Mountaineer: Flint holding two aces

Kentucky-based trainer Bernie Flint has the horse with the best last-race Beyer Speed Figure and the defending champion lined up for the $75,000 Slipton Fell Handicap at Mountaineer Race Track.

Discreet Hero, who has posted triple-digit Beyers in three of his four starts at Mountaineer, is coupled with Ask the Lord, who won last year's mile and 70-yard Slipton Fell with a 100 Beyer.

Flint has named Chad Murphy as the rider of both Discreet Hero and Ask the Lord, an indication that he intends to run only one.

Discreet Hero, a front-runner, comes off a 4 3/4-length allowance win at Mountaineer, earning a 103 Beyer over a sloppy track. Since last October, Discreet Hero has won three stakes, including the Mountaineer Mile.

Ask the Lord, 8, has won twice this season against non-stakes company. He has been no better than third in his last five stakes, including the Memorial Day Handicap on the turf at Mountaineer on May 30.

Be Like Mike, winless since taking the West Virginia Governor's Handicap in August 2003, will be making the third start of his form cycle and stretching out off two sprint races in Kentucky.

X Country narrowly lost the Slipton Fell to Docent two years ago. Now 7, X Country missed the entire 2004 season and has started just once this year, finishing fourth in a money allowance at Churchill Downs three weeks ago.