Sleepy Eyes Todd back for shot at Bosselman repeat

Sleepy Eyes Todd has literally been around the world and back since he won the Bosselman Pump and Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes a year ago at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Neb.

The horse has landed in the entries for this year’s running, a $75,000 renewal that has drawn a full field of 10 for Saturday. The Bosselman/Fonner is the richest race of the meet, and it is being showcased on a 10-race program that starts at 1:30 p.m. Central.

The race is run over 1 1/16 miles, which is a three-turn configuration at Fonner.

Sleepy Eyes Todd was a 6 1/2-length winner of last year’s Bosselman/Fonner in a performance that put him on a path to races overseas. He went on to win the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, the $150,000 Lafayette at Keeneland, and the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream Park following the trip to Nebraska.

Sleepy Eyes Todd made one more start stateside – running fourth in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream – before heading overseas and running fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup on Feb. 20 and 10th in the $12 million Dubai World Cup in his most recent start March 27.

Sleepy Eyes Todd has earned more than $1.8 million. Miguel Silva trains the horse for Thumbs Up Racing. Sleepy Eyes Todd, who is 5, will break from post 9 under Jake Olesiak. The horse wired his rivals in last year’s Bosselman/Fonner after breaking from post 3.

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Mo Mosa is looking for his first win of the year following some close calls at Oaklawn. He was second by a nose in a conditioned allowance at 1 1/16 miles in January. Mo Mosa played runner-up one start later in another allowance in March, earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 91. A repeat of that performance would put him right in the mix Saturday.

Armando Martinez has the mount from post 6 for breeders and owners Perry Martin and Denise Martin and trainer Mike Maker.

Earlier in the meet, Martinez reached 2,000 career victories between Canada and the United States. He had won 2,017 races from 18,049 mounts through Wednesday. Those mounts have earned a collective $11.9 million. Martinez has won a slew of stakes in Nebraska, including four last year at Fonner.

The multiple stakes winner Minecraft Maniac starts his season in the Bosselman/Fonner. The race will be his first out since September. The horse’s last win came at 1 1/16 miles, in the Cyclones Handicap in August at Prairie Meadows. Minecraft Maniac shows some strong works for his return for trainer Doug Anderson.

Fonner’s program features full fields, with 94 horses entered Saturday.