Fall Championship Looms Wide-Open Affair

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The fall stakes schedule at Turfway Park ends Oct. 2 with a bang in the $100,000 Turfway Fall Championship Stakes (gr. III), which lured a classy, evenly matched field of nine set to go one mile on the final Saturday program of the meet.

The Fall Championship, for 3-year-olds and up, appears to be a take-your-pick affair with just about any of the entrants in the hunt for the top spot or at least a major piece of the purse.

Alumni Hall, a lightly raced 5-year-old, figures to draw some attention. Owned by William Farish, James Elkins Jr., and Temple Webber Jr., Alumni Hall has raced six times--all of the starts this year--and has four wins and a second. Trained by Neil Howard, Alumni Hall (by A.P. Indy won the 1 1/8-mile Black Tie Affair Handicap at Arlington Park in July, then finished fourth in Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) in his most recent start in late August.

Alumni Hall will carry 119 pounds, including jockey Willie Martinez, one of the top riders by wins at the meet. The Fall Championship is run under allowance conditions.

Here's the field, in post-position order, with jockeys and weights:

1 Eagle Time Paul Melancon 115 pounds
2 Ask The Lord Rafael Bejarano 119
3 Crafty Shaw Craig Perret 122
4 Cappuchino Dean Sarvis 115
5 Alumni Hall Willie Martinez 119
6 Intelligent Male Orlando Mojica 119
7 Ministers Wild Cat John McKee 115
8 Added Edge Mark Guidry 119
9 Spanish Empire Shane Sellers 119

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