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Klesaris entry looms large in Old Hickory; C Karma cuts back in Pontalba On Saturday, Fair Grounds will revive two juvenile stakes that have not been run since 2001, the Old Hickory S. and the companion Pontalba S. for fillies. Each 5 1/2-furlong sprint is worth $60,000. Trainer Steve Klesaris has entered the coupled duo of FORTY THIEVES (Read the Footnotes) and SUNDAY BLITZ (Sunday Break [Jpn]) in the Old Hickory, and Francisco Torres is listed as the rider of both entrymates. Forty Thieves won his first two starts, including the Monmouth N.A.T.C. Futurity S., by a combined 13 1/4 lengths. He did not handle the stretch-out to one mile in the Nashua S. (G3) at Aqueduct, where he became embroiled in a pace duel and retreated to finish last of seven. Forty Thieves aims to regroup while dropping back in distance, and he figures to flash speed from the rail. Given the abundance of early speed on tap, the Old Hickory may set up more invitingly for the stalker, Sunday Blitz, who is coming off a maiden victory at Delaware Park. Two starts back, he just missed by a nose to the highly regarded Old Fashioned (Unbridled's Song). Note that Old Fashioned returned to romp by 15 1/2 lengths in an entry-level allowance. Other contenders in the nine-strong field are Bashford Manor S. (G3) winner SCREEN YOUR FRIEND (Friends Lake), unraced since his disappointing fourth in the August 2 Mountaineer Juvenile S.; BERTSGOLDENMISSILE (Golden Missile), most recently successful by 5 1/2 lengths in the Gate Dancer S. at Louisiana Downs; the Tom Amoss-trained PROUD JEFE (Proud Citizen), a stakes victor at Canterbury who is exiting a solid second in the Meadowlake S. at Hawthorne; El Joven S. runner-up TOP COP (Posse); Louisiana Stallion S. scorer FOREIGN PRODUCTION (Run Production), who will try to make his mark in open company; and the uncoupled Ronny Werner pair of TRANQUIL TIMES (Peace Rules) and MALIBU MAVERICK (Posse). Headlining the nine-filly Pontalba is C KARMA (Exchange Rate), who will employ the turf-to-dirt route while shortening up for new trainer Pamela Edel. Formerly conditioned by Gregory de Gannes, the dark bay has been plying her trade in grass routes. She captured the Natalma S. (Can-G3) and took a stab at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, winding up eighth. C Karma does have prior sprinting experience on Woodbine's Polytrack. She broke her maiden dashing five furlongs before her rallying third in the six-furlong Ontario Debutante S. Brian Hernandez Jr. picks up the mount. Among her rivals are KAYS AND JAYS (Macho Uno), who was narrowly beaten in the Monmouth N.A.T.C. Filly Futurity in her latest for Bill Mott; the uncoupled Steve Asmussen duo of TIFFANY ROYAL (Seneca Jones), a five-length romper in a Texas Stallion S. division, and A DAY FOR DANCING (Dance Master), a photo-finish winner of the Prairie Meadows Debutante; and undefeated Louisiana-bred KEY LEE (Leestown), who ventures outside of the state-bred confines in her stakes debut.
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