Hawthorne

CORTESE , four then three wide tracking a contested pace, moved up under asking and bid three deep into the lane, took over with about three sixteenths remaining, edged clear under a strong drive near the sixteenth pole then held firm while kept to task. WILDWOOD SICILIAN broke on top and dropped in towards the inside to set the early pace, sparred with TWIRLING ROSES from the far turn to the quarter pole, dug in when hooked by an outer CORTESE, switched over to his left lead battling past the three sixteenths and stayed gamely to the wire. TWIRLING ROSES angled out a bit early and prompted the pace outside WILDWOOD SICILIAN, moved to near even terms around the far turn, dueled, stayed on between horses into the lane, could not quite go on with the leaders leaving mid stretch and faded. RICHIESONAROLL stalked early while saving ground, failed to keep pace while angled out around the turn, came four wide for the drive and weakened.

MONSIEUR CANDY sped clear early, set a rated pace towards the inside, responded when shaken up soon into the lane, switched leads multiple times and held firm while ridden out. SINE QUA NON , forced in at the break, regrouped and was angled out, circled four wide into the lane, kept grinding outside a rival through the final furlong and got the bob for the place. BAL A KAZOO , in the clear chasing early on, eased off the inside for the drive, advanced between runners leaving mid stretch, kept on gamely to the inside of SINE QUA NON but got the worst of the bobs for second. RAVIN'S RANSOM broke inward, quickly corrected to be forward then was wrangled back off the leaders in the opening furlong, steadied lightly along the inside into the turn, raced well off the pace mid turn, shifted out in the lane but failed to generate a serious run. JOURNEY stalked the winner two to three wide, drifted in with hard pursuit near mid stretch, raced inside foes leaving the furlong grounds and weakened.

GLOBAL EMPIRE , urged from the gate, angled out and stalked BLURT, went after that one leaving the far turn, wrested command near the five sixteenths, was coaxed clear into the lane then steadily widened while under a stiff drive. BLURT cleared early, set the pace towards the inner rail, shifted out after the leader cleared into the stretch, chased on willingly past mid stretch, switched over to the left lead with about a sixteenth to go, faded but remained well in front of the rest. NEW YEAR SURPRISE , climbling early, dropped in and edged up nearing the half, failed to quicken with the top pair past the three eighths, remained inside, faded but did edge out an outer for the show. U S HONOUR NAP , four wide into the first turn, remained wide stalking the pace, was under a ride pursuing past the five sixteenths and faded. LUCKY BOSS saved ground, failed to kick on leaving the half mile marker and faltered.