Pish has two aiming at stakes

April's Picture and Good Fairy will be auditioning for stakes roles in next month's Stars of Texas Day program when they run in separate races Saturday at Lone Star Park. Danny Pish trains both horses, and said April's Picture could develop into a candidate for the $75,000 Assault, while Good Fairy is under consideration for the $100,000 division of the Texas Stallion Stakes. The races are July 10.

But the first order of business, Pish said, comes Saturday. April's Picture will take on open company in the second race, a first-level allowance at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf. He was second at the same condition May 16, in what was his first start on turf. Pish switched surfaces with April's Picture in order to get the right two-turn race for the horse. If he goes back in the Assault, April's Picture will be running 1 1/16 miles on dirt.

"The distance races on the grass will fill 3-to-1 over the dirt, and so that's why we wound up on the grass, because we wanted the distance," Pish said. "I was really pleased to see that he handled the grass well. Now, I have more opportunities to run."

April's Picture is coupled with Neon Bullet, who Pish said is a horse that appears to be at his best on the grass. Junior Chacaltana has the mount, while Sidney LeJeune will ride April's Picture.

Good Fairy returns to the maiden ranks after a fourth-place finish to Lady Giacamo in a division of the Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Futurity.

* Lone Star on Saturday will be holding a qualifier for the Daily Racing Form/National Thoroughbred Racing Association Handicapping Championship and drew a capacity 450 horseplayers for the competition. The finale is Jan. 28-29 in Las Vegas.