First stakes wins for Forest Attack, Lady's Laughter

Forest Attack and Lady's Laughter posted mild upsets when rallying from just off the pace to capture twin $50,000 stakes Saturday at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Forest Attack, ridden by Tommy Pompell, captured the Dust Commander Stakes about an hour before Lady's Laughter, with John McKee aboard, won the Likely Exchange Stakes. Both races were run at a mile on Polytrack.

Forest Attack, trained by Mike Maker for the Scarlet Stable, paid $11.40 as third choice when notching his first stakes triumph. The 6-year-old Forest Attack finished four lengths in front of Golden Country in a field of 10 older horses when completing the mile in 1:37.91. Tend, the 2-1 second choice, was third, while Flavor, the 2-1 favorite, faded to ninth after contesting the pace following a troubled start.

Lady's Laughter, trained by Charlie Lopresti for the Bob and Beverly Lewis Trust, also was winning a stakes for the first time. A 4-year-old filly by Distorted Humor, she returned $8.80 as third choice after getting the mile in 1:38.39 and finishing a half-length before Rinterval in a field of eight fillies and mares. Danzon, the 8-5 favorite, rallied mildly to be third, while Unspoken Word, the defending champion, faded to be sixth as the 3-1 second choice.

With their stakes victories, Maker went back into a tie with Joe Woodard atop the trainer standings at the winter-spring meet with 11 winners each, while Lopresti ran his record to a remarkable 4 for 4 at a meet that began Jan. 1.

* A memorial service for jockey Justin Vitek will be held after the March 13 program at Turfway. Vitek died Jan. 28 in Texas at age 36.