Slight edge on class to Dr. Kashnikow

An accomplished group of grass horses meet in Saturday's $150,000 John D. Schapiro Memorial Breeders' Cup Handicap at Laurel Park.

There is no standout in the 11-horse field, but several horses have solid credentials, including graded winner Dr. Kashnikow, the leading money earner in the field with $588,791.

Dr. Kashnikow, who is trained by John Fisher, is the class of the field, but certainly not a sure thing.

A strong contender in the 1 1/8-mile Schapiro, whether run on turf or dirt, is Rock Slide, a full brother to Mineshaft, one of the leaders in the handicap division.

The in-form horse is Tam's Terms, a winner of his last five starts for trainer Larry Murray. Tam's Terms takes a step up in class, but has been training super at Laurel since winning the Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial Downs on June 28.

Tam's Terms is coupled in the wagering with Certantee. Horatio Karamanos is named on both of Murray's horses.

"I think Rock Slide is the horse to beat," Murray said.

Deeliteful Irving returns to the races for the first time since winning the Grade 2 Pan American at Gulfstream Park in 2002 and makes his first start for Michael Dickinson, who over the last year has won with 29 percent of his horses coming off layoffs of six months or longer.

Glick, part of a Mark Shuman-trained entry with Sardaukar, and Rock Slide look like the early pacesetters. Sardaukar has suffered a long drought between wins and is coming off a poor effort as the favorite in a Suffolk Downs stakes.

Changeintheweather will be a major factor if the race is switched to the main track. In his last start at Woodbine last month, Changeintheweather finished a well-beaten second in the Grade 3 Dominion Day Handicap. Before that race, he finished second to the recently sidelined Windsor Castle in the Grade 3 William D. Schaefer at Pimlico in May.