School Board Prez gets up in final stride of Vivacious Handicap
School Board Prez had to work hard to keep her perfect record against Ohio-breds intact in Sunday’s $75,000 Vivacious Handicap at Belterra Park in Cincinnati.
Facing older fillies and mares for the first time, the 3-year-old School Board Prez ($4.40) was fourth at the stretch call, but every horse in the pack was separated by just a head. The 5-year-old mare Hope’s Frog Song briefly put her head in front and looked like she might win the 1 1/16-mile turf race, but School Board Prez refused to lose and got up by a neck in the final stride. She is now 6 for 6 – all in stakes – when facing Ohio-breds.
Hope’s Frog Song, coming off a 6 1/2-length romp in the local prep for the Vivacious, got second by a half-length. Morant Bay edged Zedonia by a neck for third.
Ridden by Olaf Hernandez for Chicago-based trainer Doug Matthews, ran the distance on a firm course in 1:40.75. A daughter of Courageous Cat owned and bred by John Royer, she is 6 for 9 with a bankroll of $322,690.