Mahoning Valley Racecourse

ALTER BOY broke in a tangle, then rushed up to a clear lead past the half-mile pole, maintained the margin through the turn, then held clear to the wire without being challenged. LORD BARANOF settled three-wide and well off the early pace, rallied in late stages to take the second prize, clear of the next finisher. USAIN TH (URU) lugged in after the start, making contact with ORB CITY, forcing that rival to alter course to the inside, settled well behind the field through the early stages, then ran on some late to gain third. CINDY'S LAST SONG broke well, gave an even effort while saving ground throughout. DELIGHTFUL APPEAL broke on top, but was quickly overtaken by ALTER BOY before the half, chased that one through the turn, then faded in the stretch. ORB CITY got bumped by USAIN TH (URU) in the first fifty yards, altered course to the inside, dropped far behind after the start, and chased throughout.

ILIKETHAT stumbled but recovered quickly to take the early lead, had IRONCLAD ALIBI a constant shadow to the outside, but kept that one at bay to the finish to prevail in a good effort. IRONCLAD ALIBI pressed the early pace two-wide well clear of the rest, kept up the chase gamely through the late stages, and was slowly closing the gap in the final yards but ran out of time. SWEET LEMON DROP dropped back after a level start, raced well off the pace, then was kept to task in the stretch and moved up to gain the minor award. MAILS HERE was slow to begin, chased in the five-path down the backstretch, continued through the turn in the three-path, came out another path or two in the stretch, but lacked much of a finish. CHIEF BUCKEYE was outpaced at the rear of the pack through the early running, saved ground throughout, but was never a threat. HITE raced mid-pack down the backstretch, then dropped to last near the seven-sixteenths marker, kept to a four-wide path and had little to offer late.

CARSON N SPENCE was allowed to settle early, came off the rail exiting the first turn, moved up in range of the leaders before the far turn, responded when asked to go on passing the half-mile pole, easily too command of the race at the five-sixteenths marker, and drew off under steady handling. DERBY INCLUDED tracked a few lengths off the pace, lacked a clear path approaching the three-furlong pole, then angled out to the three-path midway through the turn, and finished with some late interest to gain the place. ATLAS FALLS was the back marker through the early stages, started to run on going into the far turn, came out four-wide into the stretch, and finished well enough to gain the third prize. MR LOOOCH tracked DRILL'S BOY to the half, took over the lead at that point, then gave way approaching the quarter pole and had little to offer in the stretch. MUCHO PRIMO raced three-wide and lacked a finish. DRILL'S BOY went to the front on the first turn with minimal effort, led the way for a half-mile, then gave way readily.

COUNTING ON CLYDE sprinted clear from the start, with one rival and closed pursuit, those two were well clear of the rest, kept that rival at bay through the stretch and drove clear in the final yards. BALKI BARTOKOMOUS ducked in at the start, making hard contact with HE IS DYNAMIC, pressed the pace to the outside of COUNTING ON CLYDE, came into the stretch on the wrong lead, had every chance, but could not get by the winner. TAKE DICTATION raced well back of the leading pair through the early stages, then stayed on late to capture the third prize. HE IS DYNAMIC was bumped by BALKI BARTOKOMOUS at the start, raced in the two-path with the tracking group and failed to muster up a late bid. AGNELLO CITY got roughed up and took up after the start, dropped far behind early, and was never a factor. PLAYFULASITGETS got pinballed a bit after the start when put in tight by the outside horse, raced along the fence in the middle of the drawn-out field, and finished one-paced.

COLONEL VARGO tracked close up three-wide, went after DREAM ON BABY approaching the quarter pole, gave game chase through the stretch, and got up in the final jumps. DREAM ON BABY hustled to the lead, he'd sway under early pressure, opened up a clear lead on the turn, dugin in gamelly under threat in the stretch and got caught in the last jumps. DOCTOR WU settled mid-pack, came off the rail into the turn, swung four-wide into the stretch, and was steadily closing the gap in the final yards, but came up short. ATKINS pressed the early pace from the inside, struggled to keep up midway through the turn, finished evenly but well short of the money. TIME THE AVENGER settled near the rear for the first quarter mile, made a middle move three-wide on the turn, loomed at the top of the stretch but flattened out. SHEISTHEHERO raced with the pack down the backstretch, then dropped back to last and was getting out on the turn, ended up six-wide at the top of the stretch, and did not offer a rally. RAMSEY raced near the back of the pack and never threatened.