Stablemates bring contrasting styles to Monday feature

Violent Fit and Shell Locket give trainer Sean Foley a one-two pace punch in the featured sixth race Monday at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Neb.

The horses bring contrasting running styles into the one-mile conditioned allowance. It is for fillies and mares who have never won two races. The race has drawn eight.

Violent Fit has settled just off the pace in each of her last two starts, running fourth and then second at this level. Both came at six furlongs at Fonner.

Shell Locket has utilized closing tactics in her races, twice finishing third at this level in a pair of six-furlong starts at Fonner. The races were her first over the local strip.

Foley, meanwhile, is a longtime regular in Nebraska.

“Sean has been racing at Fonner since 1987,” said Chris Kotulak, chief executive officer of Fonner.

Violent Fit has moved forward with each of her starts at the meet and her last-out runner-up finish came over Shell Locket. Violent Fit’s natural speed should serve her well as she seeks to secure position from post 8. Freddy Manrrique has the mount on the New York-bred daughter of Violence.

Shell Locket will be making the third start of her form cycle Monday. She launched her season April 15 at Fonner, when closing from next-to-last in the conditioned allowance. One start later, Shell Locket came from nearly 10 lengths back in her second local allowance appearance on May 4.

Shell Locket won her maiden at a distance similar to Monday’s trip, in a 1 1/16-mile race last June at Prairie Meadows. She is a daughter of Ice Box and the mare Love Locket, who won three stakes races and earned $190,619. Shell Locket is a half-sister to Ghost Locket, a two-time stakes winner and earner of $405,172.

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Scott Bethke has the mount from post 3.

Foley is a co-owner of Shell Locket and the sole owner of Violent Fit.

Others making up the field include last-out maiden winners Dixie Cat, Banker Nita, and Gypsy Wind Jeanne. The three horses had invaded from Oaklawn.

Dixie Cat is an Arkansas-bred and half-sister to Dixie Flyer, who twice placed in stakes at Fonner. Banker Nita also was bred in Arkansas, while Gypsy Wind Jeanne won at a mile at Fonner.

Goveness Sheila is a daughter of Govenor Charlie and the Grade 3-winning mare Sheila’s Prospect, who earned $482,500.