Fit Performer an easy winner

Jockey Julian Pimentel got 2004 off to a rousing start by winning four races on Thursday's card at Aqueduct, capped by a 6 1/4-length victory aboard Fit Performer in the $81,600 Interborough Handicap.

Richard Dutrow Jr., trainer of Fit Performer, continued his roll Thursday as he won two races at Aqueduct as well as the Tropical Park Oaks at Calder. Dutrow is now 17 for 40 with three stakes wins in New York since Aqueduct's inner track opened on Dec. 3.

The easiest of Pimentel's four victories came aboard Fit Performer, who stalked a hot pace set by Go Go Baby Go and contested by Literary Light. Fit Performer took control at the three-sixteenths pole en route to running six furlongs in 1:10.76. She returned $13.20 to win.

Drexel Monorail, in what may be the last start of her career, got up for second by a nose over 8-5 favorite Elegant Designer.

"I knew I had a lot of chances - I wasn't expecting to win that many races, though," said Pimentel, 22, who won as many races Thursday as he had in the first month of racing over the inner track.

The announced crowd on New Year's Day was 15,341, including patrons who purchased more than one admission on Calendar Day at Aqueduct.