Scooter Roach stuns Carey rivals

STICKNEY, Ill. - Scooter Roach gave jockey Jesse Campbell a fine 27th birthday present - a win in the on Saturday at Hawthorne Race Course.

Call it a surprise party. Scooter Roach was 18-1 in the one-mile turf race, paying $39.20 to win, and he had never before finished first in a race of this stature.

"I was trying all day to win something," Campbell said. "This one looked like it'd be the hardest."

But everything worked out for Scooter Roach, who rallied from mid-pack to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Carey by a neck. Herculated, the heavy favorite, had perfect position at the quarter pole, but failed to fire and finished eighth. Gin and Sin, who set the pace through modest fractions of 23.92 seconds for the opening quarter and 47.50 for the half, opened a clear lead at the stretch call, but could not hold on. Cloudy's Knight, coming from last, had traffic trouble as he ran through the stretch, but got out in the final yards to finish third behind Scooter Roach and Gin and Sin.

"This horse amazes me," said Campbell of Scooter Roach. "I don't know how he does it. If the next guy stumbles he's right there to pick up the pieces. He doesn't have a big burst. He doesn't have a big move. He's just blue collar."

Trainer Dave Kassen wasn't in the Hawthorne winner's circle, nor were two-thirds of the winning owner's group, the Butterfly Stable. They were at Pimlico, where 10 minutes before the Carey, Hail Hilary won the Maryland Million Ladies for the second straight year. Kassen and Butterfly acquired both horses via claim - and all were ready for a raucous Saturday night.

"I've died and gone to owner's heaven," said Dave Flanzbauer, who stayed in Chicago to see Scooter Roach.