Our Minesweeper stays perfect in Heller

ALBANY, Calif. - Our Minesweeper ($10.60) scored his third straight victory, stalking odds-on Court Mischief before pulling away in the stretch to win the $50,450 Bart Heller Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

The one-mile race for 2-year-olds was moved from the turf course to the main track after unseasonable rains overnight.

Court Mischief - like Our Minesweeper a wire-to-wire winner in his first two career starts - controlled the pace against his rival early and was still a half-length in front at the eighth pole.

Our Minesweeper, who won the Cavonnier at Santa Rosa in his previous start, seemed to hang momentarily at the top of the lane before kicking past his rival and going on to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:38.51. Montauban was third, another 4 1/2 lengths back.

Winning trainer Michael Lenzini said before the race that he had been working to get Our Minesweeper comfortable in a stalking role.

"I thought Court Mischief was the horse to beat, and we sat just off him," said winning jockey William Antongeorgi III, who has won stakes at every stop on the fair circuit this summer, except Sacramento.

"My horse responded when I asked him. He was tired, but he got the job done."

Court Mischief was washy in the post parade, but jockey Russell Baze said the colt did finally relax down the backstretch.

"When I asked him, he opened up," Baze said. "When we got to the eighth pole, he just got tired."

The victory was worth $30,450 for the Art and Betty Suitter Idaho homebred by first-year stallion Cause Ur Mine. His career earnings are $80,550.