Trainer Tim Hamm holds a very strong hand when he will saddle six of the nine Ohio-bred 2-year-old fillies in the $50,000, six-furlong Miss Ohio Stakes at Thistledown. Four of the Hamm-trained fillies will be coupled in the wagering.
Hamm saddles the lone winner in the race, Startin Something, who won the Tah Dah Stakes at River Downs on July 24. Prior to that, she was fourth against males in the Hoover Stakes there on July 10.

The millionaire Heros Reward, a multple graded stakes winner, makes a rare appearance against restricted company in the $50,000 Mister Diz Stakes at Laurel Park.

Now 8, Heros Reward has won three stakes at the Grade 3 and Grade 2 level during a career in which he has won 11 of 30 starts on turf and $1.1 million overall. As recently as July 4, Heros Reward missed by a neck in the Grade 2 Highlander at Woodbine. Last time out, in the $200,000 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup at Penn National, Heros Reward failed to show his customary early speed and finished 10th of 11.

EDMONTON, Alberta – Speed, and which horse will be able to carry it going around four turns, seems to be the theme for Saturday’s Grade 3, $300,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park. The 1 3/8-mile feature attracted 10 horses and headlines a strong 13-race card that includes the $75,000 Speed to Spare for 3-year-olds and up and the $75,000 City of Edmonton Distaff for fillies and mares. Post time for the derby is 3:45 p.m. Mountain.

Bingosablumin gets the benefit of not having to face stablemate Bach’s Homebrew for a change when he heads a field of six 3-year-olds going a mile and 70 yards in the $10,000 Van Berg Derby at Columbus.
Bingosablumin has been running with his stablemate Bach’s Homebrew in his last four starts and has been second or third to that rival each time. On Saturday, Bingosablumin will be on his own and searching for his second win for trainer Larry Staroscik. Bach’s Homebrew, meanwhile, will likely be waiting for next weekend’s $15,000 Breeders’ Special.

Dr. W and Be Bullish, both claimed by high-percentage trainers for $50,000 or more at Saratoga late last month, could hold the keys to the $50,000 Leon Reed Memorial Handicap at Finger Lakes.

Dr. W, who has won each of the last three times he has faced New York-breds, and Be Bullish, who was narrowly beaten by Dr. W twice earlier this year, both look like serious contenders in the Reed, a six-furlong sprint restricted to statebreds.

Michigan horse of the year Valley Loot will be spotting her rivals four to 12 pounds when she seeks to get back to her winning ways in Saturday's $20,000 Moonbeam Handicap at Pinnacle Race Course. The one-mile Moonbeam, restricted to Michigan-bred fillies and mares, drew a field of eight and goes as race 8.
Valley Loot has finished second in all three starts this year, including twice at this meet, the latest in the July 17 Larkspur Handicap. Her last win for owner Felicia Campbell, CEO of Pinnacle, came in last October's Michigan Sire Stakes.

Russell Road, who was so outstanding as a 3-year-old last season that he dominated older horses in the $450,000 West Virginia Breeders Classic, begins his quest to repeat that feat when he faces seven other West Virginia-breds in Saturday night’s $50,000 Frank Gall Memorial Stakes at Charles Town.

The seven-furlong Gall is a local prep for statebreds looking to move on to either the $75,000 Onion Juice at seven furlongs or the $500,000 West Virginia Breeders Classic at 1  1/8 miles on Oct. 16.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Workin for Hops will try to pull off a rare sweep of Arlington’s Mid-America Triple when he starts in the Grade 1 $400,000 Secretariat on Million Day here Saturday.

Workin for Hops won the Arlington Classic in May and the American Derby here in July. Between those two races came a trip to Virginia for the Colonial Turf Cup – and there’s the rub.

That advice refers specifically to Jet Propulsion, the horse to beat in the 1 1/16-mile overnight stakes, assuming he doesn’t give his rider and handlers too much trouble making his way from the main track onto the grass course. Pre-race antics crossing over to the grass wreaked havoc on Jet Propulsion’s performances on a couple of occasions earlier this year.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer compares his filly, Blind Luck, to a former heavyweight champion boxer.

“My filly’s like Joe Frazier, just keeps coming at ’em,” Hollendorfer said.

That trait could prove useful, considering that Blind Luck’s matchup with Devil May Care in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama at Saratoga could be considered a prize fight of sorts for the 3-year-old filly title.