Street Lad holds on in Joseph T. Grace Handicap

Street Lad ($11.80) turned in a game front-running effort, barely holding off the late charge of Camino Del Paraiso and stablemate G.G. Ryder to win the $58,600 Joseph T. Grace Handicap by a nose at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa on Saturday.

Jockey William Antongeorgi put Street Lad, one of three entrants for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, on the lead as expected. The 4-year-old Street Cry gelding relaxed nicely in front of favored A Red Tie Day and stablemate Anythingscooking.

Street Lad had set the pace in the Grade 3 All American at Golden Gate before finishing fourth in a four-way photo won by G.G. Ryder and then set the pace in the Wickerr Stakes last out at Del Mar before fading to fifth.

He set similar fractions Saturday, with a 48.08 half and six furlongs in 1:12.60, but this time had enough left to hold in winning the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes in 1:42.26.

Camino Del Paraiso sat well off the pace before beginning his rally while four wide on the second turn. He moved up steadily and finished strong, but Street Lad had enough left to hold him off.

G.G. Ryder found himself last early and was last getting a ground-saving trip. He, too, began to move up along the fence on the second turn and stayed on the rail through the stretch but had too much ground to make up as he finished three-quarters of a length behind his stablemate.

Street Lad, owned and bred by Larry and Marianne Williams, earned $32,900 for his first stakes victory, boosting his lifetime earnings to $93,540.