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Owner Ziba Graham, trainer Doug Cowans, and jockey Dean Sarvis have won a pair of stakes here the last few weeks, the $50,000 Hoover last Saturday with No Garlic and the $55,000 Cincinnatian two weeks ago with Festive Girl.

No Garlic, a 2-year-old colt, and Festive Girl, a 3-year-old filly, are full siblings bred by Graham. They were each sired by Habayeb and are out of Yellow Springs, a 19-year-old mare who has produced eight foals. Two of her other foals, M & Em and Cait, are stakes placed.

Cowans, 35, is having a banner year, winning at a 42-percent clip. Cowans says there are several reasons for the success.

“I’ve got great owners with solid horses that give me the time to develop them,” he said. “We’ve got a great crew of exercise riders, and my head groom, Jorge Hernandez, has been with me for nine years now.

“Combine all of that with some fine rides and some good racing luck and these are the results you can get.”

Cowans actually has won the last three Ohio-bred stakes he has entered. That’s a Heck of a Cat won the $75,000 Cleveland Gold Cup on July 3 at Thistedown. Cowans will try and make make it four in a row this Saturday with Country Club Sue in the $75,000 Norm Barron Queen City Oaks.

The family of the late Norm Barron have decided to give an annual donation of $5,000 to the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund and will present it at the race named in his honor. Barron was a member of the Ohio Racing Commission for 20 years and served as its chairman for 6 years. Barron recently passed away at the age of 74.

– John McDulin

Evangeline

Friday night’s featured eighth race drew a competitive field of 10 starter allowance runners slated to go five furlongs on the turf.

Not too Proud, fourth-place finisher in the $50,000 Louisiana Showcase Starter Stakes in his turf debut earlier this month, rates as the one to beat. He has come to hand for trainer Kenward Bernis and finished a good second while almost 60-1 in a second-level optional claimer in mid-June. With more experience going one turn, the cut back from 7 1/2 furlongs and two turns in the Showcase Starter to Friday’s sprint distance should suit him well. David Bourque will ride.

The ever-powerful Keith Bourgeois stable will be represented by Bonus Plus. The 6-year-old Gold Tribute gelding will be making his first start on the grass. He comes off a near miss in a statebred nonwinners-other-than allowance test July 9. Prior to that effort, Bonus Plus reported home second in a starter allowance that was originally scheduled for the turf but was moved to the main track due to rain. Regular rider John Jacinto will again ride.

◗ The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders 2010 summer mixed sale is slated for Sunday, Aug. 8 at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette, La. The sale begins at 10 a.m. and will consist of weanlings, yearlings, 2-year-olds, and horses of racing age, as well as broodmares and broodmare prospects. For more information, contact call (337) 896-6152 or visit www.latbsc.webs.com.

– Jeff Taylor

Lincoln

Lincoln Race Course wraps up its first season under the management of Omaha Exposition and Racing this weekend with encouraging numbers. Last year, the track held a 37-day season under the guidance of the Nebraska State Fair Board. A 32-day meet this year will see nearly identical numbers for total ontrack handle, and offtrack wagering on the live product will surpass last year’s figure on Friday night.

The elimination of several Thursday cards during this year’s meet resulted in an increase in handle on the other three cards each week. Entering Friday’s card, Lincoln had total ontrack handle of $1,943,764, and a daily average of $69,420, despite losing the majority of the Sunday, June 20 card when live racing was canceled after the second race due to track conditions. Last year’s total ontrack handle was $2,280,543 for a daily average of $61,636.

Offtrack handle on the live product stands at $1,199,389, or an average of $42,835 per day. Last year, off-track sources totaled $1,204,202 for a daily average of $32,546.

◗ Chuck Turco has opened a 10-win lead in the trainer standings and will capture his second straight title in the state after also winning at Fonner Park. Jordan Olesiak has moved back in front of his brother in the jockey standings with 36 wins. Luis Ranilla closed the gap last weekend and is tied for second with Jake Olesiak at 33 wins, while Jesus Ponce is close behind with 31.

◗ The closing day feature on Sunday will be the richest race of the meet, the $25,000-added Capital City Futurity at six furlongs. Local favorite Another Bumper will likely face a full field that could include several shippers. Seven 2-year-olds were made eligible through supplemental nominations earlier this month, including a handful of Prairie Meadows winners.

– Bill Hodtwalker

Ruidoso Downs:

Runnning Brook Gal, the champion 2-year-old Quarter Horse of 2009, will make her first start of the year Friday at Ruidoso Downs. She goes in the third race, a $25,000 optional claiming race for fillies and mares that will be run over 350 yards. Runnning Brook Gal won the All American Futurity last year at Ruidoso.

The race Friday will be Runnning Brook Gal’s first start since Nov. 29, when she won the Grade 1 Southwest Juvenile Championship at Zia Park. She was freshened after that race, and in recent times has been working at Ruidoso.

“She’s doing good,” said Paul Jones, who trains Runnning Brook Gal for A & C Racing and Roping.

Jones said the stakes goals for Runnning Brook Gal this year include the Grade 1, $1.5 million All American Derby at Ruidoso on Sept. 5, and the Grade $1, $1 million Los Alamitos Super Derby on Nov. 6. Trials for the All American Derby are Aug. 20.

Runnning Brook Gal has registered four of her six career wins at Ruidoso. Ramon Sanchez has the mount Friday.

◗ Love Samba, who finished fifth as the favorite in last year’s All American Futurity, was the fastest qualifier for the Grade 1, $873,441 Rainbow Derby during last week’s trials at Ruidoso. The finale is July 24. Love Samba won her 440-yard trial in 20.99 seconds.

– Mary Rampellini