Two stakes and a fundraiser

River Downs has only four days left in its 2009 meet. The track's two marquee races, the $100,000 Coca Cola Bassinet and $200,000 Bud Select Cradle, will both be contested this weekend. Ten were entered in Saturday's Bassinet, including the first three finishers in the prep, which was run Aug. 16. Four of the 10 are coming into the race off a maiden win, and Letter of the Law won the $75,000 Turf Starlet at Penn National Aug. 1.

Sandwiched in between the Bassinet and Monday's Cradle will be the Justin Vitek/Gary Birzer fundraiser. Vitek is battling leukemia and Birzer has been paralyzed from the waist down since a 2004 spill at Mountaineer Park. The premier item of a silent auction to benefit Vitek and Birzer is an autographed Jonas Brothers guitar. If you can not be present to bid on the guitar, call John Englehardt at (513) 354-8243 to place your bid.