Cherokee's Boy, Purge Likely to Top Iselin Field

Cherokee's Boy, winner of the Salvator Mile (gr. III) at Monmouth last out, and Purge, who romped in an allowance race the Haskell Invitational Day card, look set to top a field of six in Sunday's 70th running of the $250,000 Philip H. Iselin Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. III).

Both horses have been assigned 118 pounds by racing secretary Mike Dempsey, and would be the starting highweights in the 1 1/8-mile Iselin, Monmouth's top event for older horses.

Other likely starters are Presidentialaffair, Billy Allen, and Cointreau. Possibles include Gygistar, who had a training setback after running third in the Salvator Mile, and Shaniko, who would be Todd Pletcher's starter if Purge skips the race.

Presidentialaffair gets in the 2005 edition of the Iselin at 116 pounds, one less than he carried last year when he finished second to Horse of the Year Ghostzapper. Billy Allen is also at 116, while Cointreau, who has won two straight allowance races here, drew 113.