Morning Stride pulls away in Home of the Brave

Morning Stride sprinted home to win the $55,000 Home of the Brave marathon by 4 1/4 over Rijeka on Sunday at Gulfstream Park. It was another neck back in third to On a Spree.

The Home of the Brave was a starter allowance over 1 1/2 miles on turf. The ground was labeled good.

Morning Stride ($22) was content to let the speed go and rode the rail as Max K.O. took the field through an opening quarter in 24.93 seconds. Renaisance Frolic, the 124-pound highweight, took over through a half-mile in 48.23 and continued to lead through six furlongs in 1:13.11 and a mile in 1:38.19.

Morning Stride unleashed a determined bid on the final turn, came between horses to take the lead into the stretch, and darted home to cover the distance in 2:28.43.

Hector Berrios was aboard for trainer Monica McGoey. Morning Stride is a son of Morning Line owned by 4RH Racing. He has now won 6 of 25 starts and earned $204,265.