Outside Nashville surges home to win Joseph T. Grace

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Going into Sunday’s $58,165 Joseph T. Grace Handicap at Santa Rosa, Outside Nashville was just 1 for 8 on grass. However, that lone turf win came the one time he raced on this turf course, and returning to this site apparently brought back good memories as Outside Nashville ($8.80) rallied for the win.

Owned by John Carver, Green Smith, and Jerry Hollendorfer and trained by Hollendorfer, the 5-year-old gelded son of Broken Vow bided his time early under Juan Hernandez in the 1 1/16-mile turf event for 3-year-olds and up.

He was content to lag back as Blues Blaster set a modest pace, started his run into the lane, swung wide, and powered home to surge past his rivals and win going away by 1 1/2 lengths. Eagle Screams and Salah Champ pressed the pace and dueled throughout with the former getting second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Salah Champ, the 8-5 favorite, in the field of eight.

Outside Nashville ran the distance in 1:41.68, and the winner’s share of $32,750 gives him earnings of $269,430 from six wins in 23 starts.