The penultimate weekend of racing at Fonner Park features the signature event of the racing season, the $75,000 Bosselman Pump and Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes as well as the $25,000 Fonner Special.
The six furlong $25,000 Fonner Special for Nebraska bred colts and geldings drew a field of eight with only a single win among them.
Haveonefordroad broke his maiden last out with a steady, grinding effort to get up by 3/4 of a length over Morning Shadow and Beer Sheriff – both are also entered in the Fonner Special.
Beer Sheriff may be the horse to watch as a very eventful trip compromised any chance he had of winning first out in his last. He was left in the gate but hustled back into contention. After a brief breather he set sail wide and made a huge move to go from 7th to 4th before drifting badly in the lane but was up for 3rd, only missing by a single length. Given a remotely “normal” trip and he may have been able to put away the field with relative ease.
Should Chuck Turco have his issues straightened out, Beer Sheriff could make some noise before the Fonner Special is done.
The Bosselman/Fonner will take the field a mile and a sixteenth over the small oval.
Doctor Peter, the morning line favorite, has slowly rounded into shape this season, taking four races to notch his first win of the season in an Oaklawn $62,500 optional claiming race. He was impressive in putting away that field and if he can keep grinding away through all the turns at Fonner he may be able to over take the front runners.
Embattled trainer Kellyn Gorder sends out the second choice Joy Boy. A winner at first out this season at Oaklawn (where he beat the morning line favorite for the Milwaukee Avenue Handicap today at Hawthorne, I Got It All) , Joy Boy works best when he can get out in front and while there are several that want to stalk the pace, it doesn’t appear that anyone will go with him early. Local jockey Jake Olesiak should be able to get Joy Boy out in front early and will need to withstand the challenges from not only Doctor Peter but also Dowd Mile Champion Diamond Joe and Bud Tondi winner Battle Hardened.
