Park, he will be stretching back out to two turns following a runner-up finish to Suddenbreakingnews in the $101,000 Clever Trevor on Nov. 6 at Remington.

“He’s a talented colt,” said Bret Calhoun, who trains Cash Bonus for Carl Moore. “He’s developed physically and mentally over the course of the year. He’s more willing to settle and relax, and it’s helped quite a bit.”

Calhoun said Cash Bonus could be a little closer to the pace Sunday than he was in the Clevor Trevor. Cash Bonus, who is coming out of a quick-paced sprint, will break from post 12 under Remington leading rider C.J. McMahon.

“First off, he’s going to be in an outside post,” said Calhoun. “Second off, there’s a good chance the track is going to be off. We could get a wet track, and sometimes you tend to change your tactics a little bit. It could actually work out for him to get in a little better position.”

Suddenbreakingnews (Last 3 Beyers: 74-74-73)

He was a half-length winner of the Clever Trevor, which came in his first start at one turn. Suddenbreakingnews had made a trio of two-turn starts heading into the race, among them a maiden special weight win at a mile Sept. 24 at Remington.

“I wasn’t thrilled about backing up to one turn, but there was a good pace in the race, and he was able to kind of make his way through them down the lane,” said trainer Donnie Von Hemel. “He got there at the very end and was starting, I thought, to kind of draw away from the field after the wire.”

Von Hemel said the added distance Sunday should suit Suddenbreakingnews, a son of Mineshaft.

“He’s going to be going two turns,” he said. “That should be in his favor.”

Luis Quinonez has the mount from the rail for owner Samuel F. Henderson.

Uncle Brennie (Last 3 Beyers: 68-68-71)

A stakes winner on turf, he tried dirt for the first time last out and was third in the $81,000 Street Sense on Nov. 1 at Churchill.

Since that start, Uncle Brennie has worked a bullet half-mile in 47 seconds Dec. 6 at Churchill.

Better Than Magic (Last 3 Beyers: 67-60-66)

The multiple-stakes-placed colt will be the final career mount for jockey Cliff Berry, who is retiring Sunday.

“This horse has been a work in progress the whole year,” said Calhoun, his trainer. “He’s a big horse, and it’s taken him a while to mature mentally and physically. I still think he has maturing to do, and I think he’ll continue to improve. I hope he does kind of peak out for his 2-year-old year this Sunday.”