Maiden Claiming

Chart notes

EVERTHREE tracked the early leaders, ranged up five or six wide outside THE JOKES ON ME at the top of the stretch, battled in close quarters through the furlong grounds, edged away past the sixteenth-pole and held off COZY CAFE in the closing strides. COZY CAFE bumped with ELLIE BE DANCING at the break, then took up between that one and LOVIN LIVIN, advanced after a half-mile, shifted to the far outside for the drive and was gaining outside the winner too late. THE JOKES ON ME pressed DEFENDANT early, took over from outside on the turn, fought shoulder to shoulder inside EVERTHREE through midstretch, had the rider's crop get knocked away by the crop of EVERTHREE'S rider coming to the sixteenth-pole, and was outfinished. LUNAR BLAST broke slowly, rallied through an ample opening inside the leaders turning for home, briefly loomed a threat but flattened out into the final furlong. LOVIN LIVIN saved ground outrun early, moved out three wide on the turn, and made no meaningful headway. DEFENDANT set the pace slightly removed from the rail, and was finished after a half-mile. MILENITA broke inward hitting the left side of the gate and crowding ELLIE BE DANCING over toward COZY CAFE, and was outrun. ELLIE BE DANCING bumped with COZY CAFE at the start, then was crowded over toward that rival again a stride later, and was through early inside.