Pinnacle: Statebreds star

Three-year-old Michigan-bred runners take center stage at Pinnacle Race Course on Monday with a pair of $50,000 stakes races, both at one mile, on the eight-race card. The Ann Arbor Stakes for fillies is the seventh race, while the Dowling for colts and geldings is the final race on the holiday card, which is the first Monday card of the meet.

Wave Pool is 2 for 2 at the meet, including the $50,000 Regret Stakes on opening weekend, July 19. On Aug. 10 she defeated an allowance field of fillies and mares with Freddie Mata in the irons. Mata returns for trainer Ronnie Allen and will break Wave Pool from post 3 in the field of 10. Wave Pool, a daughter of Sea Legs, is owned by Pinnacle's president and CEO, Felicia Campbell, who also bred her.

Clever Idea, who had a rough trip in the Regret, came back on Aug. 8 and won an allowance for trainer Dave Kueffner and owner Steve Prain. Ricardo Barrios gets the call in the Ann Arbor.

Equally Good, victor in the opening day Lansing Stakes, will face nine colts and geldings in the Dowling, which honors James Dowling, whose efforts led to the development of Thoroughbred racing in the state. Equally Good earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 79 that day, the best in this field. He came back to finish third, beaten a head, against older allowance competition on Aug. 15. Ricardo Barrios has the ride back for trainer Bob Gorham and owner Henry Mast.

Bipolar Express, who shipped in from Thistledown to beat Equally Good on Aug. 15, will get the services of leading rider Terry Houghton for the Dowling. Gerald Bennett, the top trainer at the meet, will saddle the homebred Equality gelding for owners Gene and Phyllis Gilmore. He will be looking for his third straight win.