The 11 other horses nominated to the race in alphabetical order are: Battler Bob; Cottonwood Cowboy; Dial A Hero; Easy Grades; Gobi Dan; Hawk's Top Gun; National Park; Popular; Puerto Banus; Shah Jehan; and U S S Tinosa.
Two likely starters for the Feb. 8 $75,000 Sham Stakes were out for exercise Friday morning. Recent maiden winner Hot Contest was timed in 1:01 1/5 for five furlongs at Santa Anita, and Definite Edge went seven furlongs in 1:26 1/5 at Hollywood Park ahead of the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds which have not won $50,000 in races of one mile or longer.Bob and Beverly Lewis' Hot Contest (Tabasco Cat -- Secretly, by Secretariat) was a half-length winner of a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on Dec. 30, 15 days after finishing sixth in a 6 1/2-furlong race won by the since sidelined China Grind. Hot Contest has raced three times for trainer Ray Bell.David and Jill Heerensperger's also earned his first win in a 1 1/16-mile race in December, and then came back to finish second in a Santa Anita allowance race on Dec. 29. The David Hofmans trainee is by Deputy Minister and out of Winner's Edge, by Seeking the Gold.