Likely Sham Stakes Starters in Friday Works

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.

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.