Finallymadeit sails through slop

Trainer Javier Negrete fully expected Finallymadeit to bounce back from his poor performance in the Sumter Stakes with a big effort in Monday's $100,000 Memorial Day Handicap. He even went a step further and guaranteed a victory if the track should come up sloppy for the Grade 3 race.

Negrete got his wish when a torrential downpour struck midway through Monday's program, delaying the card more than 20 minutes and turning a fast track to a sea of slop. After that, Finallymadeit made Negrete's bold prediction come true by leading throughout to post a 1 1/4-length decision over the 8-5 favorite, Motovato, in defense of his Memorial Day Handicap title. Dream Maestro was a distant third.

Finallymadeit ($5.60) broke slowly and never saw the lead in the Sumter, but left the gate running and quickly sped to the front under regular rider Eduardo Nunez in the Memorial Day. Finallymadeit rated along kindly through modest fractions, then had enough left in reserve to withstand a stretch-long bid from Motovato.

Motovato, who left Finallymadeit far behind when capturing the Sumter, broke a step slowly and then was shuffled to last entering the first turn in Monday's rematch. Motovato recovered from the early trouble to make a determined run at Finallymadeit down the stretch but could not sustain the rally after switching back to his left lead near the sixteenth pole. Finallymadeit covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.55.

"I was confident he would run well today and even more so after it rained," said Negrete, adding that when he saw the half-mile fraction of48.57 seconds, "I knew they were mine."