Pure Star set for stakes debut

Pure Star continues her ascent up the class ladder when she faces seven other fillies and mares in the $15,000, six-furlong Bluegrass Stakes at Lincoln Race Course.

Pure Star, trained by Tom Pojar, has two wins and a second from her three starts this year. She opened the season April 9 with an allowance win, then returned to finish a neck behind Gracie Jane against optional claiming company. She made her Lincoln debut on May 23 with a romping 5 1/2-length win over top-level allowance runners, the bulk of whom return in this spot.

Pure Star appears the speed of the speed in this spot and should be well-backed as she seeks her first stakes win. A lightly raced 6-year-old, Pure Star has a mark of 4-3-2 from 10 starts in a career that began with her victory over maiden special weight company at Keeneland in 2007.

Dazzling Seville, runner-up in this race a year ago, matched strides with Pure Star for about three furlongs in their May 23 meeting before fading to fourth, beaten 8 3/4 lengths. Trained by Cheryl LeGrande, Dazzling Seville opened her season with a win in the Orphan Kist Stakes at Fonner Park on March 20 and did not race again until two weeks ago.

Plaer's Trump rallied to be second to Pure Star in her first start of the year on May 23 and should improve second time out for trainer Herb Riecken. Plaer's Trump was third in this race in 2008, then went winless in four starts last year. Plaer's Trump, a 6-year-old, was the model of consistency prior to her 2009 season and owns a career mark of 7-4-1 from 19 starts.