Well-matched field in Bluegrass

LINCOLN, Neb. - The older filly and mare set has taken turns beating each other in Nebraska this spring, and Saturday's $10,000 Bluegrass Stakes, a six-furlong handicap for fillies and mares, shapes up as a puzzle for bettors.

Cash Cruise, Double Dreamin Deb, and Sweet Fantastic all won stakes last year but have yet to win this year. The addition of upstarts Winduchess, Sandpit Dancer, Zoucha Nutcracker, and Saffron help to muddy the picture even more.

Winduchess has come to hand for trainer Brian Roberts. A 4-year-old daughter of Miracle Heights, she has rattled off three straight allowance victories to move through her lifetime conditions. On opening weekend she won by a half-length at a mile over a sloppy surface.

Sweet Fantastic, trained by David Grimes, and Cash Cruise bring solid credentials to the race. Sweet Fantastic turned in a sharp half-mile work last week and should, as usual, be close to the pace. Cash Cruise might be moving best late into a fast early pace.