Richiesgotgame edges Another Mystery in The Pizza Man

Richiesgotgame put in a good run and jockey Jareth Loveberry gave him an even better ride winning the $75,000 The Pizza Man Stakes on Saturday at Hawthorne.

Richiesgotgame was home by a head over 1-2 favorite Another Mystery, who just was out-quicked to the wire in a 1 1/16-mile Illinois-bred race well short of his optimal 1 1/2-mile trip.

Jockey Jareth Loveberry broke Richiesgotgame from post 1 and snugged him along the rail as Readthecliffnotes set splits of 23.59 and 48.09 over a yielding turf course. Another Mystery and Orlando Mojica were trapped inside behind Richiesgotgame until the three-eighths pole, where Mojica pulled outside. Instead of going around rivals, Mojica waited for a split between Power Through and Temper Tantrum, which Another Mystery got in midstretch, but the horse lacked the turn of foot to hit the hole and take command.

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Meanwhile, Loveberry cleaved to the rail into the home stretch waiting to see if Readthecliffnotes would vacate the inside path, but when that failed to materialize, Loveberry guided his mount off Readthecliffnotes’ heels and Richiesgotgame split Readthecliffnotes and Power Through and outkicked Another Mystery to the wire.

Readthecliffnotes, racing for the first time in about a year, stayed on well to finish third, a neck behind Another Mystery.

Richiesgotgame, trained by Larry Rivelli for Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope, was timed in 1:42.63 and paid $10. A 4-year-old colt bred by Ben Barnow, Richiesgotgame is by Flashback out of Zero Game, by High Chaparral.

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