Work All Week, The Pizza Man set for 6-year-old debuts

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Saturday easily will be the biggest day of the year so far for Midwest Thoroughbreds and trainer Roger Brueggemann as their two homebred, Illinois-bred stable stars, Work All Week and The Pizza Man, will make their 6-year-old debuts in separate stakes races at Churchill.

Work All Week, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint last fall and 8 for 8 in his dirt races, will be a huge favorite in the Grade 3, $100,000 Aristides at six furlongs, while The Pizza Man also should be a short price in the $65,000 Opening Verse at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Midwest, owned by Richard and Karen Papiese, has been the leading owner in wins in North America every year since 2010 and currently leads the 2015 standings with 77 wins through Monday.

Saturday entries were to be drawn Wednesday.

** Hazards of Love was a winner yet again, getting a great trip under Jimmy Graham in knocking out the Sunday feature at Churchill for his 24th victory in 67 career starts. Claimed for $10,000 by Maggi Moss in March 2013, the 8-year-old gelding also has 16 seconds and 11 thirds, with his career earnings now at $474,068.

“So incredibly blessed to own Hazards of Love,” Moss wrote on her Twitter account afterward.

** Grant Forster suffered a cruel blow Saturday when Moonlit Stroll had to be euthanized after breaking down in a workout. Forster trained and co-owned the 4-year-old filly who was beaten just a half-length for the win in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff on Derby Day.

** Corey Lanerie was fined $250 but was not penalized otherwise for an incident in the sixth race last Thursday in which his mount, Engaginglee, was disqualified from second to third because Lanerie inadvertently struck an opposing horse with his whip.

** With 19 of 38 days at this spring meet in the books, Lanerie is maintaining a 24-21 lead over Julien Leparoux atop the jockey standings, while the trainer standings are even tighter. Mike Maker has 10 wins, one more than both Dale Romans and Steve Asmussen.

** They don’t get much more scrambled than the finish of the seventh race here Sunday, when North of Oswego somehow held on to win the $15,000 conditioned-claiming race at 13-1 under Joe Rocco Jr. Only two lengths separated the top six finishers.

** Agent di Nozzo, a 23-1 winner of a Derby Day allowance over Cat Burglar and Bradester, could return June 7 in another allowance, said trainer Steve Margolis.