William Henry Harrison a rich opportunity for Double Tuff

The $100,000 William Henry Harrison is a six-furlong dirt race for Indiana-sired horses. Let that sink in for a second. The pool of talented horses at a particular distance that were sired by stallions that stand in Indiana is not a deep one, and yet available to this very restricted population is a $100,000 purse.

With that in mind, one can imagine the thinking with Double Tuff, who has drawn the outside post among nine horses entered in the 2017 edition of the Harrison on Wednesday at Indiana Grand. Double Tuff, a 4-year-old, returned from a long layoff in February, then raced once a month through June 27. Since then, trainer Gary Simms has merely trained Double Tuff, who should enter this golden opportunity a fresh horse.

Double Tuff, 4-1 on the morning line, is good enough to capitalize. He’s been third or better in six of seven Indiana Grand starts, his lone misfire coming in a two-turn race apparently beyond his scope. Double Tuff beat open first-level allowance sprinters this spring at Oaklawn, was compromised by trouble in his most recent sprint against Indiana-breds, and has the right stalk-and-pounce style to sit in a perfect spot just behind a quick, contested pace.

Even if all goes as planned, Double Tuff still has to handle relatively formidable competition, including two horses from the barn of trainer Cipriano Contreras. The Contreras pair is Operation Stevie and Supreme Justice, and both horses are having an excellent Indiana Grand meet.

Supreme Justice has won five starter-allowance races in a row this summer, seeming to grow stronger with every start, but Operation Stevie holds slightly more appeal. Operation Stevie raced outside Indiana-restricted company in his most recent race, which came July 12. Like Double Tuff, he has been pointed to this race, and Operation Stevie has posted a strong work pattern for his return.

Success Is Racing won the 2016 Harrison, with Operation Stevie second, and he is not without a chance to repeat. Success Is Racing cuts back in distance from two routes and returns to dirt after two turf tries, and both changes should help him.

Lots of speed in Shelby County

On paper, there is simply too much speed entered in the $100,000 Shelby County, the sister race to the Harrison. The six-furlong dash for fillies and mares includes at least three horses that figure to be committed to the front end, as well as a 2-1 morning-line favorite unproven at the distance.

She Mabee Wild, the morning-line favorite, would look solid were the Shelby County contested at a distance between seven furlongs and 1 1/16 miles, but She Mabee Wild hasn’t raced at a trip this short in 11 starts and rallied too late to get home when she last did so in the Merrillville Stakes last summer at Indiana Grand.

Joyous Lady is twice the price on the morning line, possesses the right style to take advantage of the likely race shape, and has plenty of quickness for races in the six-furlong range. She fits the spot well enough that she won the 2016 Shelby County by more than four lengths, and trainer Randy Klopp, who co-owns Joyous Lady, has given his mare a nice breather since she won an open second-level allowance race July 1 at Indiana Grand.

Hay Little Bit finished a distant second to Joyous Lady in last summer’s race and could get the right trip to rally for a top-three placing at attractive odds again Wednesday.

The Shelby County goes as race 6, with a scheduled post time of 4:25 Eastern, and is immediately followed by the Harrison.