Ninebanks wins Foster City Handicap

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Ninebanks ($8) won the closing day $65,387 Foster City Handicap at Bay Meadows on Sunday ahead of stablemate Adreamisborn as trainer Jerry Hollendorfer won his seventh stakes race of the meet as he recorded his fourth one-two stakes finish.

Ninebanks sat 71/2 (seven one-half) lengths off Vallarta's early pace down the backstretch, followed defending champion Handyman Bill inside on the second turn and made an explosive move at the top of the stretch to take command.

He pulled away from Handyman Bill, who beat him in the 2003 Foster City. Adreamisborn rallied late to edge Handyman Bill by a nose for second. Ninebanks' winning margin was 11/4 (one one-quarter) lengths as he covered 1 1/16 miles on the Longden Turf Course in 1:42.73.

"I wasn't concerned about where Ninebanks was early," Hollendorfer said. "Chance (Rollins) has been riding well for me, and I just told him to ride the horse with confidence.

"I thought he'd run good. I thought all three of my horses would run well, and they did."

Rollins, a late replacement for Ron Warren Jr. who missed his second straight day due to back spasms, was happy with his trip.

"I was laying where I wanted to be," he said. "He felt really good all the way around. When I asked him, he cut. I can see why he's so hard to outrun. He's a classy horse."

Ninebanks, the reigning Cal-bred champion turf horse, earned $40,225 for his 11th victory in 36 starts, lifting his career earnings to $686,168.

Hollendorfer-trained runners captured seven of the meet's 14 stakes, going one-two in the Miss America, San Jose, Grade 3 Seabiscuit and Foster City.