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Nine horses will go postward in the 51st running of the $20,000 Fonner/Dowd Mile today at Fonner Park.
The morning-line favorite of the race is the Mike and Mitzi Benson-owned Okie Dozer, trained by red-hot handler Dan Coughlin. Okie Dozer, an invader from the Chicago racing scene, made his Fonner Park debut March 29 in the six furlong Budweiser-Tondi stakes. The six-year-old Oklahoma-bred gelding ran a credible second in the race to sprint star Bevys Best and may benefit from the added distance of the Dowd Mile.
Coughlin, who has won four races in seven tries since arriving from Louisiana's Delta Downs, sends out Okie Dozer with Fonner's leading rider, Yuri Yaranga, in the irons.
Trainer Kelli Martinez sends out a non-coupled entry both listed at 3-1 on the morning line. The Martinez horses are the veteran stakes competitor First Class Brass and the 4-year-old colt Another Brother. Husband Armando Martinez is listed overnight as riding both horses, so either another rider will accept a mount on one of the Martinez horses, or only one will run.
First Class Brass has two in-the-money finishes this year in Fonner stakes races. The 6-year-old by Dixie Brass finished second to Tonight Rainbow in the Grasmick Stakes and ran third behind Bevys Best and Okie Dozer in the Budweiser-Tondi. First Class Brass has experience at the distance as he won the State Fair Board Handicap in Lincoln last year going one mile and 70 yards.
Another Brother has posted two easy wins against conditional allowance competition this year at Fonner, and steps up to meet stakes competitors for the first time.
Another horse seeking his third win at Fonner Park this year is the Steve Hall-trained The Nutz, ridden by Don Herber, Jr.
Not to be overlooked is the Jim Cranwell-trained Blumin Attitude. Blumin Attitude ran a troubled fifth in the Budweiser-Tondi and returns to the distance where he won the Who Dr. Who Stakes last season in Omaha. Damon Leeds once again rides Blumin Attitude for owner Deanna Cranwell.
Rounding out the Dowd Mile field is One Pit Wonder trained by Temple Rushton and ridden by Grand Island native Don Frazier, Joanna Lambert's Hot Chocolate with Lee Sensenbach riding, the Bob Rising-owned and trained Skwhirl with Chris Fackler in the irons, and Coyanosa, owned and trained by Sean Foley and ridden by Mike Ziegler.
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