Prove Yourself climbs back up

Prove Yourself occasionally does just that. Although a winner in just 4 of 38 lifetime starts, Prove Yourself has won 2 of his last 5, a pattern of improvement that should make the 6-year-old gelding a contender again Sunday when the feature race rolls around at Turfway Park.

Based at the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, Ky., Prove Yourself finally made it through his first allowance condition last summer when he scored over the Ellis Park turf. After being overmatched in three subsequent starts, Prove Yourself was dropped into a $32,500 claiming route at Turfway on Dec. 12 by Ron Pellegrini, and the gelding responded with a 5 1/2-length triumph that was worth a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.

That kind of number should make him a player Sunday, when he will go postward as part of a large field in the 10th of 12 races. The 1 1/16-mile Polytrack race carries a $26,000 purse and is restricted to second-level allowance horses with a $40,000 claiming provision.

Richard Monterrey has the mount on Prove Yourself.

Other contenders in the Sunday feature include Fri Guy, a one-time Breeders' Cup starter who surely needed his latest race when beaten nearly 25 lengths; Timeless Fashion, who has never run a bad race in five career starts; and Buckeye Buddy, a rallying winner over the Turfway Poly for these same conditions on Dec. 6.

Cabazon is a likely scratch after being entered in a softer spot Monday at Turfway. His defection would allow Chicago shipper Roadster to get into the race as the lone also-eligible from the 13 horses entered.

* The Sunday card will mark the third of 10 consecutive days of racing (including Monday and Tuesday, which are normally dark) at Turfway in Florence, Ky. All 10 cards through Jan. 4 will begin at 1:10 p.m. Eastern. After a two-day break, racing will resume Jan. 7, with weekday post time reverting to the usual 5:30 p.m. and weekend cards staying at 1:10.

In the meantime, the holiday meet will conclude with the Wednesday program, with the winter-spring meet starting Thursday. The distinction is made only because of technicalities necessitated by the change of calendar years.

* Because Turfway lost a nine-race card on Dec. 21 due to weather, those races will be made up by running an extra race or two through Wednesday.