Now It Begins hangs on

Jockey Charles Forrest snapped a season-long slump at Laurel Park when he guided Now It Begins to a wire-to-wire victory in the $50,000 Squan Song Stakes.

It was Forrest's first win in 68 mounts this year at Laurel and capped a big week for trainer Mike Trombetta, who won with 6 of the 10 horses he saddled at Laurel, including allowance races with multiple stakes winners Cave's Valley and Eternal Star

The 4-year-old Now It Begins ($19.40) missed by a neck in last year's Squan Song, a seven-furlong race restricted to Maryland-bred fillies and mares who had never won a stakes. This time, Now It Begins went right to the front, repelled three challengers entering the stretch, opened up a clear lead with a furlong remaining, and just withstood 3-year-old filly Fascinatin' Rhythm to prevail by a head in 1:25.12.

Vicar's Vixen finished third, 2 1/4 lengths behind, as the 8-5 favorite.