Quite a Bride perfect on turf

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Quite a Bride beat seven rivals and a rapidly approaching thunderstorm Tuesday at Monmouth to win the Grade 3, $150,000 for 3-year-old fillies on the turf before a holiday crowd of 14,884.

The horses went to post two minutes ahead of schedule as approaching thunder rumbled ominously. A nearby lightning strike during the race shorted out the infield tote board and knocked out the tote system for about 10 minutes.

Fortunately, the race had already been run before a heavy downpour soaked the track.

Quite a Bride ($5.40) was making her graded stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile Boiling Springs. She is unbeaten in four starts since trainer Bill Mott switched her to grass.

Quite a Bride, with Cornelio Velasquez aboard, shot right to the front and opened a clear lead while setting a moderate pace. She ran the half-mile in 48.96 seconds and got to the three-quarter pole in 1:12.63.

When the pack closed the gap slightly at the top of the lane, Quite a Bride quickly sprinted clear and finished 3 1/4 lengths in front of Ebony Rose.

"She did the whole thing very easily," Velasquez said. "I was able to get her out there with easy fractions and she just coasted around there the whole way."

The time was 1:41.37 for the 1 1/16 miles on the firm course.

Candy Eclair: 'Career' victory

Career Oriented affirmed her love of Monmouth with a rallying victory in the $65,000 for fillies and mares.

Career Oriented ($5.60) improved her record here to 5-1-1 in seven starts as she beat Pretty Imposing by three-quarters of a length, with Spirited Game third.

Joe Bravo rode the 4-year-old Career Oriented for trainer Joe Orseno. The time for six furlongs was 1:10.04.

* Pure Disco led all the way to capture the $60,000 Goldfinch Handicap for statebreds and give trainer Tony Wilson his first stakes victory. Pure Disco ($4.20) ran the six furlongs in 1:10.89 with Eddie Castro aboard.