Bucket Beat, Linda's Luck hit wire together in Green Carpet

A pair of longshots, both racing beyond a mile for the first time and neither with any proven ability racing on grass, hit the wire together in Sunday’s $75,000 Green Carpet Stakes for Ohio-bred 3-year-olds at Belterra Park.

Linda’s Luck, a 30-1 outsider who was a distant eighth in his lone previous turf try last August at Canterbury Park, and 11-1 shot Bucket Beat, making his turf debut after a dominant performance in his first race going two turns, could not be separated when the placing judges examined the photo in the 1 1/16-mile turf race.

Linda’s Luck ($30.60), ridden by Luis Rivera, and Bucket Beat ($12.60), with Irwin Rosado aboard, raced close to the pace set by stretch-out sprinter Buckeye Bullet through fractions of 22.66 seconds, 48.64, and 1:12.45. Linda’s Luck and Bucket Beat ran head to head through the final furlong, with first one and then the other putting a head in front, before reaching the finish line as a team. The winning time was 1:42.27.

My Pardner Cal, last year’s champion Ohio-bred 2-year-old male, finished third at 10-1, a length behind the co-winners and a neck in front of Ossetra, the 5-2 second choice.

Linda’s Luck, a son of Lookin At Lucky owned by Thomas Holyfield, was part of a two-horse uncoupled entry for trainer Jeff Radosevich. The other Radosevich horse, Weavers Ice Cold, was fifth as the 8-5 favorite.

Linda’s Luck, a non-threatening fourth and fifth in his previous two stakes appearances sprinting on dirt, is now 4 for 14 lifetime.

Bucket Beat, a son of Giant Oak trained by Tim Hamm for Blazing Meadow Farm, was exiting a 7 1/4-length romp in a one-mile entry-level allowance at Thistledown. He is now 3 for 6 lifetime.