Baffert stars highlight Indiana Derby, Oaks

The Smarty Jones, contested at Parx on Labor Day, has yielded three Indiana

Derby starters. Edge of Reality led wire-to-wire in winning that 1 1/16-mile

heat by a neck, with reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Uncaptured third and

the Todd Pletcher-trained Micromanage in fifth.

Edge of Reality, an improving son of Lawyer Ron, has won four of seven starts

for trainer Tony Dutrow, while Grade 2 winner Uncaptured has won only the Prince

of Wales, the middle jewel of Canada's Triple Crown, in six outings this term.

Micromanage has much ground to make up on Power Broker, whom he finished behind

in both the June 8 Easy Goer at Belmont and the Haskell.

Others potential contenders include Ruler of Love, the front-running

runner-up in the West Virginia Derby and Super Derby; Illinois Derby runner-up

Fordubai, who captured the $66,000 Straight Line at Arlington last out; Holy

Lute, a lightly-raced colt who captured the El Cajon at Del Mar in his stakes

debut last time; Mr Palmer, who captured the Private Terms at Laurel in March

and was most recently fourth in the Wood Memorial for Bill Mott; and Bradester,

a notable allowance winner at Gulfstream last winter for Eddie Kenneally.

Neck 'n Neck, who took the 2012 Indiana Derby, make his long-awaited return

to action Saturday in the $100,000

Michael G.

Schaefer Memorial at one mile and 70 yards. The Ian Wilkes trainee followed

up his victory at Hoosier with a score against older horses in the Ack Ack

Handicap at Churchill Downs, but has been sidelined the past 11 months due to

injury.

The one to beat in the Schaefer might be the charismatic gray Taptowne, a

front-runner who took the West Virginia Governor's at Mountaineer two back and

has finished second in the Oaklawn Handicap, Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap

and Ack Ack this season.

The eight-year-old veteran Rail Trip, a four-time graded stakes winner

including the 2009 Hollywood Gold Cup, makes a rare appearance outside

California. The Jump Start gelding has made just two starts since finishing

second in last year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, finishing fifth in the Triple

Bend Handicap at Hollywood and sixth in the restricted Pirate's Bounty at Del

Mar.

Other possible contenders are Seruni, third to Wise Dan in the Firecracker

Handicap on turf last time, and Good Lord, a sprint stakes winner at Tampa Bay

Downs and Ellis Park earlier this year.

The $100,000

Maru Hulman

George, a 1 1/16-mile heat for fillies and mares, marks the return of Don't

Tell Sophia, who easily captured the Pippin and the Bayakoa at Oaklawn Park

before settling for minor awards in the Azeri and the Apple Blossom Handicap

over the same track.

Stakes winner Magic Hour, runner-up in the Gardenia and the Iowa Distaff in

her last two, figures as her strongest opponent in the field of nine.

There are five other stakes on the program, four of which are restricted to

Indiana-breds. The other open stakes is the $65,000

Ta Wee,

a one-mile grass test for three-year-old fillies.