The Tabulator unchallenged in Golden Circle Stakes

The Tabulator, a talented 2-year-old making his first start at 3, cruised to an easy win in the $50,000 Golden Circle Stakes on Thursday night at Prairie Meadows.

Shipping in from Chicago for owner Carolyn Wilson and trainer Larry Rivelli, The Tabulator made the lead from the rail under Jose Valdivia Jr., set splits of 22.24 and 45.36 over a sloppy track in the six-furlong race, and blew this sprint race open after turning for home. The Tabulator had a nine-length lead at the stretch call and skipped home a 6 ¼-length winner, clocking 1:10.11 for six furlongs. Land Battle finished second, six lengths in front of Shane Doan in a five-horse field.

The Tabulator, who paid $3 as the odds-on favorite, won his first three starts last year, including victories in the Prairie Gold Circle at this same venue and in the Grade 3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs. He finished a fading fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to conclude his 2-year-old campaign, had winter surgery because of a bone chip in his ankle, and looked just as good upon his Thursday return as he did at his best last year.

The Tabulator is by Dialed In out of Fly to the Stars, by Giant’s Causeway, and was a pricey $460,000 2-year-old in training purchase a little more than a year ago.