Steve Mongerson's Smalltown Slew, a close second in the opening day Thanksgiving Handicap, is the tepid 7-2 morning line choice over a full field for the inaugural running of the $75,000 Bonapaw Stakes Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course.

The Bonapaw, to be contested at about 5 1/2 furlongs over the Stall-Wilson turf course, is for 3-year-olds and up and is named for the locally based grade I winning sprinter.

In the Thanksgiving, Smalltown Slew was bumped at the start, raced five wide most of the way, and could not catch the front-running Cort's P.B., but was easily second best. In his previous start, the 5-year-old son of Evansville Slew was second over Keeneland's Polytrack course Oct. 14, and before that was runner-up in Turfway's $72,000 Marfa Stakes Sept. 16.

John Pierce II's Mystery Classic, an invader from the Lone Star State, is the 4-1 second choice in the Bonapaw. The sophomore gelding has won his last six starts, most recently by 1 3/4 lengths in the $50,000 Spirit of Texas Stakes Dec. 2 at Sam Houston. Before that, he captured Retama's $40,000 Watson McManus Memorial Stakes by five lengths Oct. 14.

Contenders Storm Surge and Big Top Cat are both owned by Overbrook Farm. Believe Im Special is on the also-eligible list.