Fight to Glory, Malibu Max win sprint stakes

Fight to Glory and Malibu Max won scratch-depleted stakes races on Saturday at Canterbury Park.

Fight to Glory went straight to the lead under Orlando Mojica in the $50,000 L 'Etoile Du Nord and, despite setting breakneck splits of 22.26 and 44.82 seconds, never came close to being headed, winning the six-furlong race for older fillies and mares by four lengths. The favored Hotshot Anna ran hard but couldn’t close ground, finishing second, well in front of Escape Clause and Shar Kan. Thoughtless was scratched.

Trained by Robertino Diodoro for Charles Garvey, Fight to Glory ran six furlongs in a snappy 1:09.46 and paid $5 to win. The 4-year-old Fight to Glory is by American Lion and was produced by the Bandini mare Cooking Mama.

Half of the six horses entered in the $50,000 Paul Bunyan, including odds-on morning-line favorite Wynn Time, were scratched. Mac Robertson trains Wynn Time, but his second entrant, Malibu Max, got the job done.

Malibu Max ($3.80) had started in two-turn races his last 10 outings but had no trouble keeping up with fractions of 22.99 and 45.63 set by World Famous Sam T and Bourbon Cowboy. Malibu Max and Jareth Loveberry attacked in upper stretch, made the lead just before the stretch call, and pulled clear to win by two lengths, stopping the timer in 1:10.28 for the six furlongs.

Malibu Max, a 5-year-old Joe Novogratz homebred, is by Malibu Moon and out of Mindy Sue, by Pleasantly Perfect. His record now stands at 5-2-3 from 15 starts.