Plain Ol' Willard tries to stay hot in Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial

Plain Ol’ Willard, who ended a 12-race losing streak by winning back-to-back stakes earlier this fall, will try to retain his sharp form when he makes his first start in nearly two months in Saturday’s $50,000 Ruff/Kirchberg Memorial Handicap for Ohio-accredited horses at Mahoning Valley Racecourse.

A deep closer, the 4-year-old Plain Ol’ Willard came from last of 11 to win the 1 1/16-mile Catlaunch at ThistleDown in September and rallied from last of 14 to capture the 1 1/4-mile Best of Ohio Endurance on a muddy track at Belterra Park on Oct. 11. He is likely to catch a wet track again in Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile stakes.

Plain Ol’ Willard’s uncoupled stablemate, Uncle Virgil, won last year’s Ruff/Kirchberg by two lengths but is struggling through an 0-for-10 campaign this year and was no match when he faced Plain Ol’ Willard in the last two starts for both horses.

The key threats in the seven-horse field look like the 3-year-old Jac’s Fact, stretching out from six furlongs after a near miss six days earlier, and Key Low, a 9-year-old gelding who was second in this stakes last year and in 2009.

KEY CONTENDERS

Plain Ol’ Willard (Last 3 Beyers: 74-67-61)

◗ He was fourth in this race a year ago as a 3-year-old. In three starts coming off similar layoffs, Plain Ol’ Willard shows a win at 1-2 in last year’s Horizon at Beulah Park.

Jac’s Fact (Last 3 Beyers: 81-69-63)

◗ He comes off a career-high 81 Beyer Speed Figure in a sprint against open company last Sunday. He was the runner-up to Plain Ol’ Willard in each of his two previous starts going long.

◗ The concern is trainer Ivan Vazquez’s 0-for-18 record over the past five years with horses making their second start off a layoff while switching from sprints to routes.

Key Low (Last 3 Beyers: 27-62-58)

◗ He outran his 34-1 odds to lose by just two lengths in this race a year ago. The last time he returned from a similar layoff going long, Key Low led until deep stretch of the 1 1/8-mile George Lewis Memorial in July, finishing 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Plain Ol’ Willard.