Not This Boy shook off persistent pace pressure from Komorebino Omoide, then held off a late rail bid from Sir Greylind to score a game victory in the $100,000 Tenacious Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds. Three-quarters of a length separated the first two across the line in the Tenacious, a 1 1/16-mile dirt race that lost its likely odds-on favorite when Just A Touch was an early stakes scratch. No doubt which of the pair turned in the superior performance. Not This Boy and jockey Jose Ortiz broke just okay, but Not This Boy quickly turned on the gas and made the lead into the first turn. That put rail-drawn Koromebino Omoide, who had broken sharply, into a tight spot, which jockey Paco Lopez got out of by easing his mount back and coming outside Not This Boy. They were not out for a Saturday stroll. After a first quarter-mile in a reasonable 23.84, Not This Boy, hard pressed, went his second quarter in a fast 22.87. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. That, eventually, would prove Komorebino Omoide’s undoing. Three quarters passed in 1:10.71, the top two still dominating, but at the furlong grounds Komorebino Omoide ran out of gas. Sir Greylind made progress up the fence and longshot Stowaway moved between horses, but Not This Boy would not be denied. “The horse is a fighter,” trainer William Cowans said. “It’s hard to get past him when he’s in front.” Sir Greylind proved a head better than Stowaway, who had four lengths on fourth-place San Siro, Komorebino Omoide fading to fifth, beating only Will Take It. In addition to the key scratch of Just A Touch, Number One Dude also was withdrawn. Not This Boy paid $5.60 as the second choice and clocked a zesty 1:42.69 over a fast track. Cowans trains the 4-year-old gelding for his breeder, Zimmer Ridge Ranch. By Not This Time out of Jeana Baby, by Super Saver, Not This Boy is a lightly raced 4-year-old gelding who is now 4-4-1 from nine races. In his two previous stakes tries, Not This Boy ran gamely in defeat, losing by a nose and a head. Saturday at Fair Grounds, that same kind of brave performance got him home first. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.