Nancy A. Vanier and Cartwright Thoroughbred's Straight Line returns home to Arlington Park and looks to rebound off a disappointing fifth-place run in the grade II Ohio Derby on July 2 when he tops a field of nine sophomores entered for Saturday's $100,000 Round Table Stakes. The Round Table, for 3-year-olds at nine furlongs on the main track, will be run as the ninth race on Saturday's 10-race card.A son of the recently pensioned Boundary, Straight Line has an affinity for the Arlington surface with three victories in four starts there. Last year as a 2-year-old, the dark bay or brown colt broke his maiden at first asking when entered for a $50,000 claiming tag in July and scored right back to win $50,000 Honest Pleasure Stakes in August. In his only other start at Arlington during his freshman campaign, he was second in the grade III Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity on closing day, Sept. 19. He closed out his initial season with a five-length tally in the grade III Iroquois at Churchill Downs in November. In three starts this year, the Brian Williamson-trained colt was eased in the grade III Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park and captured a third-level allowance race before finishing fifth after contesting the issue for more than a mile in the Ohio Derby. Chris Emigh has the mount Saturday. Cathy and Bob Zollars' Real Dandy enters the Round Table off a third-place finish in the grade III Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs on June 18. The son of Yankee Victor is looking for his first added-money victory but he has been competitive in stakes competition with in-the-money finishes in grade III Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds and in the grade III Lone Star Derby in Texas as well as in the Northern Dancer. Real Dandy will be coupled in the wagering with Jazzy Gallop, who also races in the colors of the Zollars. A son of Victory Gallop, Jazzy Gallop was most recently fourth in the $42,000 Native Dancer Stakes here June 26. Earlier this year, the bay colt captured the $75,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge at Lone Star Park. Both horses are trained by Steve Asmussen, who led the nation in wins last year. Mark Guidry is named aboard both halves of the entry. Iron County Farms Inc.'s Apache Point makes his Arlington Park debut after running second, beaten only a length in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows two weeks ago. The Royal Academy colt is one for three in his brief career. Shaun Bridgmohan will ride the Frank Kirby trainee. S. D. Brilie Ltd. Partnership's High Expectations makes his first foray into open company after soundly defeating Ililnois-bred runners in his last three starts. Last time out, the Christine Janks-trained son of Peaks and Valleys was an easy victor in the $88,900 Springfield Stakes to give jockey Jesse Campbell the 1,000th win in his career. Campbell re-teams with the gelding Saturday.
Pin Oak Stable's Devilment just missed as the even money favorite in the Native Dancer, falling a neck short to the now-sidelined Three Hour Nap. The Mike Stidham-trained son of Peaks and Valleys will have the services of C. H. Marquez Jr. Field for the Round Table Stakes:Post position, horse, jockey, weight, morning-line odds:
1--Apache Point, Shaun Bridgmohan, 116, 7-2
2--Thunder Mission, Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr., 116, 8-1
3 (a)--Jazzy Gallop, Mark Guidry, 120, 5-1
4 (a)--Real Dandy, Mark Guidry, 116, 5-1
5--Devilment, Carlos H. Marquez, Jr., 116, 4-1
6--Tupper Lake, James Graham, 116, 15-1
7--Straight Line, Christopher A. Emigh, 118, 5-2
8--High Expectations, Jesse M. Campbell, 123, 6-1
9--Bob O's Boy, Larry J. Sterling, Jr., 116, 10-1
(a) -- Coupled entry
