Churchill card prevents post-Triple Crown lull

The Triple Crown races are over, but we are just getting into the meat and potatoes of the season. Churchill Downs, for instance, is offering an excellent card featuring five graded stakes races Saturday.

The marquee event is the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap. Some observers, myself included, question how strong the older horse handicap division really is. But the bottom line for horseplayers is this: the Foster is an outstanding betting race.

The tepid favorite in an 11-horse field is Giant Oak (7-2), a dead late closer who is always at the mercy of the early pace. His biggest win this season was in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park.

My choice is Duke of Mischief (6-1), who is sure to be overlooked by bettors. In two Churchill starts last year, he was badly beaten in the Foster and Clark. He won the $1 million Charles Town Classic last time, beating Tizway, who won the Met Mile in his next start.

The other graded stakes include the Regret, Matt Winn, Jefferson Cup and the UAE Cup for Arabian horses.

The surest winner among the five stakes looks like Banned (7-5) in the Jefferson Cup. The Tom Proctor colt is bred to run all day and loves the grass. He is learning to harness his speed and save the best for last.

■ BETTING ON DOGWOOD -- Don't tell Cot Campbell of Dogwood Stable there are no more old-school bookmakers in Nevada.

Last April, Campbell was at the Grand Sierra in Reno and wanted to bet that a Dogwood horse would win a Breeders' Cup race. Dan Shapiro of Lucky's did a quick study and quoted him odds of 10-1, which Campbell then bet $5,000 on. I'd keep an eye on his Dogwood 2-year-olds this summer.

■ STATION PROMOTION -- Station Casinos is starting a new We Luv Locals race contest every Saturday through the $30,000 championship final on Aug. 20. The entry fee is $25.

All fees will be paid back as prize money, plus $3,000 of seed money each week. Go to any Station or Fiesta race book for details.

■ OFF TO THE RACES -- The Press of Atlantic City reported last month that gambler Don Johnson won more than $15 million playing blackjack at Caesars, Borgata and the Tropicana. The casinos no longer want his action.

So Johnson shrugged it off by saying, "I'll just go to the horse races."

Since horse race betting is pari-mutuel, all bets are welcome.

Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.