FIRST RACE: Plucky ride by seven-pound bug boy Sabastian Morales got the money on 10-1 shot Cherna. She Belongs to Us, 9-5 favorite with Mike Luzzi up, set pace pressed by Roll the Di, looked in trouble when 3-1 Capote’s Princess rolled up outside under C.C. Lopez turning for home, with Cherna trapped down along rail. Mid-stretch, Capote’s Princess could not sustain her run as She Belongs to Us dug in to hold lead. At same time, She Belongs to Us drifted out under Luzzi’s left-hand stick, opening narrow hole along rail, through which Cherna and Morales, 22-year-old native of Mexico newly arrived from Tampa Bay Downs, came charging to take command deep stretch.
SECOND RACE: Golden Manna, 3-1, got perfect trip under Mario Pino, stalking pace duel down backside between Deewanee and Dynamite Jewel, with rest of field well behind. Around far turn, Golden Manna cruised up in bid for lead, looked like easy winner; but there’s a reason why she’s now 1-for-23, with eight seconds. In long battle down stretch, Golden Manna went head-to-head with Deewanee, and by time she finally poked her nose in front, 5-2 Delta Breeze, rallying outside under Jose Espinoza, blasted by them both. Malaysia, favored at 8-5 dropping to 35G after losing last two starts by 11 lengths each, was nowhere.
FOURTH RACE: $1,055,180 was bet into Pick 6 chasing two-day carryover of $265,874. Nazario Alvarado gunned 7-2 Dadoway, dropping from 25G in for 15G maiden-claiming tag, to front, and when Alan Garcia took back on 8-5 favorite Ferdi’s Prince, Dadoway scooted clear to daylight lead that he maintained to wire. Ferdi’s Prince, now 0-for-12, finished second for fourth straight race.
SEVENTH RACE: After four late scratches, field of four was racing for $51,000 purse (no show or trifecta wagering), with Elixir and Spurrier both 8-5, the latter favored by less than $100. Elixir, coming off runaway maiden score at same mile and 70-yard distance, set pace hugging rail from post 1 under C.C. Lopez, led for every stride but the last, when Spurrier, also recent graduate, after spinning wheels around far turn, suddenly kicked in under Stewart Elliott to get up in final jump.
EIGHTH RACE: More than a few Pick 6 tickets went down in flames when 3-5 favorite Ghost Dancing, who set pace under Ramon Dominguez and held daylight advantage inside final furlong, couldn’t withstand late charge of 2-1 What’s Your Point, Rajiv Maragh up. Dominguez wheeled right back in ninth, however, to clinch Pick 6 with his third winner on card, leading gate-to-wire on Rick Dutrow Jr.’s first-time starter Fast Wheels at 6-1, just holding off flying finish of 12-1 First of Ten.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers: 2-8-6-7-5-2
130 winners each paid $6,610
2,665 cons. (5 of 6) each paid $74
No carryover