Phlash Drive will put a perfect race record on the line Wednesday when he chases after his fifth win in the featured eighth race at Fonner Park. The allowance, which is for 3-year-olds and up, will be run at a mile. The field of eight includes shippers Mr. Tickle, Blue Harbor, and Mas Mischief, who are leading contenders in from Sam Houston. Phlash Drive is making his first start in open company after racing against Nebraska-breds, and it also will be his first start beyond six furlongs. He’s won his first four races – including three stakes – by a combined margin of 18 1/4 lengths. “We may as well figure out what he’s made of, so we’re taking a shot to see what happens, see if he can go a mile,” said David Anderson, who bred, owns ,and trains Phlash Drive. “His pedigree says he can. He trains like he can. I guess we lead him over there and find out.” Phlash Drive ran through his conditions mostly in stakes, at times out of necessity, with his debut coming in the Fonner Park Special on April 2019 and his second win in the Skunktail at Horsemen’s Park last May. This season, he won his 4-year-old debut in a Fonner allowance and then came back to capture the Ogataul in his most recent start March 7. :: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter “Phlash kept up and proved that he probably belongs with the top group of Nebraska-breds,” said Anderson. Anderson added that the test Wednesday is a stiff one for Phlash Drive. “He hooked a deep field,” he said. “A lot of nice open horses.” Phlash Drive is by Cougar Cat and out of the mare By the Sky, a daughter of Sky Mesa that Anderson bought at auction in Kentucky. “He grew up here on my farm,” Anderson said of his property north of Omaha. “We’re just kind of blessed to have him in the stable.” By the Sky was back in foal to Cougar Cat for a full sibling to Phlash Drive, but had a bout with colic and died, said Anderson. By the Sky was from the female family of Shopping for Love, a multiple stakes winner who earned more than $600,000. By the Sky was a six-time winner for the Sackatoga Stable operation, which won the Florida Derby on Saturday with Tiz the Law. Phlash Drive is on pace to return to Nebraska-bred stakes company later this year, said Anderson. He’s quickly becoming one of the top horses bred by the trainer, who also is behind the retired Reach One More, a 12-time stakes winner he bred in Nebraska. “We enjoy having him in the barn,” Anderson said of Phlash Drive. “Those kind of horses are few and far between. I’ve been doing this 35, 40 years and have been blessed with some nice horses. Reach One More was a nice horse. He’s pensioned, and out here in my pasture. I’ll probably never find another one like him. Hopefully Phlash kind of follows in his footsteps.” Jake Olesiak will be aboard Phlash Drive on Wednesday from post 2.