Calder: Twilight Road repeats

Twilight Road successfully defended his title in Calder's $100,000 . But unlike last year, when he registered an easy five-length victory, Twilight Road had to overcome a tough trip before posting a hard-fought three-quarter-length decision over Whos Crying Now.

Twilight Road ($3.40) was shuffled back to near the rear of the pack and forced to race between horses down near what has been a deep and tiring rail during the opening half-mile

of the 1 1/16-mile Memorial Day Handicap. Jockey Phil Teator finally managed to angle Twilight Road outside and into the better footing approaching the stretch, where the defending champ finally found his best stride to outfinish Whos Crying Now in the final sixteenth.

Whos Crying Now prompted the early pace and rallied inside and just in front of Twilight Road through midstretch. Hear No Evil forced Runnintothealter's early pace, drew well clear around the second turn, but dropped down nearer the deeper going through the stretch and weakened late.

Twilight Road, an 8-year-old son of Cahill Road, is trained by David Fawkes for the Donamire Farm. The victory pushed his career earnings to more than $847,000.

Fawkes said he was undecided about Twilight Road's next start.