Retama: Wishingitwas looks ready

A week after trainer Bart Evans won one of the richest stakes of the Retama Park meet with homebred Almost Certain, he will return to stakes action with the colt's half-brother, Wishingitwas, for Saturday night's $40,000 Chick Lang Jr. Memorial.

A one-mile race, the Lang is for open company, but the field of six is stocked with top Texas-bred stakes winners Agrivating General, Charming Socialite, and Oncearoundtwice, all of whom could be prepping for the $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame Stakes at Retama on Oct. 1.

Wishingitwas will be getting back to the distance of his biggest win. He won the $100,000 Metroplex Mile on the Breeders' Cup undercard at Lone Star Park last October, earning a Beyer of 102. Saturday night, he will be returning to action for the first time since May 30.

Wishingitwas last raced in the Grade 3, $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap and finished sixth. A foot bruise led to the layoff, and judging by his recent six-furlong work in a bullet 1:14.20 on Sept. 1, Wishingitwas is on target for the Lang.

"His foot has come along very well," Evans said. "He really worked good the other day, and he usually doesn't lie to you."

Evans looks for a solid effort from Wishingitwas, whose younger brother, Almost Certain, won the $100,000 Ketel One El Joven last Saturday.

"He's run good off of layoffs, and the mile suits him," said Evans, who has given the mount to Jeremy Beasley.