Turf rookie heads Horizon field

Clever Jimmy C leads a field of eight entered in Sunday's $40,000 Horizon Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for Ohio-accredited 3-year-olds, at River Downs.

The Horizon is an interesting puzzle for handicappers, as none of the entrants has won over the grass, and six of the eight, including Clever Jimmy C, have never tried the surface.

Clever Jimmy C enters the Horizon off a fifth-place finish in the $100,000 Cleveland Gold Cup at Thistledown on July 5. Clever Jimmy C's best races have come when he stalks the early pace, and he should find Sunday's company much easier than in his last.

Clever Jimmy C was bred and is owned and trained by Charlotte Hall. Clever Jimmy C sports a record of 3-2-4 from 14 career starts. Steve Capeles will ride him for the first time on Sunday.

Woodburner is one of only two stakes winners entered in the Horizon. He led throughout and held on for a half-length victory over Clever Jimmy C in the Rollin on Over at six furlongs on April 12 at Beulah Park.

Woodburner has won 3 of 6 career starts, including his latest just nine days ago, when he defeated allowance company by 7 1/4 lengths in a six-furlong statebred race at Thistledown. In his only try around two turns, however, Woodburner finished fifth for trainer Austin Smith, who is winning at a 29 percent clip in 2003. Jeff Johnston has the call aboard Woodburner.