Dai Vernon

The team at Ben Leon's Besilu Stables had reason for optimism when 3-year-old Dai Vernon (Good Magic) went to the post for his debut over the Ellis Park turf in June, but while they came away disappointed that day, the handsome chestnut colt more than made up for it with a striking last-to-first victory over the main track at the Henderson oval Sunday afternoon. "This is going to be a serious horse," Leon's bloodstock advisor Fabricio Buffolo said when asked about his reaction to Dai Vernon's 5 1/4-length victory Monday....

2nd-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:14 p.m. Two high-priced maidens will kick off their careers at Ellis Park Thursday. BC Stables paid $1.35 million for DAILY GRIND (Medaglia d'Oro) at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the bay colt is out of SW Walk Close (Tapit), who also produced his full-brother Anneau d'Or, second-place finisher in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Lambo (Uncle Mo), trained by Steve Asmussen, brought $950,000 from the Heiligbrodts and Jackpot Farm at OBS March after posting a :10 flat...