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Sarto
Photo Credit: Jim McCue/MJC
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LAUREL, MD. 10-24-09---Mathew Moran’s Sarto proved his predilection for the sloppy going with a driving victory in the $50,000 Find Handicap for Maryland-breds. Before late afternoon rain drenched the Laurel Park turf course, the Find had been scheduled to be run over the grass. Four horses were late scratches, including program favorite Baltimore Bob.
Sarto carried Joe Rocco Jr. around the soggy main track in 1:51.04 for the nine furlong distance. They spent most of their trip close to the fence before angling out at the top of the lane and driving past longshot In the Juice to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Regal Solo rallied to finish third.
“He broke very sharp, even sharper than he usually breaks,” Rocco said. “At the quarter pole I had a lot left. It worked out very well for us. When I asked him he kicked on very nice.”
The winner, a 4-year-old gelded son of Dixie Union, is trained by Edwin Merryman. He paid $12.40, topped a $132.40 exacta and a $744.60 triple.
“The rain certainly didn’t hurt but the one thing I wouldn’t have wanted to run on was soggy turf,” Merryman said. “John Robb’s horse (In the Juice) kept this field very honest. We had to really run hard to win this.”
Maryland Million Classic winner Sumacha’hot finished fifth as the 9-5 favorite. It was just the fourth time in 15 starts since being claimed by Cave for $5,000 13 months ago that the son of Mojave Moon has not finished first or second.
-MJC-