Swift colt big edge in local bow

LINCOLN, Neb. - Thundering Verzy makes his Lincoln debut and should be the overwhelming choice in a compact field of five gathered for the $10,000 Journal Star Stakes for 3-year-olds at six furlongs.

A son of Verzy, Thundering Verzy suffered his first defeat in Nebraska when he was a solid second to Okie Style in the Nebraska Derby at Fonner Park on May 8. Before that, Thundering Verzy, a multiple stakes winner, had won the Fonner Park Special Stakes against statebreds in an impressive performance.

As a juvenile, Thundering Verzy was 3 for 3 at Columbus last fall, capturing the Club House Special Columbus Futurity Stakes. He then journeyed to Turf Paradise to finish out his 2-year-old campaign with a seventh in the Arizona Juvenile. He has not missed a check since then, compiling a 4-2-1 mark from 10 starts.

Armando Martinez will again ride Thundering Verzy for trainer Phil Storms from post 4.

Sunday Trigger last faced Thundering Verzy on April 17. Having tracked Thundering Verzy's pace in the Fonner Park Special but fading to third through the stretch, he makes his return here. Don Frazier will ride for trainer David Anderson from post 1.

Metts Reward and Bevys Boy were early pace factors in the one-mile Nebraska Derby. Bevys Boy faded to fourth, beaten 10 lengths, while Metts Reward finished fifth, beaten 12 1/2 lengths. Jerry Carkeek rides Bevys Boy from post 5, while Greg Schaefer has the mount on Metts Reward from post 1.

Sharpeshifter makes his stakes debut for trainer F. L. Downey with R. D. Williams aboard in post 2.