Meet begins 25-day stand

Fresh off the heels of a successful Horsemen's Park festival, Nebraska racing switches Friday night to Ag Park in Columbus, which will conduct a 25-day run through Sept. 9.

Racing will be conducted Fridays through Sundays the opening four weeks of the meet. Mondays will then be added for the final three weeks. Post time is 6:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays and Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3.

Defending riding champion Dennis Collins returns and is joined by the usual cast of Jerry Carkeek, Yuri Yaranga, Larren Delorme, and Armando Martinez. Apprentice Chris Fackler and journeyman Beth Butler will be new additions to the riding colony.

Defending training champ David Anderson battled with David Grimes for the title at Lincoln this summer, and that same scenario should play out here as each has a good string of horses.

The opening night feature is the $10,000 Inaugural Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, which drew a field of seven.

High Desert Honey should draw heavy support in the six-furlong dash off a strong win last Sunday at Horsemen's Park, her fourth win from as many starts this year.