My Secret Star tops Journal Star

My Secret Star and Heso, both stakes winners this year, head a field of six for the $15,000 Journal Star Stakes at six furlongs at Lincoln.

My Secret Star is a double stakes winner this year. Trained by Milton Gaede, he is the likely favorite in this spot with a mark of 3 wins from 4 starts in 2007. After an entry-level allowance win at Fonner Park this spring in his first race of the year, My Secret Star took both the Bachman Stakes and the Baxter Stakes, defeating Heso in the latter. Regular rider Beth Butler is sidelined by injury and Larren Delorme steps up to get the mount from post 4.

Heso set the pace in the Baxter Stakes but drifted out on the far turn and finished second to My Secret Star. He rebounded with a six-length win in the $30,000 Fonner Special Stakes for the richest win of any horse in this field. He moved from the care of Larry Donlin during his Fonner Park campaign and has been with trainer Kelly Von Hemel at Prairie Meadows since then for owner Richard Galyen. He's turned in a pair of good five-furlong works leading up to the race and should be a strong factor from near the pace. Heso breaks from post 5 and has Dennis Collins set to ride.

Grand Cherokee, a maiden claiming winner at Fair Grounds over the winter, is the unknown factor. He has shown speed against claiming company at Churchill Downs and Arlington Park in his last two starts but has tired after a half-mile. The speed-favoring nature of this track could make him an upset threat. R.D. Williams has the ride.