Ask the Lord holds off Sonic West

FLORENCE, Ky. - Ask the Lord surged past pacesetter Wild Lies with a four-wide rally and scored a head victory over Sonic West in the $50,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes at Turfway Park on Saturday.

Confidently ridden by leading jockey Rafael Bejarano, Ask the Lord stalked the early pace in third as Wild Lies and Play It Out established fractions of 23.97 seconds and 48.15 in the 1 1/8-mile race. Ask the Lord advanced with a wide rally to take command with six furlongs in 1:13.06, then turned back a stretch rally from Sonic West. Doc D finished 4 1/4 lengths back in third.

Ask the Lord, claimed by trainer Bernie Flint for $62,500 Oct. 26 at Churchill Downs, won his third consecutive race and his second straight for his new connections. A 6-year-old gelded son of Lord at War, he raced the distance in 1:52.20 over a fast track and paid $4.80 as the favorite.

Sonic, the second choice in the wagering at 5-2, rallied boldly to pull on even terms with Ask the Lord entering the stretch, but could never get past. Brent's Victory, a 20-1 longshot on the morning line, was scratched.