Lou Lou Larue a big favorite

Fonner Park closes its 31-day season Saturday with two divisions of the $25,000-added Fonner Park Special Stakes for Nebraska-bred 3-year-olds.

The races, one for fillies and the other for colts and geldings, are run at six furlongs, but the similarities end there. Lou Lou Larue should rule a heavy favorite in the fillies division while the colts and geldings division features a wide-open field of seven.

Lou Lou Larue was the state s top 2-year-old filly last year after winning both of her career starts against males in stakes company. In her first start this year, she was second in the Pepsi Stakes against fillies and then returned on April 17 to finish fourth against the boys in the Baxter Stakes. She faces mostly maiden company in this spot and should be primed for a winning effort. Trainer Chuck Turco has named Damon Leeds to ride.

The colts and geldings division is headed by Larry Staroscik s Bach s Homebrew. Bach s Homebrew won his maiden at Remington Park last fall and is stakes placed in his three starts this year. Following a fourth in the half-mile Bachman Stakes, Bach s Homebrew rallied to take an entry-level allowance at Fonner on April 2. He made a strong move through the far turn of the Baxter Stakes but settled for third in that race.

The lone maiden in the race will command respect as trainer Tim Gleason ships in Frank Dracman from Prairie Meadows. Frank Dracman has not finished worse than third in his four maiden races and comes off a two-length defeat when second in Iowa on April 26.

Cherishistheword was second to the filly Lou Lou Larue in his two starts last year and has returned as that same consistent sort this year. Cherishistheword won his maiden in his second start this season for Turco and then was second to Bach s Homebrew in the April 2 allowance. His most recent race was April 24, when he defeated entry-level allowance company.