Fairplex has $143K carryover after maiden Runstevierun wins stakes

POMONA, Calif. – It was an evening of firsts Wednesday at Fairplex Park, where pick six bettors on Thursday can chase the remains. A large pick six pool will be up for grabs after a series of middle-price winners caused a two-day carryover of $143,230.

Wednesday’s firsts included the initial twilight card at the Los Angeles County Fair, the maiden Runstevierun ($27.60) scoring his first career win in a stakes, and jockey Jose Valdivia winning for the first time since returning to Southern California.

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It happened in the $50,000 C.B. Afflerbaugh Stakes, a seven-furlong race for 2-year-olds that trainer Doug O’Neill figured would be easier than a maiden special-weight at Santa Anita.

He was right. Runstevierun, supplemented for $1,000 to the Afflerbaugh, won by three-quarters of a length over Senor Rain. Inquisitive Son finished third.

The result was controversial. Runstevierun shifted inward at the top of the lane, causing third-place finisher Inquisitive Son to steady. “He almost dropped me,” Inquisitive Son’s jockey Edwin Maldonado said, referring to Valdivia and winner Runstevierun.

Maldonado picked up the phone to talk to stewards after dismounting, but it was too late. The result was declared official just as Maldonado began speaking.

Maldonado could have claimed foul earlier by alerting the “quick official” outrider before returning to be unsaddled. Maldonado did not do that. After reviewing the replay video, stewards Kim Sawyer, Vic Stauffer, and Tom Ward declared it official.

Sawyer said stewards “were looking at the replay the whole time” before jockeys dismounted. They concluded the incident was insufficient for a disqualification.

The win was the first for Valdivia since returning to California. “I haven’t forgotten how to ride this track,” he said. Valdivia led the Fairplex standings in 1995.

Runstevierun, sired by Stevie Wonderboy, finished the race in 1:26.61, winning in his fourth career start. O’Neill has won all three stakes run so far at the Los Angeles County Fair.

The pick six Thursday at Fairplex begins in race 4; post time for the race is 2:15 p.m. The shortest price in the sequence is race 7 favorite Fortunate Appeal. He is listed at 6-5 in the $25,000 claimer, for non-winners of two races.

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