Lion Tamer returns in Richter Scale

Grade 1 winner LION TAMER (Will's Way) will make his five-year-old bow on

Saturday when he takes on seven rivals in the $200,000 Richter Scale Breeders'

Cup Sprint Championship H. (G2). The seven-furlong test will be the Todd

Pletcher trainee's first start since annexing the November 27 Cigar Mile H. (G1)

at Aqueduct. He'll return to Gulfstream Park, where he captured last year's

running of the Richter Scale by three parts of a length, as the 119-pound

highweight under jockey Jose Santos.

Among those Lion Tamer will have to face are SILVER WAGON (Wagon Limit), the

2003 victor of the Hopeful S. (G1), and CLOCK STOPPER (Gilded Time), who ran

sixth by only 3 1/4 lengths in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) last season. Both

already own a start for this year, with the former posting a 1 3/4-length win

over fellow Richter Scale rival VALUE PLUS (Unbridled's Song) in a Gulfstream

allowance in early February. That was the Ralph Ziadie charge's second race off

a 10-month layoff and he'll have to carry 115 pounds. Clock Stopper comes into

this one off a second in the Colonel Power H. at Fair Grounds in January and

will tote 117 pounds.

The complete Richter Scale field, with riders and weights, is Value Plus, Joe

Bravo, 114; SIR OSCAR (Halo's Image), Carlos Olivero, 114; Lion Tamer; SIR

SHACKLETON (Miswaki), Javier Castellano, 116; MISTER FOTIS (Diligence), Jorge

Chavez, 113; BUILT UP (Homebuilder), Eddie Castro, 113; Clock Stopper, Edgar

Prado; and Silver Wagon, Cornelio Velasquez.