Rummy's Command returns to form at Mountaineer

Rummy's Command, unsuccessful in his last four starts while racing around two turns, relished the return to his home track and a shorter distance by scoring an 18-1 upset in the slop Tuesday night in the $75,000 Sophomore Sprint Stakes at Mountaineer Racetrack.

It was the first stakes victory not only for the 3-year-old gelding Rummy's Command ($38.40), but also for jockey Olaf Hernandez and trainer Donald Blankenship.

Now 4 for 7 lifetime on Mountaineer's main track, but 0 for 6 out of town and on turf, Rummy's Command had not won since taking a $15,000 conditioned claiming race going 5 1/2 furlongs in May. He most recently had run three times in two-turn seven-furlong races at Charles Town, highlighted by a third-place finish in a stakes restricted to West Virgina-breds and a distant runner-up finish in an allowance for statebreds.

Racing over a sloppy, sealed track, Rummy's Command ran the six furlongs in 1:13.35 and finished 3 1/4 lengths clear of Dixie Band, the 3-5 favorite. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Precious Duke, a 14-1 longshot.