Student Council to go in Connally

Student Council, the winner of last year's Grade 1 Pacific Classic, will make a rare appearance on turf Saturday night when he starts as the 120-pound highweight in the Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap at Sam Houston Race Park.

The Connally is one of three turf stakes that will close out the meet. The $50,000, five-furlong Turf Sprint drew Golden Hare, a winner of his last seven starts, and the multiple stakes-winning mare Smitty's Sunshine. The $50,000 Jersey Lily is for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf, and the field of 12 is led by New Edition.

Student Council was one of eight horses entered in the Connally, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up, on Wednesday. He drew post 4, and Quincy Hamilton has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Student Council is moving back to the Midwest after competing in Southern California, where he finished sixth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 1. He has made four career starts on turf, with his best effort a third-place finish. Student Council breezed a half-mile in 49.40 seconds at Sam Houston last Sunday.

The complete Connally field, from the rail with riders, is Eighteenthofmarch, Rodney Prescott; Wise River, Willie Martinez; Scrappy Roo, Paul Nolan; Student Council; Embossed, Larry Melancon; Going Ballistic, Cliff Berry; Mr. Unstoppable, Bobby Walker Jr.; and Firerock Base, Curt Bourque.

The Connally will go as the seventh of 10 races, with a scheduled post of 9:36 p.m. Central.