Seattles Best Joe flies home

Seattles Best Joe ($12.60) sat well off a swift pace before making a strong move in the lane to win the $50,700 Sausalito Stakes Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

Seattles Best Joe was last through the opening quarter as odds-on Stormin' Lyon and Carthage battled through a 21.53 opening quarter. He was still far back as the two leaders went the opening half in 43.83.

Stormin' Lyon began to ease clear of Carthage, but Seattles Best Joe rallied down the middle of the track to win by five lengths, covering six furlongs in 1:08.59.

"It was great for us when those horses cut on the backside and set that fast pace," winning jockey Dennis Carr said. "We hit the turn, and he jumped into the bit. From there it was just a matter of giving him a place to run."

Trainer Howard Belvoir, who also owns a piece of the winner, said the race went about the way he expected. "I figured with the speed there he'd just have to lay back," he said.

The victory, worth $28,200, was the fourth in eight starts for Seattles Best Joe, a 3-year-old gelding, and his third stakes victory. He has career earnings of $140,515.