Baltic Prince rallies to victory

Baltic Prince, coming off a second-place finish in a $5,000 starter allowance, rallied smartly for a two-length score over the 4-5 favorite Long Term Success and recorded his first stakes victory in Sunday's $46,000 Blazing Sevens at Fort Erie.

The Blazing Sevens, an about seven-furlong turf race restricted to horses who had started at least three times at the meeting, marked the second career stakes appearance for Baltic Prince, who had finished second in Fort Erie's Parnitha over five furlongs of turf on July 25.

Francine Villeneuve, who had ridden Baltic Prince for the first time in the Parnitha, returned to the irons Sunday.

Long Term Success, who had opened up a clear lead in midstretch, held for second, 1.25 lengths ahead of third-place Black Tie Justice. Fire the Firm finished fourth in the field of eight.

A California-bred 4-year-old gelding owned by Morris Plaunt and trained by John Wilson, Baltic Prince picked up $24,000 to bring his earnings to $90,887 on a record of four wins, seven seconds, and a third from 20 appearances.

Baltic Prince was claimed for $5,000 when making the eighth start of his career at Fort Erie last May.