Raise the Reward returns

Raise the Reward, last year's 2-year-old champion in Ohio, will be among 10 Ohio-bred 3-year-olds to go to post in the $50,000 Howard B. Noonan at Beulah Park.

Trained by Tim Hamm, Raise the Reward makes his first start of 2009 in the six-furlong Noonan. Last season, Raise the Reward won the Hoover at River Downs and ran second in the Cleveland Kindergarten and Best of Ohio Juvenile at Thistledown, while earning almost $65,000, by far the most of any starter in the field. Azael Deleon will ride.

Brother Terry looks to be the favorite, and Runningforspeight also figures to be well-backed.

Trained by Donn Rowe, Brother Terry also will be making his 2009 debut. In his last out on Oct. 25 at Beulah, Brother Terry won the one-mile Ohio Freshman by 19 1/4 lengths. It was the first time Brother Terry ran on Lasix.

Brother Terry, a son of Forest Gazelle, was very impressive winning a starter allowance at Calder on Sept. 20. He won the 6 1/2-furlong event by 2 1/2 lengths and earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest in the Noonan field. Leading rider Edgar Paucar will ride, and that jockey-trainer combination has won at a 30 percent clip at Beulah.

Runningforspeight also is trained by Hamm and has campaigned this year at Gulfstream Park. In his first race, which came Feb. 2, Runninforspeight ran second in a maiden special weight, earning a 73 Beyer. In his last out, March 21, he finished last on an off track.

Hamm worked the son of Speightstown on April 4 at Keeneland, and the horse went four furlongs in 48 seconds, the 15th fastest of 102 works at that distance. Ariel Smith, his regular rider, will ship in to ride.