Dig Deep puts away favored Quijote in Robert Hilton Memorial

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - The $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes at Charles Town was bet like a match race and turned out to be exactly that when the gates opened. Quijote and Dig Deep went right to the lead and were never separated by more than a length until the stretch when Dig Deep pulled away to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Dig Deep paid $4.20 in the five-horse field of 3-year-olds after pressing the early pace outside Quijote. He covered seven furlongs under jockey Javier Castellano in 1:24.61.

Quijote, the 3-5 favorite, finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Easy River.

Dig Deep is now 2 for 4. He won a one-mile Gulfstream Park maiden race in his third start on April 2 after having finished second in his first two races. Dig Deep, a son of Candy Ride, was bred and is owned by Richard Santulli. He is trained by Alan Goldberg.

Confucius Say: In the Fairway

In the Fairway broke a 16-race losing streak in his prior start on Feb. 27. On Saturday, he made it two wins in a row by upsetting the $50,000 Confucius Say, a seven-furlong stakes for West Virginia-breds.

In the Fairway sat just off the pace as Lucy's Bob Boy and Russell Road dueled on the lead. He lodged his bid three wide nearing the stretch, drew clear, and then held safe Partly Mocha by 2 1/4 lengths.

Lucy's Bob Boy, the 5-2 favorite, held on for third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Partly Mocha. Russell Road finished seventh in his 10-year-old debut.

The win gave trainer Jeff Runco and jockey Arnaldo Bocachica their third wins of the day. They had previously teamed up to win the $50,000 Coin Collector with Bullets Fever and an allowance race with New London.

In the Fairway, 6, is now 12 for 35 in his career. He won the Confucius Say in 2014, and the Onion Juice West Virginia Breeders' Classic and Coin Collector in 2013. As a 2-year-old in 2012, he won the Henry Mercer Memorial, Vincent Moscarelli Breeders' Classic, and the Tri-State Futurity.

In the Fairway paid $23.40 to win as the fifth choice in the 10-horse field. He earned a fees-paid berth in this year's Onion Juice as the Confucius Say was a Win and You're In race.

Original Gold: Candy Man's Girl holds on

Candy Man's Girl held off an unlucky Red Hot Diva to win the $50,000 Original Gold, a seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares.

Candy Man's Girl outsprinted Dimples for the early lead, drew clear in upper stretch, then held off Red Hot Diva to win by a length. Red Hot Diva, the 6-5 favorite, saved ground on the backstretch and far turn but could never get off the rail. She rallied in the stretch but ran out of real estate.

Jockey Jose Montano, the rider of Red Hot Diva, lodged an objection against the winner for interference in the stretch but it was not allowed.

Blisstikus finished third, a neck behind Red Hot Diva and a nose ahead of Dimples.

Candy Man's Girl paid $8.80 as the second choice in the 10-horse field. She was timed in 1:27.02.

The Original Gold was a Win and You're In for the Cavada West Virginia Breeders' Classic in October. Candy's Man's Girl will receive a fees-paid berth in that seven-furlong race.

Coin Collector: Bullets Fever stays undefeated

Bullets Fever picked up where he left off last year by winning his 3-year-old debut in the $50,000 Coin Collector while making his first start since last October. Bullets Fever is now 4 for 4 for trainer Jeff Runco.

Bullets Fever went 3 for 3 as a 2-year-old, including stakes wins in the Vincent Moscarelli Breeders' Classic and the Tri-State Futurity.

"He's had a great six to seven weeks getting ready for this," Runco said. "He's matured and grown since last year."

Runco said he and owner David Raim have Bullets Fever's full sister in training.

Bullets Fever broke running in the 4 1/2-furlong Coin Collector and went on to win by four lengths in 51.83 seconds. R C's Daisyduke won the filly counterpart to the Coin Collector - the Its Binn Too Long - two races earlier in 52.69.

Bullets Fever, a West Virginia-bred son of Fiber Sonde, paid $3.60. Scythe was second throughout at 7-1. King of Anything finished third, 1 3/4 lengths farther back.

It’s Binn Too Long: R C's Daisyduke wire to wire

R C's Daisyduke concluded her 2-year-old season by finishing a close second twice in a row to Aye a Song, the best West Virginia-bred juvenile filly of 2015. She began her 3-year-old season by going wire to wire to win the $50,000 It’s Binn Too Long, a 4 1/2-furlong stakes for statebreds.

R C's Daisyduke, trained by Scott Lake, reeled off fractions of 22.28 and 46.16 seconds on an open lead under jockey Gerald Almodovar, and then held off late-running Jacky's Notion by a half-length. It was 3 3/4 lengths back from Jacky's Notion to third-place Party Song.

R C's Daisyduke, who was bred and is owned by Robert Cole Jr., paid $2.60 and was timed in 52.69. A daughter of Yes It's True, she now has a record of 5-3-2-0 and earnings of $97,410.