Fast Boat outlasts Carotari in Turf Sprint

Fast Boat tacked into a hot pace, rode an outside wave of momentum, and won the $100,000 Turf Sprint on Sunday at Sam Houston Race Park by about a neck over Carotari.

Trained by Joe Sharp for Brad Grady, Fast Boat raced much closer to the lead in the 2020 renewal of the Turf Sprint and was run down late, settling for second. On Sunday, under Miguel Mena, he made the last move, pouncing on Carotari in the final furlong and outfighting that stubborn foe.

“He loves the firmer turf over here,” said Sharp, who shipped Fast Boat from Fair Grounds. “We’re real proud of him. He’s worked really hard and deserved the win.”

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Fast Boat raced midpack and between horses as 2-1 favorite Share the Upside dueled with longshot Shangroyal through an opening quarter-mile in 22 seconds. Carotari, who tracked the leaders, was the first to collar the top two, but Mena had worked Fast Boat to the far outside and he took the measure of Carotari.

“He likes to be covered up and make one run,” Mena said. “When I put him on the outside in the stretch, he took off.”

Off a half-mile split of 45.44, Fast Boat was timed in 57.05 for five furlongs on firm going, paying $7.60 to win. Change of Control finished third.

Fast Boat, bred in Kentucky by R S Evans, is a 6-year-old gelding by City Zip out of Yellow Boat, by Lemon Drop Kid. Sharp said the gelding would get a 30-day freshening and be aimed toward the Keeneland meet in April.

Hollis, Sky Ride tied in Stonerside

Sky Ride closed with every stride as pacesetting Hollis dug in and tried to hold. Both horses ran hard enough to win the $75,000 Stonerside Sprint – and both did.

The Stonerside ended in a tie, 6-1 Sky Ride dead-heating with 8-5 second choice Hollis in the six-furlong dirt dash at Sam Houston. The winners ran 1:10.70 as odds-on favorite Nitrous finished third after enduring a tough journey from post 1.

Hollis went clear from his outside draw, went a half-mile in 45.70 while still clear, but appeared to have been nipped on the wire by closing Sky Ride. “I was 100 percent sure I’d won,” said Sky Ride’s jockey, Leandro Goncalvez.

He wasn’t wrong, but victory was shared Sunday.

John Ortiz trains Hollis for WSS Racing and 4 G Racing, the connections claiming the 6-year-old gelding for $50,000 in May 2020. Hollis ($3.20), by Street Sense out of Miss Inclined, by Pulpit, was ridden to victory by Rey Gutierrez.

Sky Ride ($6), another horse claimed earlier in his career, was making his stakes debut after a second-level sprint allowance win at Sam Houston. J.R. Caldwell trains Sky Ride, a 4-year-old by Candy Ride out of All About Anna, by Maria’s Mon, for Triple V Racing.