Super Charlie solid in Fonner Park Special

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. – Super Charlie may have run greenly in his career debut but was still able to win at first asking, and now he takes the step up into stakes company Saturday at Fonner Park. Super Charlie heads the colts-and-geldings division of the $25,000-added Fonner Park Special Stakes for 3-year-olds going six furlongs.

Co-featured on the card is the fillies division of the Fonner Special, which has a field of all maidens.

Super Charlie, trained by Jim Cranwell, made his career debut March 22. He came away awkwardly, then lugged in through the stretch but moved off to score by 2 1/2 lengths in a respectable 1:14.60 for six furlongs. He was dismissed at a little more than 9-1 in that race but should be a solid favorite Saturday.

Bazinga Bently was second to Super Charlie in his most recent start but has an experience edge, having made five starts. He started his career at Turf Paradise over the winter, finishing third, second, and seventh in maiden races there. Trained by Bob Rising, Bazinga Bently has been worse than third just once and could easily move up enough to win.

Trainer David Anderson will send out the coupled entry of So Contagious and Dee’s Luck. So Contagious won a maiden race going a half-mile here March 14 in his second start, while Dee’s Luck won at first asking here last Saturday.

In the fillies division, the likely favorite is the Marv Johnson-trained Princept. She made her only start Feb. 21 here, weakening to finish fourth going a half-mile. Princept has put in a pair of three-furlong workouts recently and may be ready to carry her speed all the way in a field of untested fillies.