Smokey Stover looms large

Owner Harry Aleo and trainer Greg Gilchrist know where the Turf Paradise winner's circle is. They saw it here last December when they brought in the dazzling Lost in the Fog to win a stakes, and then last Saturday when Victorina easily won the Ahwatukee Express. It looks like they'll follow the path to the winner's circle again this Saturday when heavily favored Smokey Stover runs in the $40,000 Saguaro. The six-furlong event for 3-year-olds lured a field of 11.

Smokey Stover has done little wrong in his career, with 3 wins and 3 seconds in 6 starts. He won a stakes at Golden Gate last April, posting a hefty Beyer Speed figure of 107. He was given time off and came back in late summer with two fine seconds at Del Mar, followed by a sprint victory at Golden Gate on Oct. 1. That win was flattered when the horse he defeated by two lengths, The Pharaoh, came right back to win.

Another invader, Sailors Sunset, rates a long look. He romped in the Foothill at Fairplex on Sept. 8 by more than 11 lengths, earning a Beyer Figure of 102. In his last start, he pressed the pace and faltered in the Grade 3 Perryville at Keeneland on Oct. 13.

Northwest invader See Ya Later Slew comes here riding a three-race winning streak. He debuted here last March but stumbled badly at the start and didn't finish. He was off until August, when he resurfaced at Emerald, and has been dynamite since.

See Ya Later Slew has posted two straight bullet five-furlong works over this track, going in 58.80 seconds on Oct. 20 and 59.60 on Oct. 28.

Keagan also ships in from Emerald but is best known for his work here. He has posted all three of his wins over this track, including the Arizona Juvenile and Fool the Experts here last winter, both sprinting. He also rallied to win the 1 1/16-mile Turf Paradise Derby here in February. His form at Emerald hasn't been as strong, but maybe returning to Turf Paradise can get him back on track.