Mile a question mark for all six in Rattlesnake

PHOENIX - Sunday's $50,000 Rattlesnake Stakes at Turf Paradise is uncharted waters for the six 3-year-olds in the field, none of whom has run as far as the one-mile distance of the race. Those who run well in this two-turn stakes can move on to the $100,000 Turf Paradise Derby on Feb. 9.

White Spar, trained by Kevin Lewis, has flashed considerable talent. A son of Benton Creek, White Spar rallied from well back to be second in his debut here Nov. 16 and then won the Arizona Breeders Futurity in the slop on Dec. 1 by 5 1/2 lengths.

He came back in the Dec. 29 Lost in the Fog. White Spar stalked the pace and battled gamely to the wire, only to come up a neck short of the talented El Mirage while still 5 3/4 lengths clear of third.

With crack Euro miler Septieme Ciel as his grandsire and multiple Grade 1 route winner Turkoman as his damsire, the distance should suit White Spar. Sandi Gann retains the mount.

Sharp Sounds has raced almost as far as a mile, having won a 7 1/2-furlong maiden race on the turf here by a half-length at 32-1. To prove it was no fluke, he came right back on the turf again and rallied to beat allowance foes here Dec. 15. The way Sharp Sounds ran certainly indicates the extra half-furlong should be no trouble. The issue is whether he's a turf horse or can run as well on dirt. Adolfo Morales, up for Sharp Sounds's two victories, is back aboard.

Ez Dreamer, trained by Kory Owens, beat White Spar Nov. 16 in handy fashion. But he finished well behind him in the Arizona Breeders Futurity and the Lost in the Fog. Ez Dreamer was farther back than usual in those two races and with a bullet 59.00-second work here Jan.o15, he may show more speed on the stretch-out. Glenn Corbett rides Ez Dreamer for the first time.